Great Backyard Bird Count record-breaker         

[April 05, 2007]  NEW YORK and ITHACA, N.Y. -- In just four days in February, participants in the Great Backyard Bird Count tallied more than 11 million birds across the United States and Canada. Together, they recorded 616 species and submitted more than 80,000 checklists -­ 33 percent more than the previous high of 61,000 checklists in 2000. The Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, engages people of all ages and levels of experience in learning about birds and reporting their sightings for conservation.

"There has never been a more detailed snapshot of continental bird distribution in history," said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "It used to take scientists years to gather large-scale information about bird population and distribution -- and the GBBC does it in just four days each year, thanks to a continentwide community of birders reporting their counts online."

Along with collecting valuable data, the count also gathers new and vital support for the environment. "This record-breaking turnout is proof of a powerful formula -- birds plus fun equals a lifelong connection to nature," said John Flicker, Audubon president. "It turns kids, parents and grandparents into more than citizen scientists; it helps make them citizen stewards for the health of our planet."

American robins topped the list as the most numerous species counted, with more than 2 million robins reported from 60 states and provinces. Participant Lorraine Margeson counted a flock of 750,000 robins roosting in a mangrove forest in St. Petersburg, Fla. "In the morning, the robins just pour out of there," she observed. "It's spectacular with the sunrise on their red bellies. When you see it, you think this is what makes life worth living."

This year's rare birds included five lesser prairie chickens in Oklahoma and two pink-footed geese in Rhode Island, initial records for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Participants also submitted more than 4,000 bird photos. The online photo gallery shows images from across the continent, including a rock pigeon perched high above New York City and a pink roseate spoonbill taking flight in Houston, Texas.

Full results of the count are available online at www.birdcount.org. Visitors can see what birds were reported in their own town or across the continent and explore dynamic maps showing how bird distribution and abundance have changed during 10 years of the Great Backyard Bird Count.

How did your community do in the Great Backyard Bird Count? For results from your town and a list of local and state checklist champs, visit www.birdsource.org/gbbc/press.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research, education and citizen science focused on birds.

Now in its second century, Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Audubon's national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation.

[Text from news release received from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology]