counting birds: be a greater birder, with cornell’s rebecca rodomsky-bish

One of my favourite citizen-science efforts, a world venture referred to as The Great Backyard Bird Count, is arising Feb. 16-19, and its venture supervisor is right here at the moment with recommendations on utilizing the latest know-how just like the Merlin app, together with our old-school observational powers to enhance our chicken ID abilities.

Becca Rodomsky-Bish manages the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, a collaboration based in 1998 between Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the place she works, the National Audubon Society and Birds Canada. Becca can be a passionate habitat-style gardener herself. (Photo above of pine siskins by Julie Blondeau/Macaulay Library.)

Read alongside as you take heed to the Feb. 12, 2024 version of my public-radio present and podcast utilizing the participant under. You can subscribe to all future editions on Apple Podcasts (iTunes) or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).

counting birds, with becca rodomsky-bish

Margaret Roach: Hi, Becca. How are you?

Becca Rodomsky-Bish: Hi. I’m nice, Margaret. I’m an enormous fan of your whole work round gardening, so it’s an honor to be right here.

Margaret: Well, we’ve collaborated on issues earlier than. You’ve at all times taught me—you and your colleagues over the years have taught me a lot, and I’ve put in a plug for the Lab of Ornithology. I’ve been a member for one million years as a result of I’m one million years old, and I’ve simply realized a lot out of your sources there and from taking part, which we’re going to encourage everyone to take a while to do.

So earlier than we get began within the meat of the dialog, simply let’s briefly set the scene. It’s Feb. 16-19, the Great Backyard Bird Count. This is a world occasion. How many individuals do that?

Becca: Yeah. Well, what’s superb about this occasion is I at all times assume yearly we’ve hit our max after which yearly we get extra individuals. It’s so inspiring. Last yr we reached a couple of half one million individuals, which was record-breaking. So the love of birds and other people’s curiosity and willingness to get outdoors and take a look at what’s round them appears to be rising, which is great information.

Margaret: I consider it’s Birdcount.org is the primary URL for the web site. Is that appropriate? Do I’ve that proper?

Becca: That is appropriate.

Margaret: Birdcount dot org. So the phrase “backyard” is within the title Great Backyard Bird Count. But that doesn’t imply I’ve to only watch in my yard or does it? What’s the deal?

Becca: You’re proper. That’s kind of a historic creation, and we’ve debated whether or not to vary it, however we’ve kind of symbolically form of considered the world as our yard, proper? And after we began this venture in 1998, as you referenced, we actually had been targeted on yard birdwatchers, particularly their feeders, and it was a bit of little bit of a take a look at trial run. We targeted principally within the United States, the place birdfeeding is extremely common, and it was really kind of the precursor to eBird. They had been curious if individuals would really even enter their sightings of their backyards, and other people did. So eBird thought, effectively, what if we made a instrument that you possibly can ID birds anyplace, irrespective of the place you might be or the place they’re? And that was kind of the impetus.

So it’s kind of a historic title, however you might be 100% appropriate. We are usually not restricted to our backyards. In February within the Northeast such as you and I each are, generally it’s kind of good and comfy to only keep in the home and watch our birds from the within. But we aren’t restricted to that now, particularly because it’s world. Go out: your road, your native parks, your faculties, your businesses. Birds are in every single place. So we’re serious about listening to about your birds irrespective of the place they’re.

Margaret: And you’re going to have some webinars, numerous kind of preparatory webinars that individuals can study extra upfront of the occasion. So that’s one other strategy to prepare.

And you don’t must do all 4 days, proper? I imply it’s not like you must sit for 4 straight days throughout sunlight hours and stare at birds. That’s not the thought. What’s the minimal contribution, so to talk?

Becca: That’s appropriate. The minimal contribution is we ask individuals to observe for quarter-hour, or pay attention. So 10 minutes isn’t dangerous, however simply sit, pay attention, look ahead to quarter-hour. Lots of people are utilizing the Merlin Sound ID now, so there could also be simply going to file perhaps not for an entire quarter-hour, however they’re going to file what they see. Or for those who’re observing utilizing your eyes, simply have a look round you. And all we ask is for quarter-hour no less than as soon as over these 4 days.

And that’s a extremely intentional change in comparison with a few of the different chicken counts as a result of we actually need GBBC to be one thing that individuals, irrespective of the place they’re at of their journey of watching birds or connecting to the pure world, really feel like they will make a contribution. So we do attempt to preserve the entry stage comparatively affordable. That stated, we do have those who do what you stated, Margaret, and so they simply sit, and watch all weekend [laughter]. So it runs the gamut when it comes to what we get when it comes to submissions. [Above, a dark-eyed junco by Rowan Keunen/Macaulay Library.]

