A bird census is a way to count bird populations in a specific area. Many birders do bird censuses on their birding excursions, but you can do a bird census as you go on your hike as well! It's surprisingly easy and fun, and it helps scientists learn more about how us humans can preserve the bird population.
Data from bird censuses is extremely important because scientists use it to learn more about bird behaviors and patterns. Bird populations, habitat health, and migration patterns can be analyzed with bird censuses, which can answer important questions (e.g. how climate change effects birds), leading to better solutions for how us humans can protect birds!
If you're reading this, it's likely that you're about to go on a hike and you may feel like you aren't prepared to do a bird census. Don't worry! All you need to do is download two apps: eBird and Merlin Bird ID. Both of these are great apps that are used by thousands of birders to help them when birding!
For future birding trips, a pair of binoculars would be great to let you view the birds better. Many birders also bring a camera so they can take pictures of the birds that they see, but that isn't required for a bird census.
eBird is one of the best apps to use to take a bird census. It lets you easily track the birds you see while taking a census, and you can submit that data in an instant!
After you make an account, all you have to do to start a checklist is click the "Start checklist" button at the bottom. As you go on your hike and see birds, you can search for different bird species and add them to your checklist of birds that you have seen. You can also adjust how many of that specific species you have seen during your hike. After your hike, you can select where you were birding and submit your data.
As a beginner birder, it will take some time to learn how to identify various types of birds. I suggest starting by using the app Merlin Bird ID. Merlin lets you take pictures with your phone of birds and helps you identify their species. Not only can it identify birds with photos, but the app can also identify what birds are around you with audio. Using this feature while hiking could be very helpful for your census, especially if you're a beginner!
If you want some more tips on how to do a bird census, I would suggest looking at the census tips tab of this website, written by Juanita Hummel who is a bird expert.