In Belize, now is the perfect time to bird-watch as hundreds of species migrate back to America and Canada. This spike in migration gives new birders a front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest shows – birds in transit. With nearly 600 bird species and six internationally recognized Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), Belize is one of Central America’s premier birding destinations.
Global Big Day – May 08
Tomorrow is a big day for birding. Be a part of birding’s biggest team! Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you. No matter where you are, join virtually on 8 May, help celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, and share the birds you find with eBird.
How to Participate
Participating is easy—you can even be part of Global Big Day from home. If you can spare 5 or 10 minutes, report your bird observations to eBird online or with our free eBird Mobile app. If you have more time, submit checklists of birds throughout the day. You never know what you might spot.
- Firstly, get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s sightings into a single massive Global Big Day list—while at the same time collecting the data to help scientists better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
- Secondly, watch birds on 8 May: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes of birding from home counts. Global Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
- Thirdly, enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your sightings via our website or download the free eBird Mobile app to make submitting lists even easier. Please enter your checklists before 11 May to be included in our initial results announcement.
- Watch the sightings roll in: During the day, follow along with sightings from more than 170 countries in real-time on our Global Big Day page.
Other ways to get involved in birding are with a local birding club or citizen events with the Belize Audubon Society. With over 85 ecosystems in-country, Belize is the perfect introduction to tropical birding. The 3rd annual Belize Birding Festival has been postponed until 2021 due to COVID-19, which just means you have plenty of time to sharpen your birding skills. So whether you’re a beginner or an avid birder, this is the event to immerse yourself in!
All photos courtesy of Aaron Juan.