Anyone who enjoys bird watching can participate in Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “Global Big Day!” [It also happens to be World Migratory Bird Day today.] Find your favorite spot for bird watching - your own backyard counts! - and record your observations. Even 15 minutes of bird watching on your lunch break can contribute to this world-wide citizen scientist event! You also can record more than one set of observations over the course of the day, for example, 10 minutes of watching first thing in the morning, 20 minutes on a lunch break, and 15 minutes at the end of your day. Record your observations in eBird online or in the eBird mobile app and that’s all there is to it. Here is where you can find more information.

Your observations help scientists better understand global bird populations and are used to generate an array of studies and data displays. Last year, more than 51,000 people from 192 countries submitted 134,000 checklists through eBird, which was an unprecedented level of participation. Let’s see if HLBWS members can contribute data to this global effort in 2022!