The 2023 Great Backyard Bird Count organizers estimate that more than 500,000 participants from around the globe participated.
First, a look at the numbers:
- 7,538 species reported
- 202 participating countries
- 390,652 bird lists submitted
- 151,479 photos, videos, and sounds uploaded
- 555,291 estimated global participants
Ranked by number of checklists submitted, the highest number came from United States due to its size and history of the count — the count began in 1998 in the U.S. and Canada and went global in 2013. But India has marched up the list fast each year, now ranking number two for number of checklists in 2023, and Canada is third.
Taking a look at the number of species reported yields a different result. Colombia takes the crown as the country with the most species reported, with 1,293. Ecuador and India follow, birdwatchers in both countries also reporting more than 1,000 species.
Participation across the United States, ranked by number of checklists, is dominated by the birdy states of California, Texas, and Florida. In Canada, the top three provinces participating were Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec.
Red-winged Blackbirds were seen in the northern United States and Canada earlier than usual this year, possibly because of a somewhat milder February. One report documented more than 30,000 of these birds in Indiana.
For the full report, click here. The next Great Backyard Bird Count is set for February 16th through 19th, 2024.
Read about birds in New York State here.
Photos, from above: Birdwatchers in India by Venus Joshi; and Red-winged Blackbird by Brian E. Kushner.
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