Do you enjoy birds? Do you have 15 minutes? If the answer is yes, then the Great Backyard Bird Count is for you! For four days every February, hundreds of thousands of people from around the world spend 15 minutes (or more) counting birds and reporting their results online. This provides a real-time snapshot of bird populations worldwide. Researchers use these results to learn more about how birds are doing and to assess long-term population trends.
The Great Backyard Bird Count was launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, joined in 2009 by Birds Canada. In 2013, this became a global event and in 2024, there were more than one-half million participants reporting 7,538 bird species.
This year, the Great Backyard Bird Count takes place from February 14 – 17. For 15 minutes (the minimum amount of time) or more, count birds. This can be at the feeder outside your window, in your yard, at a local park or preserve. Then submit your observations online. Visit www.birdcount.org for more information, instructions, an informational video. You may also register for a live event about participating in the count. Join this global citizen science event. Every bird—and every person—counts!
ESMNs who participate in the count should log their hours in Better Impact in the GBBC activity under Category 14.