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Results
of the Fifth Annual Great Backyard Bird Count Are In
(April 12, 2002)
AUDUBON
Magazine 2002 National Magazine Award Finalist
(April 2, 2002)
RESULTS OF THE FIFTH ANNUAL GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT ARE IN!
Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Thank Sponsor
Wild Birds Unlimited,
All Bird Enthusiasts Who Took Part Feb.15-18
Contacts: John Bianchi
212-979-3026
jbianchi@audubon.org
Kara Grobert
212-979-3027
kgrobert@audubon.org
(New York, NY)- The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology announce today the results of the 5th Great Backyard Bird Count and thank every bird enthusiast across North America who counted birds February 15 through 18, 2002. State-by-state results are available online at www.birdsource.org.
"Close to 50,000 checklists were submitted for a total of almost 5 million individual birds counted from across the United States and Canada, with every state and province reporting in," said Frank Gill, Audubon’s vice president of science and conservation. "The total number of bird species reported currently stands at 505 a figure that is sure to grow as rare sightings continue to be confirmed and added to the GBBC database."
Families, individuals, classrooms, Scout troops, and others took as little as 15 minutes a day to report on the feathered friends they saw in their backyards, schoolyards, local parks, or other locations, including right out the office window. Reports were submitted over the Internet, at www.birdsource.org/gbbc and compiled almost immediately, for all to view in the form of tables and animated maps.
This year marked the 5th anniversary of the immensely popular event. Count results include a number of rare/unusual birds like a Gyrfalcon in Massachusetts (a powerful falcon from the Arctic), a Great Spotted Woodpecker in Alaska (a visitor from Asia) and Broad-billed Hummingbird in Georgia (possibly a first for the state). Participants also provided a large volume of information about common winter bird species like Dark-eyed Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees, and Mourning Doves (include some western species). Maps showing the late winter distribution of all of these species can be seen in the "Results" section of the website.
Other interesting findings include the maps for Sandhill Cranes. GBBC participants once again reported cranes along the length of their eastern migration route. Sightings of these elegant birds appear within a clear band running from Florida to Michigan on the map for the species. Possibly due to the mild winter weather, a greater number of cranes were reported along the northern end of the route than during the 2001 count. This was also true for Red-winged Blackbirds, which were reported in greater numbers in the Northeast and around the Great Lakes.
Out west, Evening Grosbeaks were nearly absent from California, where they had been reported in large flocks in 2001. The GBBC is a valuable tool for tracking the continent-wide wanderings of Evening Grosbeaks, crossbills, redpolls and other species known for their winter travels in search of food. Snowy Owls, magnificent hunters found predominantly in the northern part of the continent, will also move in search of prey when necessary. Participants reported them in 20 States/Provinces during the count period, including sightings from as far south as Colorado, Oklahoma and Virginia.
GBBC maps for the last four years show that Eurasian Collared-Doves are also "on the go." Since their arrival in Florida in the 1980’s, Eurasian Collared-Doves have increased in number in that state and have steadily expanded their range in the U.S. So much so, in fact, that they were reported in 21 States during this year’s count. Scientists are keeping a sharp eye on these birds to see if their arrival has any impact on native species like the Mourning Dove. Through their continued participation in the GBBC, citizen scientists will help keep a record of the distribution of the Eurasian Collared-Dove and may help to shed light on the ecological ramifications of its expansion.
"This landmark year of the Great Backyard Bird Count was a big step for bird conservation," said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "Thanks to the efforts of tens of thousands of birders across the continent, we are able to understand more about birds’ distribution and abundance. With the keen eyes of participants, we will ultimately be able to determine what measures are necessary to keep birds protected."
Results from every year of the GBBC are available online. Tips for bird feeding, how-to create bird-friendly yards, and when to get involved next year are also on the site. Visit the Great Backyard Bird Count web site at www.birdsource.org/gbbc for more information.
Founded in 1905 and supported by 600,000 members in more than 500 chapters throughout the Americas, the National Audubon Society conserves and restores natural ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife, and their habitats, for the benefit of humanity and the Earth's biological diversity.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership organization dedicated to interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.
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AUDUBON MAGAZINE 2002 NATIONAL MAGAZINE AWARD FINALIST
ASME Names Audubon Magazine Finalist in Design Category
Contacts:
John Bianchi(New York, NY) - Audubon magazine, the flagship publication of the National Audubon Society, has been named a finalist for the 2002 National Magazine Awards. This recognition ranks as the industry’s highest honor.
The magazine was chosen in the design category, which recognizes excellence in magazine design, and honors the effectiveness of overall design, artwork, graphics and typography in enhancing a magazine’s unique mission and personality. This marks the 18th time that Audubon magazine has been a National Magazine Award finalist; the magazine has been a winner four times. This is its first nomination in Design.
“Being chosen as a finalist in the design category is especially gratifying,” said Audubon Editor-in-Chief David Seideman. “It’s a real honor for Audubon magazine to be recognized for the efforts of Design Director Kevin Fisher and his excellent team, Photo Editor Kim Hubbard and Associate Art Director Isabel De Sousa. Kevin’s team is committed to keeping Audubon a leader in magazine design and photography. Their hard work has paid dividends; not only have we received this nomination, Audubon magazine also received 19 photo awards in the last month.”
The magazine was chosen for the design work on three issues from last year: January/February, March/April, and November/December. The other finalists in the design category include Details, Esquire, Nest, Surface, and Time.
The National Magazine Awards are presented by ASME, the American Society of Magazine Editors, and administered by the Graduate School of Journalism, Columbia University. The Awards ceremony will take place on May 1, 2002. There will be 19 winners in 15 categories.
Called “the most beautiful magazine in the world,” by The New York Times, Audubon is currently celebrating its 103rd year of publication, during which the magazine has set the mark for nature writing, conservation reporting, design and photography.
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