Join SIB for Great Backyard Birdcount

Each year, Audubon International promotes The Great Backyard Bird Count.  The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.

Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the  National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share. Recently, more than 160,000 participants submitted their bird observations online, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded.

The 24th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15, 2021.  Seabrook Island Birders is cooperating with this global event by conducting some birding activities but also allowing people to virtually participate by reporting their sightings to SIB who will then share with Audubon.

If you wish to report your sightings individually, you may record in eBird if you have an account.   We ask you then “share” your checklist(s) with the SIB eBird account (SIBeBird).   If you do not have an account, you may request SIB to provide you a form which you can forward to SIB for entry into eBird.

Do you want to participate in a “walk”?  SIB has scheduled 4 walks on Sunday February 14.  Register for one (or all) of these walks.  This registration form also provides you the ability to request the form for any virtual birding you choose to do.  The February 14 scheduled walks are:

• North Beach – 9 am
• Garden and Equestrian Center – 12:30 pm
• Palmetto Lake – 2:00 pm
• Jenkins Point – 4:00 pm

In addition, a SIB favorite will be a Learning Together on Ocean Winds Golf Course on Monday February 15.  Register to reserve your slot for this event.

We are limiting participation in the non-virtual events so register early but be sure to notify us if conflicts arise so people on the wait list may be accommodated.

We look forward to your participation in this citizen science event.