Your Backyard Counts!
Take Part in the Great Backyard Bird Count: February 14-17, 2025
The earth is an amazingly big place!
So imagine how ambitious it would be to attempt to count all of the birds across the globe during a single four day event. Crazy! Right?
Well, not anymore. Thanks to the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. The Great Backyard Bird Count links citizens with scientists in an effort to collect important data about backyard birds.
The GBBC is a joint project of Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society and is sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited. It takes place each February. Count the birds in your backyard, and then simply report the information online at http://gbbc.birdcount.org/.
Your information becomes part of an extensive database that is analyzed by scientists to better understand important trends in bird populations, range expansions, habitat changes and shifts in migration patterns.
Other technology that can help you identify and track the birds that come to your feeders include:
Merlin Bird ID App
The Merlin Bird ID App is an easy way to figure out who your feathered visitor is. The app is free and is available for download from the Apple Store and Google Play. The app helps identify birds in one of three ways.
• Use the Start Bird ID, answer five simple questions and get options to sort through.
• Use the Photo ID to identify birds from photos.
• Use the Sound ID to listen to birds and get real time listings of the birds that are calling.
Merlin tracks your bird list for you when you confirm the identity of birds you are looking up.
eBird
eBird helps Citizen Scientists share their bird sighting data to support conservation and education. You can access it for free through the phone app or website.
Using eBird allows you to keep track of your bird lists, photos and sounds; explore the latest sightings from around your local area, state, country or the world; join the world’s largest birding community; and contribute to science and conservation.
There is a self-paced tutorial that walks you step-by-step through the most popular eBird features: academy.allaboutbirds.org/product/ebird-essentials/
Project Feederwatch
Wild Birds Unlimited is Sponsoring
Project FeederWatch & BirdSpotter Photo Contest
Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders across North America. FeederWatchers periodically count the birds they see at their feeders from November through early April and submit their data. This helps scientists track broad scale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.
Anyone interested in birds can participate - including children, families, individuals, classrooms, retired persons, youth groups, nature centers and bird clubs. You can count birds as often as every week, or as infrequently as you like: the schedule is completely flexible. All you need is a bird feeder, bird bath or plantings that attract birds. Click here to join.
You can also participate in the BirdSpotter Photo Contest. Now through early March, submit your bird photos for a chance to win prizes from Wild Birds Unlimited. Click here to learn more.
Project FeederWatch is operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada.