Great(Global) Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is citizen science project in ornithology. It is conducted annually in mid February. This event is supported by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. During this four-day event birdwatchers all around the world are invited to count and report details of birds in the area they live. This data is logged at ebird.org server in specific format. The rich data collected during this event is used for scientific research.
Overview
GBBC was first launched in 1998 in USA.. It is conducted in the second week of February. In 2013 the event went global and bird watchers around the world can now participate in this event. In 2015 nearly half of known bird species worldwide were reported. Many wildlife and conservation institutes around the world are supporting and participating in this event. Data collected during this event is subjected to scrutiny be experts since this event involves lot of amateurs and enthusiasts who may not be as skilled.
Data collected in this event have created awareness and raised alarm about the changes in population and habitats of common birds.
Participation in this event is increasing rapidly with use of social media like Facebook. There are lot of bird count events organized around the globe by various NGO's and Nature clubs. Many of these institutions are now organizing their events during the GBBC period so the local efforts can contribute to the global database.