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How bird movements are helping researchers track a global virus
Confirmed
In Short: The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), a free event organized by the National Audubon Society, invites bird watchers of all skill levels to participate in counting birds for at least 15 minutes over four days.
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), a free event organized by the National Audubon Society, invites bird watchers of all skill levels to participate in counting birds for at least 15 minutes over four days. Participants submit their observations online, contributing to the largest real-time snapshot of global bird populations.
Anyone can join, whether from their backyard or anywhere in the world, with over 450,000 participants contributing data in recent years. This information helps researchers at Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Birds Canada to better understand bird populations and inform conservation efforts.
The GBBC encourages participation through its user-friendly platform, birdcount.org, where detailed instructions and updates are available. The initiative not only benefits avian research but also raises awareness about the importance of bird conservation.
In related news, a study by the National Audubon Society highlights the importance of accurate data collection in bird population studies, emphasizing the role of citizen science in environmental research.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Birds Canada learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share.
- Please visit the official website at birdcount.org for more information.
- Unfortunately, the errors were the greatest for people with the highest body fat - who may be more likely to track calories, the researchers said.
- It’s unclear why the researchers found the watches disproportionately struggled to record calories for people with higher body fat.
- They may be imperfect, but the devices can “still have an important role to play” in tracking one’s health, Kostrna said.
- "You could be off hundreds of calories each week and easily end up in a calorie surplus when you think you're in a calorie deficit." The researchers tested the watches on the wrists of 58 Hispanic adults who rode stationary bikes in 10-minute workouts that fluctuated between moderate and vigorous intensity.
- The researchers tested the watch data against measurements from the COSMED K5 metabolic analyzer to determine which watch was the most accurate in tracking calories.
- A study that tracked older adults in Japan for up to 28 years suggests people have a surprisingly accurate sense of their own longevity.