Chickadees, jays, doves, even the ubiquitous starling and House Sparrow - the GBBC is collecting sightings of them all. It fact, the most common birds often demonstrate the most important patterns. Many birds that are now rare or showing population declines were once common. The Passenger Pigeon, for example, used to occur in flocks of thousand and now they're extinct. The Great Backyard Bird Count may yield more data about the current strongholds of the Red-headed Woodpecker, data that may be used to help implement conservation measures before it's too late.
Participants also can help follow up on an emerging conservation success story.
American and Canadian citizens alike can help scientists monitor the health and abundance of this once-endangered bird with an immediacy and breadth never before possible. The aggressive house sparrow, introduced from Europe, has outcompeted many native species for food and habitat With support from Ford Motor Company and Wild Birds Unlimited, exclusive sponsors of the GBBC, the web site is featuring special pages that provide information about bald eagles, including how to distinguish them from similar looking species. In addition to the eagle feature, the GBBC web site provides educational materials ideal for families, youth groups, and classrooms. Tips on feeding birds are also provided. If each one of them can spend just 15 minutes noting the birds they see during GBBC, even if only while sipping their morning coffee, driving to work, or taking a relaxing stroll, imagine the kind of snapshot of North American winter bird distribution this would create.