Margaret: Yes. So I wished to speak about a few of the instruments and also you talked about Merlin. I began counting birds and submitting my observations when it was nonetheless on paper a very long time in the past, as a result of I’m 200 years old [laughter], and now it’s all digital and so forth. And it’s unimaginable. I imply the help, so to talk, the instruments we are able to have actually in our hand to assist us to turn into higher birders. I imply, I don’t assume Merlin’s even that old, perhaps a decade or so, and issues just like the Sound ID operate I believe is simply perhaps what, 2021 it got here out or one thing.

Becca: A few years. Yeah.

Margaret: Yeah. So inform us, initially, I assume we ought to be eBird members. If we’re going to do that, we register an eBird. How does it work? What ought to we be doing to be able to make the most of a few of these new instruments?

Becca: Yeah, that’s a extremely good level and also you make me notice in a short time or remind me that it may be a bit of complicated since you get numerous selections when it comes to instruments. I prefer to attempt to inform individuals the GBBC is the occasion, and the instruments that they will use to take part are Merlin and eBird. So you don’t really must register forward of time. Some of your listeners could also be venture feeder watch contributors, perhaps they’re Lab of Ornithology members. And if they’re, they in all probability have already got a username and a password. So that’s what you should utilize. If you’ve participated prior to now, use the identical username and password so that every one your knowledge goes into the identical account for you so you may look again at it. And you don’t have to do it forward of time.

I do suggest that individuals, in the event that they’re going to make use of the instruments for the primary time, be sure you obtain them forward of the account weekend in order that in case you are having points, you may attain out to us perhaps earlier than issues get actually, actually busy. But obtain the instruments forward of time. If you don’t have an account with any of the lab tasks, you’ve by no means taken a Bird Academy course, you’ve by no means entered knowledge, you by no means used Merlin, go forward and arrange your account forward of time, which the instruments, whether or not you’re utilizing eBird or Merlin, it’ll immediate you to try this. So that’s going to be form of an automated to make use of the instrument. And create these accounts and ensure for those who’re utilizing a novel password, you bear in mind it or write it down someplace [laughter]. If you get logged out, you’ll want it once more.

And then simply get in your instrument and inform us what you hear or see over the weekend. Some individuals desire to make use of eBird, as a result of the large factor I say is for those who’re model new to birds, strive Merlin no less than a pair occasions. You’re going to ID birds one by one, both by way of sound or by way of walking by way of a workflow. But for those who actually know your birds, if you recognize species, when you’ve got feeders and you may rapidly establish and depend them, you may create a guidelines in eBird. And it may be a bit of little bit of a studying curve to study the instrument, however for those who actually are assured along with your chicken species, use eBird. Otherwise, I do suggest inexperienced persons to make use of that Merlin instrument for the primary couple of entries.

Margaret: And I’m kind of like a type of half-and-half individuals. I’ll have a chunk of paper and I’ll write down 18 mourning doves or no matter. I’ll preserve writing down what number of of them, most, I see of one thing is at any given time of day and all my species, after which I’ll put it in my eBird on-line later. I’ll not do it proper in actual time, into the eBird, or you are able to do that. So no matter you’re extra comfy with, the purpose is to have interaction and to do it, to not do it nevertheless you may, I believe.

Becca: Exactly. And you made that basically good level. It’s the utmost quantity that you just see at any given time. So many people have chickadees and titmice and these kind of fast back-and-forth feeders, however for those who by no means see two chickadees directly or for those who by no means see two titmouse directly, you’d simply use one as your complete.

And I believe your level about tallying is absolutely necessary. I’ve a toddler and it’s a lot simpler to sit down down with him with paper and pencil and try this in entrance of us after which return and we enter the information collectively. So it’s undoubtedly a stylistic factor, and I like to recommend individuals to only go together with what they’re most comfy with.

Margaret: So with Merlin, what obtained me utilizing it was the Sound ID, when Sound ID was launched, as a result of it’s like somebody, a birding buddy advised me about it and I used to be like, “Really?” Because I’m in a wooden, like a state forest, state park form of an space surrounds me, numerous voices within the breeding season particularly, and I don’t essentially see all of the birds. So it was fascinating for me to make the most of that, however I’m not absolutely utilizing Merlin. And you simply stated there’s kind of a workflow factor. It additionally can assist us ID both from a photograph or by asking us, I believe it’s three questions, like how massive’s the chicken, what coloration is it, and what’s it doing? There’s a listing of issues that it could possibly be doing like is it on a wire or is it feeding it a feeder or I believe these are the varieties of issues, after which it narrows it form of for you?

