Junior, my pet peacock
Current Big Year Progress: 513
Follow the journey by clicking the monthly updates below
What is a birding big year?
Birdwatchers log all the species they have seen (or heard) in a year. Some birders log by county, by state, or by country.
Where do birders log this information?
There are a number of ways birders can keep track (on paper, in a life list book), but the most common way is through a website/app called eBird which started in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in partnership with the National Audubon Society.
Why?
The exercise of logging species adds a competitive component to the activity, but it also serves other birders and scientists who want to know where certain birds can be found and their numbers.
Links to learn more:
Watch this funny (and free!) documentary called "Listers." www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo