Photo © GBBC

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count!

Mark your calendar. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is coming February 14–17. Anyone anywhere in the world can count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count and enter their sightings at BirdCount.org. The information gathered by tens of thousands of volunteers helps track the health of bird populations at a scale that would not otherwise be possible.

In North America, GBBC participants will add their data to help define the magnitude of a dramatic irruption of magnificent Snowy Owls. Scientists will also be on the lookout for the invasive Eurasian Collared-Dove to see if it has expanded its range again. GBBC observations may help show whether or not numbers of American Crows will continue to rebound after being hit hard by the West Nile virus and whether more insect-eating species are showing up in new areas, possibly because of changing climate.

Participating is fun, free, and easy—and it helps the birds! You can even use your NestWatch user name and password to log in and submit data! To learn more about how to join the count, visit BirdCount.org.