Ithaca, NY–A “big day” is a big deal for people who love to watch birds. The term traditionally applies to any effort to identify as many bird species as possible in a single day. The third annual Global Big Day takes place on May 13, 2017. Bird watchers around the world are invited to watch and count birds for any length of time on that day and enter their observations online at eBird.org.
“The past two Global Big Days have set back-to-back world records for the most bird species seen in a single day,” says Chris Wood at the Cornell Lab. “During last year’s Global Big Day bird watchers from more than 150 countries tallied more than 60 percent of the world’s bird species.”
This year, the Lab’s competitive birding team, Team Sapsucker, is conducting its own Big Day on the Yucatán Peninsula, an area they describe as one of the most stunning and important areas for birds. The team’s goal is to identify an ambitious 300 bird species by sight or sound, while raising $475,000 in pledges to support the Cornell Lab’s research, education, and conservation programs.
“To cover the phenomenal bird diversity in the Yucatán, we’re splitting up into three teams for the first time,” Wood explains. “We’ll field a team in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. We’re not above a little friendly rivalry in order to reach our overall goal!”
Learn more about participating in Global Big Day and pledge to support Team Sapsucker in their quest to raise funds for bird conservation.
“Have a great time on Global Big Day, enjoy the birds around you, and let us know what you find,” Wood says. “Just how many species can we see together on May 13?”
