Get ready to count some birds, because Audubon’s Great Backyard Bird Count starts this Friday, February 14, and runs through Monday the 17th. This is a beginner-friendly event, even easier to join than the Christmas bird count.
You don’t even need a backyard. Just find a place where you’re likely to see some birds. This is a great time to visit a local park or wildlife refuge. To participate, count birds for at least 15 minutes “in as many places and on as many days as you like.” You’ll keep a separate checklist for each outing. In addition to noting the types of birds you see, make sure to count (or estimate) how many individuals you saw. Two cardinals at your feeder. 20 geese on the lake.
For your counts to contribute to the worldwide citizen science project, you’ll need an account at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, and log your checklists either there or in the eBird app.
The purpose of the project is to gather data on bird populations and how they change over time. (The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual project.) You can also browse the data yourself, to see what birds your neighbours have noticed near you. Maybe you’ll see them next time you go out!
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