And just like that, another year of The Great Backyard Bird Count has come and gone in the blink of an eye! The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a three-day, global citizen science project sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society. The goal of the GBBC is to study bird populations around the world while connect communities through bird watching.

The count took place in Beckley Creek Park from February 16-19, 2024, and for the third straight year, The Parklands squared off against the Louisville Nature Center and Creasy Mahan Nature Preserve in a friendly competition to see who could spot the most bird species at their park! On the line for the competition – the coveted Golden Binoculars!

The count was compiled by Parklands Interpretive Rangers with support from the Beckham Bird Club, Parklands volunteers and the public using the Cornell eBird app. Parklands rangers

and Beckham Bird Club each led three separate birding hikes open to the public. These six groups walked the Black Willow Trail around the Humana Grand Allee, the Louisville Loop south from Miles Trailhead, as well as the area around the PNC Achievement Center and the Egg Lawn searching for as many birds as possible. We used our eyes and ears to identify 46 species over the four-day count. Highlights included the Eastern Screech Owl, Belted Kingfisher, American Bald Eagle, and American Pipit.

The Parklands retained the Golden Binoculars this year marking two victories in a row! In comparison to The Parklands’ 46 species, both the Louisville Nature Center and Creasy Mahan Nature Preserve spotted 26 bird species.

Thanks to the Louisville Nature Center, Creasy Mahan, the Beckham Bird Club and all of our Parklands birders for making the Great Backyard Bird Count a SUCCESS! We made great connections with new birders and visitors and gained great insight from seasoned bird watchers in the birding community. We also contributed valuable data to citizen science that will be used to study bird populations in Kentucky and around the world.

Want to get more into Birding? Download the eBird app to see a full list of birding hotspots in The Parklands and get started on your own. You can also check out The Parklands events page for upcoming programs or visit The Beckham Bird Club for more birding trips. Until then, check out the Humana Grand Allee area in Beckley Creek Park or Seaton Valley in Turkey Run Park for a great mix of habitat and species diversity. Happy Birding!