GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT
The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) takes place Friday through Monday the week or weekend of Valentine’s Day. It’s an annual citizen-science project that asks novice bird watchers and lifelong birders to collect a few days of information.
The free, fun, and easy event gets bird watchers of all ages to count birds. With the results, the Audubon Society creates a real-time snapshot of bird populations so they can understand how bird populations are changing from year to year.
Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at https://birdcount.org.
Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, or anywhere in the world.
HOW TO OBSERVE #GreatBackyardBirdCount #GBBC
1. Sign on at the GBBC website.
2. Download the free Audubon Bird Guide app so you can identify the birds you see.
3. Pick a place to do the count.
4. Pick a time to do the count – at least 15 minutes.
5. If you use the mobile app, it’s a simple matter of reviewing your checklists for accuracy, adding photos, and then hitting “submit.” If you plan to record your data by hand, the process is almost as easy: All you have to do is log in to the GBBC website, head to the “submit your observations” page, and then plug in your results and photos.
Use #GreatBackyardBirdCount or #GBBC to share on social media.
GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT HISTORY
The Great Backyard Bird Count was launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. It was established to help researchers learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment.
Want to follow the results? Visit https://gbbc.birdcount.org for results and more! Check out the program website where you can explore real-time maps and charts that show what others are reporting during and after the count. Check out the Explore a Region tool to get an idea of what you can expect to see in your area during the week.