Not all birds around Cos Cob are “snowbirds”.
Once again, Connecticut residents are charged with counting birds this winter! The 2019 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place Friday, February 15, through Monday, February 18, 2019. Held annually in February, people around throughout the country are asked to spend 15 minutes in your own backyard or another location counting birds.
Did you know? There are Bird Watching Hot Spots in Connecticut where locals have reported seeing the greatest variety of bird species.
Bird Watching Hotspots near Cos Cob are:
| HotSpot | #Species |
|---|---|
| Greenwich Point Park | 39 |
| Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary | 30 |
| Grass Island Natural Area | 26 |
| Grace Farms | 23 |
| John J. Boccuzzi Park and Harbor Walk | 19 |
| Canal Rd Marsh | 18 |
| Deering Pond | 16 |
| Greenwich Harbor | 16 |
| Greenwich Audubon Center | 15 |
| Holly Pond | 15 |
Not only is this a fun family activity that enhances your understanding of birds, but the GBBC provides the National Audubon Society with an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds. Participant's findings are reported online at birdcount.org to Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology and aid research on where bird species are spending the winter.
Connecticut’s top ten Bird Watching Hotspots by the number of species reported are:
| HotSpot | #Species |
| Sherwood Island State Park | 66 |
| Hammonasset Beach SP | 53 |
| Fort Trumbull | 42 |
| Barn Island WMA | 41 |
| Greenwich Point Park | 39 |
| Boyd Woods Audubon | 35 |
| Bantam Lake | 32 |
| Silver Sands SP | 31 |
| Station 43 | 31 |
| Cove Island Wildlife Sanctuary | 30 |
Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Connecticut Audubon Society reports that more than 160,000 people of all ages and walks of life worldwide join the GBBC each year.
Audubon Connecticut, a leader in bird conservation throughout the state, has a host of information about GBBC as well as local Audubon centers in Southbury, Greenwich, and Sharon, Connecticut.
Audubon Connecticut is featuring GBBC events in Bethel, Greenwich, and Southbury. Please check the events calendar for events taking place at Audubon Connecticut centers.
Learn more about the 2019 GBBC online here.
*Image art by Charlie Harper. Image courtesy GBBC.