Join The Great Backyard Bird Count—for Science!

Join nan Great Backyard Bird Count—for science!

Avian enthusiasts astir nan world will place and count birds from February 13 done February 16 arsenic portion of a monolithic organization subject project

By Kate Wong

A antheral Northern Cardinal takes wing.

pchoui/Getty Images

What are you doing this weekend? Valentine’s Day and, successful nan U.S., Presidents’ Day are coming up. And past nan Lunar New Year begins. Perhaps little wide known is that nan adjacent fewer days are besides virtually for nan birds. I’m talking astir nan Great Backyard Bird Count, a task that avian enthusiasts astir nan globe tin participate successful to thief scientists understand really birds are faring successful our changing world.

The count, organized by nan Cornell Lab of Ornithology, nan National Audubon Society and Birds Canada, is held for 4 days each February to return banal of world vertebrate populations earlier they undertake seasonal migration starting successful March. This year’s arena runs from February 13 done February 16. During this time, participants are encouraged to observe birds successful a location of their choosing for 15 minutes aliases much astatine slightest erstwhile and to place and count each of nan birds they brushwood successful that interval. People tin study their findings—and stock immoderate photographs—via nan eBird aliases Merlin Bird ID apps, which are disposable for iOS and Android smartphones.

Participants of each accomplishment levels are welcome. If you’re caller to vertebrate identification, nan Merlin Bird ID app tin thief you fig retired what benignant of vertebrate you’re looking astatine aliases hearing. There are tons of excellent devices for vertebrate recognition and appreciation out there. (If you really want to nerd out, cheque retired nan Cornell lab’s caller phylogeny explorer, which allows you to delve into nan full family character of birds.) Or you could spell old-school—forgo nan gadgets and grounds your observations pinch pen and insubstantial successful nan field, past participate your information into eBird afterward.

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By participating successful nan count, you’ll beryllium joining a ample organization of like-minded vertebrate fans. In the 2024 event, immoderate 642,000 group from 210 countries aliases subregions recovered 7,920 species. Birders successful India reported respective imperiled type specified arsenic nan Andaman Serpent Eagle. Birders successful Canada observed type that had wandered good extracurricular their accustomed ranges, specified arsenic Lapland Longspurs successful Saskatchewan and Gray-crowned Rosy Finches successful nan Northwest Territories. In California location were uncommon February sightings of Plumbeous Vireos and Summer Tanagers, which usually walk this clip of twelvemonth farther southbound and only spell to California to breed successful nan spring. It whitethorn beryllium that pinch milder winters successful that region successful caller years, these birds are staying successful their breeding territories year-round aliases that they are migrating location earlier than they utilized to.

In nan northeastern U.S., wherever I live, an particularly acold and snowy wintertime has mostly constricted my birding efforts of precocious to peering retired of my room model astatine nan vertebrate feeder. So I person a beautiful bully thought of who will sojourn it this weekend. Dark-eyed Juncos, Tufted Titmice, House Sparrows, House Finches, Mourning Doves and European Starlings will dominate. Some White-throated Sparrows, Black-capped Chickadees, Song Sparrows, White-breasted Nuthatches and my resident Carolina Wren will make appearances, arsenic good arsenic Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Also dropping successful will beryllium Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays, dressed successful nan agleam colors I crave successful nan dreary season.

Venturing beyond nan room model will bring much species. The different day, erstwhile it yet warmed up conscionable capable to spell for a brisk locomotion astir nan neighborhood, I was delighted to find 2 Eastern Bluebirds, a Hairy Woodpecker and a Brown Creeper successful nan cedars astatine nan extremity of nan driveway. Down nan thoroughfare a Northern Mockingbird fed connected nan withered berries of a bittersweet vine; a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker mewed unseen successful nan distance.

I mightiness caput to a adjacent reservoir aliases formation to look for ducks—after all, present successful nan Northeast, wintertime is weird duck time, arsenic nan awesome cartoonist Rosemary Mosco calls it. Or possibly I’ll travel northbound successful hunt of Evening Grosbeaks and Red Crossbills. Come to deliberation of it, I haven’t visited nan section sewage works lately. I wonderment whether immoderate warblers decided to linger location successful its comparatively balmy, if somewhat stinky, microclimate alternatively of making nan agelong travel southbound to their accustomed wintering grounds.

At nighttime I’ll beryllium keeping an receptor retired for nan brace of Great Horned Owls that person been hooting their signature “Who’s awake? Me, too!” opus to each different since past December. I’ve ne'er laid eyes connected this peculiar couple, but I emotion knowing that they’re around. This clip of twelvemonth they’re getting fresh to laic their eggs. With luck, successful a fewer months, nan screams of their quiet owlets will pierce nan nighttime air.

What birds will you observe successful your area of nan world? I can’t hold to find out!