The Great Backyard Bird Count was launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. By 2013, it became a global citizen science project that helps scientists track and understand bird population movements. Each year in February, birders and nature lovers of all backgrounds spend four days observing and counting birds.
This year, the Great Backyard Bird Count is taking place from Friday, February 12th through Monday, February 15th. There are still two days left to participate! It’s easy, fun, and helps scientific research. The only thing you really need to join this global project is 15 minutes of your time and the Merlin Bird ID app (or eBird if you are familiar with bird species). You can participate from a window in your home or a local park, it’s up to you!
Interested in learning more and downloading the necessary apps to get started? Click here.
On Saturday, February 13th, I began observing birds at my backyard feeders. I then headed to the Sakonnet Greenway Trail to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Rather than using the birding app options in real time, I prefer to tally my findings on paper, and upload them later. If you go this route, you’ll just want to jot down your times. In 3 hours, I observed a total of 19 species and approximately 135 birds!
Here are some of the species I observed and reported:
Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to connect with nature! In addition to getting outdoors and meeting some of our local feathered friends, your observations and contributions are so important to science.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I am happy to help you!
