While we are all busy finishing up uploading our waterbird counts for the January challenge, the exciting month of February is upon us! As you know, every February brings the Great (Global) Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), a worldwide birding event in which tens of thousands of people take part.
Bird Count India has been coordinating the GBBC in India since 2013, and we’re happy to report that participation is going from strength to strength. Last year, for example, a thousand Indian birders uploaded 7,000 lists during the GBBC, documenting 735 species; more species than any other country barring Ecuador!
This year the dates for the GBBC are 12-15 February. You can see more details here, including of a sister event — the Campus Bird Count.
Why all this detail about the GBBC? It’s to explain the background to this month’s eBirding challenge, which is Twenty20 lists: upload at least 20 eligible lists during the four days of the GBBC (12-15 Feb), and another 20 eligible lists in the other twenty-five days of February. Eligible lists are effort-based, complete lists, of at least 15 min duration
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Please upload all your lists by 5 March so that we can announce the results on 6 March.
Here are the general rules of our monthly challenges. And check out the yearlong challenges as well! You can keep track of fresh lists coming in from India at this page.
Important. if you are new to eBird, please read this description first, and do take a look at the Beginner’s Guide.
Header Image: White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensis © Manish Panchal/ Macaulay Library
[…] and Indian birdwatchers are as enthusiastic as those in any other country. To mark the GBBC, the monthly challenge for February was to contribute at least 20 eligible lists during the GBBC, and an additional 20 lists in the […]