Great Backyard Bird Count

The State Parks NatureFinder project sees lots of different observations of a variety of species from all over the state – but one thing that remains consistent is the incredible photos and observations of birds. With just under 7,000 observations, nearly one quarter of the project observations are birds! The top three most-observed birds are 1. Red-tailed Hawk, 2. American White Pelican, 3. Bald Eagle.

If you enjoy bird watching, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is coming up in less than two weeks, February 12–15, 2021. Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the GBBC was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time. Participating is easy, fun to do alone, or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds – including our Colorado State Parks! Simply watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, and record what you see using the Merlin Bird ID app or eBird. There are also instructions for participating as a group.

Bring your camera and head to a state park! Although photo or audio evidence is not required for the GBBC, this evidence is required for iNaturalist observations. Once you’re done counting birds for 15 minutes, spend some time taking photos so you can contribute to the State Parks NatureFinder project in addition to GBBC!

COVID Statement: Watching birds is a safe and enjoyable activity we can do during the Covid pandemic. For the 2021 Great Backyard Bird Count, we strongly urge participants to comply with all current country, province, state, or municipal Covid-19 regulations and guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to, social distancing while birdwatching and wearing a mask when birding with others. Thank you for protecting yourself and your community while celebrating the wonders of birds.

Red-tailed Hawk, Chatfield State Park, observed by paulbradford on January 24, 2020:

American White Pelican, Cherry Creek State Park, observed by David Martin (davidemartin) on November 16, 2020:

Bald Eagle, Trinidad Lake State Park, observed by Steven Mlodinow (mlodinow) on October 11, 2020:

Posted on February 2, 2021 09:10 PM by coparksandwildlife