This year’s Global Big Day is on 13 May, and bird watchers or birders from 150 countries will participate as a global team to see what birds are there. Big Day 2017 will be held on the Yucatán Peninsula, one of the world’s most stunning and important birding areas.

To cover the phenomenal bird diversity there, they will divide into three teams for the first time ever: Team Belize, Team Guatemala, and Team Mexico. All three teams will join forces in a quest to find the most bird species and raise USD$475,000 for conservation.

How to Participate in Global Big Day 2017

For those interested in participating in Global Big Day 2017, follow the guide below, which highlights how anyone can do so. All you need to do is register on the eBird website and put in your count.

global-big-day-malaysia Global Big Day 2017

Birding statistics from the Global Big Day 2017 website (Photo from eBird.org)

1. Submit Your Data to eBird on May 13, 2017

It is very simple. If you submit your birds to eBird, it will count. Learn how to take part. Don’t worry — you don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day. Even a half-hour checklist from your backyard will help. Of course, you are welcome to spend the entire day in the field, but know it is not required! Please enter your data as soon as possible, preferably by Tuesday, May 16, 2017.

2. Visit the Global Bid Day Page for Live Updates and Detailed Stats

During the Big Day, the main page will be updated. You’ll be able to follow Team Sapsucker in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico — but more importantly, you’ll be able to track how many species have been seen worldwide and in any region of interest to you.

3. Organize With Your Friends for Greater Coverage

Now is the time to start discussions on local birding discussion lists to make a plan to find difficult species. Learn how to share Global Big Day with others. Try to organize in your home state, province, or county to ensure teams spread out and find as many species as possible. Put your patch on the worldwide Global Big Day map. Use the hashtag #eBird_GBD for Twitter, Instagram and Facebook if possible.

4. Join A Global Network of Birders and Conservationists

Global Big Day connects a network of people worldwide to support a cause that transcends languages and cultures. From the southern tip of Africa to the soaring peaks of the Himalayas and from the Ecuadorian rainforest to backyards in New York, Everyone is a part of Team eBird, working to understand and conserve the birds we care about.

5. Make Your Sightings Count

Every bird you enter in eBird is part of Global Big Day. However, there are three ways that you can make your sightings as valuable as possible. It is important to note that these are only suggestions—not requirements!

Submit complete checklists.
Keep counts of the birds that you see.
Keep multiple checklists throughout your birding: if you get in the car, you should end that checklist and start a new one when you get to the following location.

Big Day 2017 (Image from eBird.org)

Not sure how Global Big Day relates to you?

Global Big Day is a day for everyone who loves birds to make your passion count. Not everyone will find a unique species, and that’s absolutely fine.Even if you have a few minutes on 13 May 2017, nobody is better than you to put your local birds on the map.

For more information, visit the Global Big Day Website.

Big Day Malaysia 2017

Malaysia has been participating in Global Big Day for several years now. One of the leading bird clubs in Malaysia that has promoted this event is the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club or SBBC. SBBC is based in Sandakan Sabah, where it has encouraged groups of bird watchers to participate in this special day.

The Sandakan Borneo Bird Club has also successfully organized the Borneo Big Day, during which three countries—Brunei, Malaysia, and Kalimantan, Indonesia—participated in collecting data from the entire island of Borneo.This was initiated in 2015 and again in 2016. For Borneo Big Day 2015, the Sabah portion submitted 53 checklists, totaling 333 birds.

About the writer

I am David Hogan Jr., an amateur birder who has been birding since 2007. I also have a birding site called Bird Watching Asia, which is pure birding. On occasion, I travel all over Malaysia and other countries for my work in promoting tourism destinations, and when I have the opportunity, I will do some casual birding.

Conclusion

I have worked closely with the Sandakan Borneo Bird Club, Tourism Malaysia, Sabah Tourism Board, Sarawak Tourism Board, Indonesia Tourism, Bird Watching Accessories, Malaysia Bird Tour Companies, and many other related companies, hotels, resorts, and tour operators.

All the best to those who are all set for Global Big Day 2017 and have a great bird count. Remember to add your collected data to the eBird website, and if you have any comments or questions, share them below.

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