Great Backyard Bird Count

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count - let's wing it together for the love of our feathered friends! Help us catalog and conserve avian wonders.

When it is?

February 18

History of Great Backyard Bird Count

Great Backyard Bird Count Timeline

<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1998</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Bird Count Introduction</div><div class='timeline-text'>The Great Backyard Bird Count was initiated as a joint project between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2002</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Online Data Submission</div><div class='timeline-text'>The event incorporated online data submission for participants, making it easier to catalog bird sightings from across the globe.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2005</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Youth Engagement Program</div><div class='timeline-text'>Efforts were doubled to engage young people, with focus on schools and youth groups to foster interest in birdwatching.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2009</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Expanded Global Participation</div><div class='timeline-text'>International participation expanded with over 100 countries participating, significantly broadening data on bird species worldwide.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2015</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Inclusion of eBird Platform</div><div class='timeline-text'>Information from the bird count started contributing to the eBird online database, lending to more comprehensive global bird data.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2021</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Record Participation Amid Pandemic</div><div class='timeline-text'>Despite the ongoing pandemic, the bird count saw record participation, highlighting its importance for environmental and avian conservation.</div></div></div>

How to Celebrate Great Backyard Bird Count

<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Organize a birdwatching group</h3><p class='facts-text'>Connect with your neighbors and friends and form a birdwatching group for the day. This not only makes the event more fun but also will result in more birds being counted.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Make homemade birdfeeders</h3><p class='facts-text'>Guide children to make birdfeeders from items like pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed. Hang them in your backyard. This will attract a variety of birds for the count and also feed them during the winter.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Theme a family day</h3><p class='facts-text'>Make it a themed family day! Everyone can dress up as their favourite bird, create art inspired by birds, make bird-shaped cookies or snacks, and read bird-related stories or books.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Take part in a local event</h3><p class='facts-text'>Many communities organize events around the Great Backyard Bird Count. Join in a guided nature walk, a bird-identification workshop, or even a bird-photography contest.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Share on social media</h3><p class='facts-text'>Document your bird count and birdwatching experience on social media. Share your photos, data, and stories using designated hashtags. This not only spreads awareness about the event but also encourages more participation.</p></div></div>

Why We Love Great Backyard Bird Count

<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>It Makes Us Appreciate Nature</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Great Backyard Bird Count Day encourages us to take time out and appreciate the nature around us. This event helps us understand the importance of biodiversity and the role birds play in our ecosystem. It makes us observe and value the different species of birds, their sounds, behaviors and beauty.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Opportunity for Family Bonding</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>This day provides unique opportunities for learning and fun as a family. From organising birdwatching, crafting birdfeeders to theming a family day around birds, there are many enjoyable activities that can bring families closer together and create beautiful memories.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>It Encourages Citizen Science</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>By joining the Great Backyard Bird Count, we become active contributors to vital bird population studies. It gives us a chance to be citizen scientists for a day, participate in a global event and help conservation organisations in collecting valuable data about bird distribution and abundance.</p></div></div>