Help the world count birds this weekend

How many birds can you spot in 15 minutes in your backyard? Or a neighborhood park? Or along the river?

That’s the challenge of the Great Backyard Bird Count, back again for a 29th year this Valentine’s Day weekend, Friday through Monday.

The global bird census is a citizen science project initiated by the Cornell (University) Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society. The Birds Canada group also now is one of the organizers.

Participation in the Great Backyard Bird Count has grown each year since the first one in 1998, expanding to countries around the world. In 2024, for example, an estimated 642,003 participants from 210 countries or subregions reported, with 7,920 species identified.

The website birdcount.org is packed with details and information on the count, including how to report GBBC bird sightings. From that website, here’s how to get involved. The parentheticals are mine:

Step 1: Decide where you will watch birds. (It does not have to be your backyard.)

Step 2: Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, Feb. 13-16. (Full morning sunlight or the hour before sundown are bird-heavy times in my backyard.)

Step 3: Identify all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:

— If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to bird identification, try using the Merlin Bird ID app to tell us which birds you are seeing or hearing. (Merlin has the ability to record bird songs and deliver likely identification.)

— If you have participated in the count before and want to record numbers of birds, try the eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list on the eBird website (for desktop/laptop).

The website also has a link to a one-hour webinar that beginning birders may find useful.