Becca: Yeah, completely. Merlin, and also you form of referenced this early, Merlin solely actually exists due to eBird. These are instruments which have been feeding one another or do feed one another. In order to create Merlin, we needed to have machine studying. We needed to have sufficient chicken sounds: calls and songs. We needed to have sufficient photos of birds that had their principal attributes marked and decoded. So that’s form of why Merlin’s taken some time to evolve, is as a result of we needed to actually activate a world chicken viewers to have the ability to make it occur.

But yeah, Merlin has three main methods you could establish birds utilizing this very difficult machine studying. The one you referenced is a very powerful function proper now, which is Sound ID. And what’s actually enjoyable about that’s that there’s kind of this immediacy of knowledge that individuals get about their native place that they’re in, and that’s highly effective.

So you actually open up Merlin, you’ll be prompted with kind of the 3 ways you should utilize the instrument, Sound ID’s on the high, you’d hit Sound ID and you then would hit “record,” actually. And Margaret’s used it, you simply maintain it out as near the birds that you just’re recording as potential. And you’ll be stunned that not solely the chicken that you just assume you’re on the lookout for or ID-ing, however many others that could be within the backgrounds within the treetop and shrubs additionally listing, which is what’s so enjoyable. It’s this discovery instrument that you just notice, “Wow, I’ve never seen that bird.” But in accordance with Merlin, it’s choosing up both its name or its tune and it’s simply magical. It’s magical. I’m a lover of birds, however each time I take advantage of significantly the Sound ID function, it actually does actually blow my thoughts how superb it really works.

Margaret: And so then the opposite two methods are, once more, you are able to do it from a photograph for those who occur to seize a photograph, or you may reply these three questions in regards to the traits of the chicken and it may well assist slim your focus.

Becca: Yeah. And one of many causes I just like the step-by-step, I take advantage of that so much. I extremely suggest the step-by-step, particularly for those who’re touring. And it form of goes to what you and I talked a bit of bit about, Margaret, is that the step-by-step really makes you listen barely extra carefully to the birds as a result of it’s going to ask you in regards to the birds.

Sound ID is simply kind of this passive pickup. But the step-by-step actually asks you ways massive is the chicken? What colours are kind of the three dominant ones; you may decide as much as three dominant colours. And what’s the chicken doing? So you then begin to hook up with perhaps way of life and behaviors and habitat preferences and so forth. So I just like the step-by-step ID. I really use it in all probability simply as a lot because the Sound ID, and I take advantage of it so much once I journey, as a result of if I’m in a brand new space and I perhaps simply get a fast glimpse of a chicken and it’s not singing or it’s not calling, then I can use a few of these fast observations that I made and walk by way of the workflow to attempt to slim down what I’m seeing.

Margaret: Well, so talking of which, even earlier than all this nice stuff, machine studying stuff occurred and got here out, we had our personal observational, built-in observational instruments, proper? [Laughter.] And I don’t need us all to lose these. I would like us to nonetheless sharpen our abilities to look, proper, to look fastidiously.

And you in all probability—effectively, definitely as a result of it’s your space of experience—know look much more fastidiously than I do. But I’ve realized over the years sure issues, like as an example, the most important mistake I made for a lot of years was I see a chicken, I am going, “I don’t know what that is,” and I’d seize the sphere information after which bury my nostril within the area information [laughter], and no, no, no, Margaret, you need to be wanting on the chicken and soaking in as a lot visible knowledge, so to talk, as you may when you have the chance. Because the minute you lookup from the sphere information, she or he is gone, and also you don’t have one other likelihood. So issues like that.

But what do you, Becca—you see a chicken that’s not a chickadee or a titmouse, and what do you wish to soak up immediately? What are the attributes of the chicken that you just wish to soak up immediately that will help you towards an ID? [Above, a winter wren by James Davis/Macaulay Library.]

Becca: Yeah, that’s a extremely good query and I admire the way you wish to preserve these pure statement abilities that we now have alive and effectively. Size and form are kind of the 2 that come to me rapidly once I’m a chicken. And once I say dimension and form, it’s not simply the chicken itself, however I form of attempt to focus in on the beak, particularly, will be very informative. So I take into consideration dimension and form of chicken and beak. And even tail relying on the species that I’m , size of tail will be telling.

And I additionally search for distinctive options and coloration. And the 2 locations, there’s form of three, however the two principal ones I at all times go to are the attention and the wings. Loads of completely different birds, particularly these tough birds like warblers and vireos and so forth, they’ve generally eye rings or not eye rings.

