If you have at least 15 minutes to spare between February 14 and February 17, you can take part in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, a global effort organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Audubon Society, and Birds Canada.
These groups are asking citizen scientists (i.e., everyday people) to spend 15 minutes or more counting and identifying the birds they see in an outdoor area—a backyard, park, or other location—and then sharing their findings through a website or app.
The data will help researchers understand where birds are right now, whether their populations and migration patterns are changing, and how they can help protect them.
What You Need to Do
You do not need to be a bird expert—or even be able to identify most birds on your own—to participate. You just need to commit at least 15 minutes at some point over the four-day event to observing birds in a local outdoor area. The researchers want to know which birds you see and hear, so keep your ears peeled as well.
Non-experts can download the Merlin ID app, which will help you identify birds by sight or sound. You can submit your count directly through the app, which was created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
People with more birding ID experience (who don’t need help with identification) can submit their observations through eBird, another app affiliated with the Cornell Lab. Both apps are free.
How You’ll Be Helping
The more people participate, the more data bird researchers will receive about how wild bird populations are faring. They can compare this year’s data to previous years’ (the event has been going on since 1998!), as well as to other surveys, to see if individual species are increasing or decreasing, and if any alarming trends—like a rapid decrease in species—means that environmental groups need to ramp up conservation efforts.
And you’ll benefit from connecting with nature and other bird lovers worldwide. Starting now, you can watch submissions pour in live on an interactive map!
