Bird watchers worldwide come together every year to count bird populations as part of the Backyard Bird Count. Taking place over four days in February, it is a way to gather important information about bird populations.
The event is hosted by the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Birds Canada, and helps scientists gain a better understanding of global bird populations before their annual migration.
“If we know how they're doing, we know where they are, we know what to conserve and what to protect,” explained Delia Malone, Vice Chair of the Roaring Fork Audubon Society and Wildlife Chair for the Colorado Chapter of the Sierra Club.
In the U.S., the number of bird count participants has increased in recent years, and engagement has also been growing around the globe.
In the 2024 Great Backyard Bird Count, bird watchers found nearly 8,000 of the world's known species during the count, and reported observations in 210 countries or sub-regions. An estimated 642,000 global participants filled out well over 384 e-Bird checklists.
Malone says the data that has been gathered over the years through the bird counts show that birds are struggling. What’s been “discovered through the bird counts that have been happening since the early 190
“It's not just our rare birds that are declining, which they are, but our common birds, birds like pine siskins and evening grosbeaks, and even broad-tailed hummingbirds and pinion jays are all in serious decline.”
In the Roaring Fork Valley, Malone points to the Evening grosbeaks, as a bird that was once common, but now its population is in decline.
Malone says bird population decline is due to multiple factors including housing developments, trail systems, livestock in inappropriate areas and habitat loss is part of the cause.
Climate change is also a factor, as rising temperatures are shifting the timing of flower blooms, affecting the birds that depend on them for food.
“So we've got kind of this coming together of all of these issues to result in a decline of many common birds,” Malone said.
