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Scientists want to know about the birds in your backyard, even common ones. Here's how to help
Are different species of parrots mating in Southern California? Your observations can help scientists find out.
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Russell Campbell
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Moore Lab of Zoology at Occidental College
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A bird in your backyard is worth a lot to scientists
The Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up, and it's a great way for citizen scientists to help contribute to our understanding of birds around the world.
Topline:
Every year, birders around the world join together for the Great Backyard Bird Count to contribute avian observations to science. This year it’s taking place from Feb. 13 to 16, and by participating you can help local researchers figure out things like whether certain species are invasive.
Power in numbers: ”You spend 15 minutes really trying to understand what's there, and you multiply that over millions of people, you've got a lot of very powerful data,” said John McCormack, director of the Moore Laboratory of Zoology at Occidental College. He and his colleagues have used the data, which gets uploaded to eBird, to understand whether different species of parrots are mating with each other and creating offspring.
Common birds matter: When you document often-seen species, scientists can use the information to better understand how birds are living across Southern California. For instance, the California quail has patchy distribution, and more data could elucidate the locations of different populations.
Look for the red-whiskered bulbul: The species was introduced to the Huntington Gardens in the late 1960s but has spread rapidly over the last couple of years, McCormack said. Additional data could help scientists understand the nuances of the bulbuls' growth and how it’s affecting other species.
How you can participate: Enter your bird count in the eBird app. If you don’t know a chicken from a chickadee, the Merlin app can help you identify birds by their calls.
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