Give 15 Minutes to the Birds

February 13th – 16th The 12th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count

Photo Credit: Jerry Acton, New York, The Great Backyard Bird Count

While you are out shopping for those boxes of chocolates and flowers, don’t forget to pick up some feed for your feathered friends. As they stop by to eat, you can participate in the 12th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count. Hosted by The National Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this annual counting of the birds is just another way you can get your family, friends, neighbors and volunteers to participate in a positive and fun animal activity.

Why Count the Birds?

from What is the GBBC?

• How will this winter’s snow and cold temperatures influence bird populations?

• Where are winter finches and other “irruptive” species that appear in large numbers during some years but not others?

• How will the timing of birds’ migrations compare with past years?

• How are bird diseases, such as West Nile virus, affecting birds in different regions?

• What kinds of differences in bird diversity are apparent in cities versus suburban, rural, and natural areas?

• Are any birds undergoing worrisome declines that point to the need for conservation attention?

You simply visit the site  for instructions, guides, and a checklist and begin counting. You record the highest number of individuals you see at one time to avoid counting an animal twice. After at least 15 minutes of counting, log on to the site and enter your bird count information. You can repeat the count on your journey to different locations throughout the day, or repeat the count from the same location on the following day. The online maps are updated throughout the day, and you can track how many fellow counters are participating (last year a whopping 85,000 checklists were turned in, reporting on 9.8 million birds of 635 species)!

You can also upload photos of the birds you are watching, as well as post video to YouTube (tag GBBC).

Tags: annual bird counting, Audubon Society, Bird Count, bird watching, great backyard bird count, north american cardinal, watch the birds