So if I see a marking or a black band or a not-black band, the attention marks assist me, the wing bands assist me. And then I might say the third for me is tail coloration or tail pigmentations I search for, too. So these are form of the short appears. And then what I additionally attempt to do as I’m soaking all of these options in, I attempt to rapidly see if I can put the chicken into a selected household. So am I a sparrow? Am I a warbler? Am I a cardinal? Am I a mockingbird-thrasher-catbird household? So I attempt to lump the chicken in my mind as I’m taking in kind of these dimension, form and coloration questions.

Yeah, it’s fascinating, such as you had been saying, I imply sparrows, that may simply be like, oh my goodness, that may be actually complicated, as a result of numerous locations have a number of species of sparrows that you just may encounter. And that’s the place you don’t wish to look away. You wish to actually look, and I dwell alone so have the privilege that I can discuss out loud to myself [laughter]. So I’ll say once I see I’m like “spot on chest, spot on breast,” or I can say “striped head gray and tan,” or I can say aloud what I’m seeing in order that hopefully, and I might scribble it down, however once more, I don’t wish to look away. I can attempt to remind myself and is the tail is squared off or notched? Is it lengthy or quick? You know what I imply?

I’m looking for little issues, however I have a tendency to take a look at the heads and the tails and such as you say, clearly the coloration and the dimensions firstly. But yeah, there’s sure birds, I imply individuals ask on a regular basis, was it a furry or downy woodpecker, was it a purple finch or a home finch? Which sparrow was it? Was it a crow or a raven? Speaking of the place the beak, I believe the raven, you take a look at its face even when in any other case you’re not seeing all the pieces else, I imply that’s some beak occurring there [laughter].

Becca: Yeah, undoubtedly.

Margaret: So it’s enjoyable if you study to tune in and as I stated, I don’t need individuals to cease wanting as a result of it’s so superb what you see. And additionally simply because all these apps file the stuff for us say, “Oh yes, that’s that bird,” I additionally don’t need us to cease studying about. You talked in regards to the life histories and issues like that, as a result of I imply go, if it’s a brand new chicken to me, I am going to the allaboutbirds.org, the sort of species profiles on the Lab of Ornithology, the Cornell website, and I’ll lookup like, does it migrate, and the place does it dwell, and the place does it nest, and what does it eat and all these various things. And it’s what number of broods does it have and all these varieties of wonderful issues that, as a result of to me it’s not identical to, “Oh, I saw this bird, I can check it off my list.” I wish to know a bit of bit about this lovely animal. That’s my factor is who’s it, proper? [Above, pileated woodpecker by Steve Luke/Macaulay Library.]

Becca: Absolutely. Yeah, every of those birds have a narrative, and so they’re actually enjoyable tales, too. And I really feel prefer it’s a privilege that we now have as a lot info as we now have that we are able to begin to grasp these birds on a deeper stage. So I’m such as you too. I’ll listing and I’ve listed, however I chicken for one thing that’s a bit of extra in regards to the chicken itself and the connection that I really feel. And kind of, it’s almost like unlocking a thriller, proper? Like this little creature shares this habitat with me. What does it do? Where does it go? How many infants does it have?

Margaret: Yes.

Becca: Really the questions are fairly infinite. And a plug for, that’s one other plug for Merlin. I wish to ensure that individuals undoubtedly obtain chicken packs with Merlin for the areas that they’re birding in. There’s one which’s particular to the Northeast, which is a smaller knowledge set when you’ve got restricted house in your cellphone. Or you will get the pack for the entire United States and Canada, which lets you see a few of the extra uncommon or migratory or uncommon birds in a broader space.

But if you obtain the pack, that’s the place you’re going to get the sphere information stuff. So I undoubtedly assume area guides that I maintain in my hand, they’re priceless, I take advantage of them, however you too can get access to numerous that area information info proper in Merlin, too, so long as you’ve downloaded the pack on your space. But yeah, I encourage individuals, and that’s one of many the reason why birds are so common, is as a result of they actually will be kind of this gateway to a deeper information and connection to what’s dwelling round us and co-existing with us, actually.

Margaret: Yeah. And positive sufficient, what you noticed, just like the habits or no matter, you examine it and also you’re like, “Oh, right, it does that. I saw that.” Do you recognize what I imply? It simply connects all of the dots and that’s a attribute habits; it’s fascinating. And positive sufficient, you see the chicken in the kind of habitat that it’s purported to be in. It’s simply so nice to check them a bit of bit after seeing somebody new.

So as I stated to start with, form of a habitat-style gardener due to your love of birds and me comparable. Do you may have water within the winter in your backyard? Because that’s the place the motion is. For me, I preserve, in one among my water gardens, a gap within the ice, so to talk. And boy, that’s the preferred place.

