Team Flying Pintails for Global Big Day
Join me on Team Flying Pintails this Saturday for Global Big Day!
Posted May 4, 2020
All About Global Big Day.
We are now in countdown-mode for Global Big Day this Saturday! I am a team member of Team Flying Pintails, and I invite you to join me and count birds no matter where you are or whatever your travel restrictions!
Global Big Day is an annual event in which birders, often in teams, travel around an area trying to observe as many bird species as they can in a 24-hr period of time. It’s organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Last year, people in more than 175 countries participated in this one-day birding event, setting a record for the most birds seen in one day all over the globe. It’s a fun day, and I plan to be out birding all day here on Bonaire!
Luckily, we here on Bonaire are not restricted in movements, so I can traverse the island. Even if you are sheltering-in-place on Saturday, you can still bird in your backyard or garden, and join me in trying to reach 275 species for Team Flying Pintails!
Use eBird and Merlin ID to help track your birds.
Each team member should plan to carry out one or more bird counts during the day on May 9th. For each count, you should record the start and end time of your count, your location, all the species seen, and how many of each species seen (doing your best to estimate if it is impossible to count each bird). Counts are most easily and efficiently done using the eBird Mobile app (available for both iPhone and Android). But checklists can also be done with paper and pencil and then entered into eBird later in the day. (or eBird Caribbean if you are based in the Caribbean).
Remember that each team member can conduct as many counts as they wish during the day and you may do counts from different locations (places that are safe and legal to visit during this lockdown). These can be stationary counts (staying in one location, e.g. in your backyard) or traveling counts (e.g., walking a trail or around your neighborhood). It is recommended that counts last at least 10 minutes and that a different checklist is started at each different location.
At the end of the day, each team member should enter their checklist(s) from May 9th into eBird (directly from the mobile app or online at the eBird website or eBird Caribbean if you are birding in the Caribbean). Then, you will need to share your list(s) with our team’s special eBird account, designated for Global Big Day. Once your checklists are submitted on eBird, please share them to this special account: BCGBDFlyingPintails
Upcoming Webinar on How to Use eBird.
Hopefully, all of you are familiar with using eBird. But if not, no worries! BirdsCaribbean will be having a special webinar on May 7th at 3 PM (EDT) that covers the basics of using eBird and Merlin ID presented by eBird expert, Jeff Gerbracht, of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
About Team Flying Pintails.
The fearless leader of Team Flying Pintails is none other than Lisa Sorenson, Executive Director of Birds Caribbean. She has put together an elite team to (hopefully) beat the other teams in this friendly, yet competitive, fun for Global Big Day. The goal of Team Flying Pintails is to observe more than 275 species (from all team members wherever they are around the world) and to raise $5,000.
Join me on the team and go out and count birds on Saturday. Or, if your circumstances do not allow you to join in on the competitive fun, then please do what you can to help out the Caribbean’s birds by making a donation. No amount is too small!
See you on Bird on Saturday! Happy birding!
(Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
About the author
Susan has been living on Bonaire for over 30 years. She is a certified bird guide, a PADI SCUBA Diving Master Instructor, and an underwater and topside photographer.
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Contact Susan via email, Facebook Messenger, give Susan a call, or simply use the online form below.
If you have any questions in regard to your birding tour on Bonaire, feel free to contact Susan to get answers. She is always happy to elaborate on routes or best times for a tour based upon your own personal preferences. Tours can be tailored to your own interests, whether that be birds, photography, or both!
It is also recommended that you do some homework about Bonaire's birds before you visit. By knowing a little bit about the birds which might be encountered on tour, your enjoyment will be heightened! Be sure to check out these resources for Bonaire Birding. Reading the Bonaire Bird Blog will also accustom you to the birds that habitually are encountered on Bonaire.
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