Every winter we see more of certain birds at our feeders, while others disappear. Each February, for four days, the world comes together to celebrate birds, and to help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations. It’s that time again, time for the 2025 Great Backyard Bird Count. This year, the counting will be done between February 14 and 17.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an inter-organizational effort between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada. I joined in 2024. It’s easy and fun to join and participate. Just decide on a location, then watch birds for at least 15 minutes, at least once over the four-day period, and finally report the birds you see to eBird.
To become a backyard bird counter, go to the Great Backyard Bird Count website at https://www.birdcount.org/ . There you’ll learn how to join, find a short video on this fantastic citizen science program, and explore tools that will help you identify birds in your area and learn about reporting your bird count sightings to eBird.
Tom Reynolds