Becca: Nice.

Margaret: Water. Do you may have water that’s unfrozen or in your backyard?

Becca: Yeah, it’s a actually necessary function to have on this space. I’ll admit I do have water baths that I take advantage of within the hotter months, and I’ve a spot in my entrance yard the place my husband and I are in the midst of a extra elaborate water function that we’re building by hand. So I’ll have a water function yr spherical that strikes and we preserve heat, however in the intervening time I solely supply water within the hotter months. But I really like that you just preserve water access. And yeah, the opposite factor is even within the hotter months, you’re going to get birds at that water function that gained’t come to your feeders or-

Margaret: Oh, completely. Absolutely. I believe water, I at all times say, individuals say, effectively, what’s essentially the most highly effective chicken plant you ever planted? And I’m like, water [laughter].

Becca: Water. That’s nice. What’s your favourite chicken you’ve seen at your water? I’m simply curious.

Margaret: Oh, who essentially the most…? Well, I had a non-bird, final yr I had a mink swimming in one of many ponds within the winter. No, it’s nuts. It’s everybody, and the bobcat comes and drinks. Everybody drinks on the water. Other animals, mammals and so forth as effectively. No, it’s loopy.

So a few of the winter finches when there have been irruption years, a few of the winter finches. Pine grosbeaks, as a result of I had an entire flock of them plenty of years in the past, and so they beloved the water. They would sit on the little deicer, this bobbing kind of factor. They’d sit on it and so they, it’s simply hysterical. So yeah, numerous enjoyable makes use of of the water.

And I wished to ask you about, what was I going to ask you about [laughter]? Oh, the go away the leaves. Are you getting numerous questions already from people who find themselves, particularly numerous areas have had kind of a mildish winter and numerous thawing and so forth. I’m already getting numerous questions in early February about when can I clear up the, I did the go away the leaves to encourage overwintering locations for thus many helpful organisms and when can I clear up? Can I begin eradicating stuff? Can I begin doing cutbacks? In your backyard how do you kind of deal with that? What’s your kind of timing or guideline?

Becca: Yeah, that’s a extremely good query. It is tough when all of the snow kind of melts and also you look out and also you’re like, “Oh, the seed heads, they’re really kind of smashed down now. And is it time?” Yes, I in all probability am saying what you in all probability are saying to of us, resist the urge [laughter]. [Above, Carolina chickadee by Brad Imhoff/Macaulay-Library.]

Margaret: Yes.

Becca: Still a lot foraging potential on the market. Every time I walk outdoors to my gardens, there’s a flock of sparrows or finches that fly up. They’re in there and so they’re nonetheless utilizing it. So I are inclined to not clear up my backyard till usually it’s extra like April actually. I imply we’ll see about this yr, however once I really feel like the times are persistently heat, round 50 levels, and there’s a few consecutive ones.

And I usually clear up in a method that I’m desirous about my pollinator inhabitants. So I don’t have a tendency to chop my hole stems all the way down to the bottom. I have a tendency to go away them a foot to 2 ft actually really standing, as a result of that gives that hole chamber for our chamber bees and so forth to make use of in the summertime.

So even once I clear up, I attempt to be aware of minimizing taking an excessive amount of out. And then what’s actually enjoyable, with my perennials, is as they develop up, they have a tendency to kind of conceal that brown stuff that I’ve left for the pollinators to make use of as foraging and nesting house. So sure, not until April, not until we’re seeing consecutive 50-degree days and actually the bottom appears to begin to be waking up is once I begin my cleanup.

Margaret: Yeah, ditto; similar right here. Absolutely. Well, Becca, I’m so glad at all times to talk to you. And actually the sources, I simply can’t say how a lot they’ve enhanced my life over the years, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology sources, old-school and new-school ones now. Just superb, superb, superb work. People can join the depend at birdcount.org. And I’ll be counting, so I’ll ship in my counts and so forth. And thanks, thanks for doing this and for being the venture supervisor of this necessary factor, and I hope I’ll discuss to you once more quickly.

Becca: Sure. Thank you, Margaret. It was a pleasure.

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MY WEEKLY public-radio present, rated a “top-5 garden podcast” by “The Guardian” newspaper within the UK, started its 14th yr in March 2023. It’s produced at Robin Hood Radio, the smallest NPR station within the nation. Listen regionally within the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA)-Litchfield Hills (CT) Mondays at 8:30 AM Eastern, rerun at 8:30 Saturdays. Or play the Feb. 12, 2024 present utilizing the participant close to the highest of this transcript. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes/Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and browse my archive of podcasts right here).