Take Part in the Great Backyard Bird Count and Share Your Photos
Photo: Alisa Opar
The starts today! Grab your binoculars, friends or family members, a guidebook and head outside this weekend to tally the avian species you spot. (Bring your camera, too, and share your pics on our page!) And don’t worry if you’re afraid of commitment or already have plans for the holiday weekend: You can count birds for as little as 15 minutes.
The annual event, which runs February 18 – 21, isn’t only a hoot—it also provides valuable information on the state of bird populations.
“When thousands of people all tell us what they’re seeing, we can detect changes in birds’ numbers and locations from year to year,” said Janis Dickinson, director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which coordinates the GBBC with APP and Bird Studies Canada.
For instance, past counts a drop in American crow numbers after outbreaks of in 2003, captured the paths of migrating , and recorded the dramatic spread Eurasian collared-doves.
Visit for instructions, identification tips, regional bird checklists, and more.
Take your camera along and then share your photos on the .
Happy counting!