Bush Thick-Knee, Brisbane, AU. Photo by Brian Sullivan.
At long last, the Global Big Day has begun! Some eBirders throughout Europe and the Americas may be unsure that we are aware what day it is, but in places like New Zealand and Australia, it is already May 9th, and the submissions have started to come in. The first checklist of the Global Big Day was submitted by Elliot Leach in Queensland, Australia, and featured a single species: Bush Thick-Knee! In preparation for the Global Big Day arriving everywhere else, this post is a summary of everything that we’ve published about the Global Big Day so far, to make it easiest for you to participate and contribute your sightings. Remember, all you have to do to contribute is go birding and then submit your data to eBird–how easy and fun is that? You don’t need to commit to a full 24-hours of birding on May 9th, even an hour or 10 minutes would be a great help. Read on for more information, and everything you need to know about the Global Big Day!
May 9th is the inaugural Global Big Day, where eBird and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are hoping to engage a worldwide network of birders to go out and count birds in support of global bird conservation. Our goals are to record more than 4,000 species of birds through eBird in a single calendar day, and to raise $500,000 for bird conservation. Below are a list of articles that should have everything that you need to get the most out of the Global Big Day.
Global Big Day Essentials
- Global Big Day HQ – follow along with the global efforts
- How to Contribute – a complete guide for GBD participation
- How to Prepare – how to plan and get the most our of your birding
- Who is Participating – list of participating states, provinces, and countries
- Win Free Binoculars – submit 5 eBird checklists on May 9th
We’d like to thank every person, group, and organization that has gotten in touch with us with positive words and support for the Global Big Day. From the American Bird Conservancy reaching out to their 67 partner reserves, to individuals in Uzbekistan birding on their own – we appreciate it all. This day gives us a great opportunity to all unite behind the cause of birds and bird conservation, and work towards protecting the habitats and species that we all hold so dear.