The second Saturday in May of each year is eBird’s Global Big Day! This coincides with peak songbird migration in central Missouri, so it is a great excuse to head outside in order to look and listen for birds. Columbia Audubon Society is encouraging members to participate in Global Big Day, though no formal field trip is planned this year. Our hope is that many small groups (or individuals) will expand our reach across the landscape.

Bird anywhere you like: in your backyard, in a nature area, even in a parking lot; wherever you are, there are probably birds! Consider inviting a friend, or birding as part of a small group. You can use the Merlin app to help with identification of bird sounds, though please always maintain a healthy skepticism with regard to Merlin’s results; it is amazing technology, but it does make errors!

The CAS board is re-evaluating the traditional approach to the county-wide Migratory Bird Count, so this year we’re encouraging general participation in Global Big Day. Contribute to citizen science by submitting your Global Big Day bird observations to eBird. To be included in a tally of the birds seen by CAS members, please share your eBird list(s) with the username casbirddata.

There’s more information about participation on the Global Big Day website, including a link to a free online course on how to use eBird.

Happy birding!