During 2022 edition of GBBC, over 3,782 birders had uploaded over 40,000 checklists and recorded 1,017 species! Whereas during 2023, 4,259 birders had uploaded 53,750 checklists which recorded an impressive 1,072 species! In comparison to GBBC 2022, this year India had 13% more birders from 2% more districts in the event.

What is GBBC?

GBBC India is the Indian part of the global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) . Indian birders participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) since 2013. In India, GBBC runs for 4 days every February – 17-20. GBBC India is coordinated by the Bird Count India collective.

Birding is one of the fastest-growing hobbies in the world because it’s easy, fun, and a great way to be outdoors. Birds are all around us. Events like the Great Backyard Bird Count offer great opportunities to introduce birds to new people.

The main goal during these 4 days of GBBC is, go outdoors (anywhere you wish, including your balcony, college campus, or local park), do birding for at least 15 min, counting all the species you see, and upload your bird list(s) in eBird.

Along with fun,  there is a serious aspect as well. This program helps to answer a variety of important questions like – how birds are distributed across the country, how they are affected by changes in habitat and weather, and whether populations and distributions might be changing from year to year.

How to plan for GBBC?

Conduct a bird walk in a small group instead of gathering in large groups to participate in GBBC. It’s a good idea to bird in small groups or alone if possible.

A wetland or grassland is a particularly good place to go birding in a small group where birds are often easy to observe and your group can spread out.

Conduct counts nearby local site(s) whenever possible, to reduce unnecessary travel.

Conduct online talks about birds for other birders, school/ college students.