How Hoosiers can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count is back and giving Hoosiers a chance to dig into their love of birds and help researchers at the same time.

The count is a four-day partnership between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Participants collect data to help scientists gain a better understanding of bird populations before an annual migration.

“It’s a unique time,” Brad Bumgardner, executive director of Indiana Audubon said. “We think of February as not really a birding time of year, but it’s a great chance to learn all birds when they’re first arriving as spring comes up.”

Here is what you need to know if you’re interested in being part of the Great Backyard Bird Count.

How do I participate?

Either download the Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab on a smartphone or set up an account on eBird with a computer or smartphone.

Decide where you want to watch for birds and set aside at least 15 minutes to watch. Some local nature centers might be hosting bird count hikes, so check availability there.

The Indiana Audubon Society also hosts its own events. Visit indianaaudubon.org/events.

All entries in the Great Backyard Bird Count timeframe count, so feel free to participate as many days as you can.

Hoosier wildlife5 species the Indiana Department of Natural Resources has worked to restore

When can Hoosiers participate?

The Great Backyard Bird Count begins Friday, Feb. 17, and runs through Monday.

Bumgardner said it’s best to get out right after sunrise, when birds are most active. They’ll be hungry and flying around.

Birds may be less active if it’s dreary and windy, so Bumgardner suggests heading out when the weather is nicer.

Why are bird counts important?

Weather and temperature patterns are shifting because of climate change, Bumgardner said.

In Indiana, ornithologists are seeing shifting migration patterns, and these counts help keep track of what birds show up when. Migrating warblers and neotropical migrants are appearing nearly a week earlier than they were seven years ago.

This puts the birds at risk as the state could still see some extreme weather or food-source scarcity.

One example, Bumgardner said, was an unseasonably warm March in 2012. Caterpillars in the Indiana Dunes came out early, but the flowers were out of step, so the butterflies had no food and died.

How can Hoosiers help migrating bird populations?

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology estimates 4 billion birds migrate in the spring and fall. Here's what Hoosiers can do at the local level to help reduce risks to birds flying to and from the state:

• Turn off lights.
• Design buildings to reduce the risk of glass collision.
• Keep cats indoors.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.