Each year in January, the Backyard Bird Count is held with the participation of the public and schools across Israel. To expand participation and foster a deeper connection between people and birds in nature, we launched the Bird Count Ambassadors initiative in 2025.

Ambassador Responsibilities:

1. Spreading the word: Reaching out to families, friends, neighbors, and local communities to raise awareness of the project and encourage participation. Sharing the importance of the count and their personal experience.
2. Guiding new participants: Assisting newcomers with identifying birds, recording observations, and reporting results. Offering tips and directing them to useful resources.
3. Organizing local events: Coordinating group bird-counting activities via community groups and social circles. Providing technical support during the count.

Ambassador Recruitment

Twenty-nine individuals expressed interest in becoming ambassadors and completed an interest survey. Of these, 27 also agreed to participate in research. Respondents were located across the country—from the north and Sharon region to the center, Jerusalem, and the south. Among the respondents were 19 women and 8 men. About 53% were between the ages of 40–60, and 34% were over 60. On average, respondents had participated in the Bird Count for about 5 years and rated their familiarity with the eBird app (used during the count) as 6.6 out of 10.
Key motivations for joining included a personal love of birds and nature (15), a desire by educators to engage students in experiential learning (10), and a wish to contribute to scientific research (3). Preferred ambassador activities included birdwatching and counting (9), leading sessions (9), promoting the count and encouraging others to participate (8).

Ambassador Activities Summary

A total of 17 ambassador-led activities were recorded across a variety of locations, including urban parks, schoolyards, community gardens, and senior centers. Target audiences included schoolchildren, the general public, retirees, families, and community members. Participation ranged from 5 to 50 people, and activities lasted between 30 minutes and two hours. In total, over 300 participants took part in these ambassador-led activities. Ambassador feedback was overwhelmingly positive. All groups showed interest, asked questions, engaged actively, and enjoyed the experience.

Key Insights

Strong enthusiasm and interest: Participants, especially children, were excited to learn about birds and engage in birdwatching. In several cases, participants wanted to continue observing birds after the event, keep their count sheets, or download the eBird app.

Memorable moments and successes: Children demonstrated patience and curiosity when observing birds. Spotting unique species such as the Graceful Prinia or European Robin created exciting moments. In community events, some participants continued birdwatching independently afterward.

Challenges: It was sometimes difficult to maintain quiet and focus among children during observations. Kids tended to identify birds based on wishful thinking rather than accurate features. Parents often didn’t stay for the birdwatching portion. Attendance at public events was sometimes lower than expected. Accurate identification remained a challenge in some sessions.

Recommendations for the Future

1. Start early: Build relationships with partners well in advance, offer introductory events before the count, and follow up with attendees during the count. Short simulations before the actual event can better prepare participants.
2. Join existing activities or groups: It is hard to attract a general audience without context. Collaborating with existing enrichment events can increase exposure and attendance.
3. Improve outreach: Find new ways to increase visibility and attract a wider audience.
4. Strengthen motivation: Providing take-home materials, like bird ID guides, was especially meaningful. Those who took home printed guides were more likely to continue counting or stay interested in birds.
5. Encourage continuity: Scheduling follow-up sessions can help foster long-term engagement.

Header Image Credit: Gabriel Sider Peres, eBird