Global Big Day 2018 will take place this 5th of May, and the huge question that drives this campaign is how many birds can be spotted in one day?
This worldwide bird watching event is a tradition among bird watchers, and for the last two years, the second Saturday in May has been the biggest day of the year for birds.
During Global Big Day, a record of 6,564 species of birds was spotted by over 20,000 people from 153 countries, making this the largest global team in history.
What is Global Big Day?
Global Big Day is one day where bird watchers and spotters unite together from all over the world to submit their individual bird counts.
Over the years, more and more people have become aware of birds by bringing awareness to birding and conservation regionally and globally.
When is Global Big Day?
Global Big Day takes place on the 5th of May, 2018 and is a worldwide event. Anyone can participate, and you can get more information below.
How to participate in Global Big Day?
There are a few ways that you can participate in Global Big Day. This all depends on your schedule and how active you are. For beginners, you can choose the following methods;
- Join a Bird Club – One of the easiest ways is by joining a local bird club that is active in bird watching. This way, you have the guidance of seasoned birders who can help you spot and identify birds. Not only that, you will be able to learn a little more about what bird clubs do.
- Home Bird Watching – All you need to do is watch birds on the 5th of May in the comfort of your home and see how many birds you can spot in a day. If you live in the city, you can even do this in your own garden at home. If you live in an apartment or condominium, you can spot birds that fly by.
- Join eBird – Visit the eBird website an sign up for free. Once signed up, you can contribute your bird spotting from your profile page. This is suitable for anyone as there are no fees incurred whatsoever. The website also has a lot of information about birds worldwide, and also in your respective country.
Global Big Day 2018 Social Media Hashtag
Since social media has taken over most of our lives, it is only right to use the correct hashtag for your bird photos. For those who love uploading pictures, use the hashtag #globalbigday. This will be shared and seen by many other bird watchers all over the world.
Last year’s Global Big Day 2017 set a new record, with an overall total of 6,659 species reported in one day. The challenge is on to break that record for this year; therefore, every sighting will count.
Conclusion
It is all good fun for both bird watchers, photographers, and even those who are new to the birding scene at the end of the day.
The last Global Big Day in Malaysia was a success, with many bird clubs and organizations participating in this event. The proactive clubs that have been promoting this is also the bird clubs from Sabah, Malaysia Borneo.
This year, the same number of bird clubs in Malaysia will continue to promote Global Big Day 2018 as one of the important worldwide birding events, and you can get more information from some of their Facebook bird pages.
