May Global Big Day, 2020

Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you, wherever you are, and this year is no different. While not everyone may be able to leave home to bird this year, Global Big Day is still an opportunity to check in with the birds in and around where you live. Join me on Team Flying Pintails on May 9th and be a part of a global birding community by sharing what birds you see with eBird.

Participating is easy. Wherever you are, you can be a part of the global community of birders. Please remember to always put safety first and follow all local safety guidelines and closures. You can enjoy birds from inside your home and still be part of Global Big Day.

If you can spare at least 5 or 10 minutes, report your observations to eBird online or with our free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit checklists of birds throughout the day at different times. Can you find more birds in the morning or in the evening? You never know what you might spot. Your observations help scientists better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.

This year, Global Big Day will focus on the number of checklists we can collect as a global team. Last year, 35,209 eBirders from 174 countries collected an astounding 92,284 checklists in a single day. Will you join the world’s birding community on Global Big Day to make 2020 the year that we surpass 100,000 checklists of birds in one day? Help us set a new checklist record!

How to participate

• Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows scientists to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive Global Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data to help them better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
• Watch birds on May 9th: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes in your backyard counts. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
• Enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your sightings via the eBird website or download the free eBird Mobile app, which makes adding what you see even easier. You can enter and submit lists while out birding, and the app tracks how far you’ve walked so you can focus on enjoying the birds. While you’re downloading free apps, try out the Cornell Lab’s Merlin Bird ID app for help with identification. Please enter sightings before 13 May to be included in our initial results announcement.
• Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, follow along with sightings from more than 170 countries in real-time on our Global Big Day page.

Global Big Day Pro Tips

• With the spread of COVID-19, please follow recommendations from local health officials and avoid unnecessary travel.
• Use Merlin Bird ID for help with tricky species.
• Take photos and add them to your checklist—they might end up on the Global Big Day page!
• Make your sightings more valuable: submit complete checklists, keep counts of the birds that you see, and keep multiple checklists throughout the day.
• Share what you’re seeing on social media with #globalbigday!

Last year’s Global Big Day set a new record, with 92,284 checklists of birds collected on one day. On 9 May, we hope you’ll be a part of birding’s next world record. And no matter what you do, have fun, enjoy the birds you find, stay safe, and share your sightings on eBird. Because in our world, every bird counts.