A few minutes of bird watching this weekend can help scientists: Here's how
It might be Valentine’s Day – but this weekend is for more than just love birds.
The Great Backyard Bird Count is back. Between Feb. 14 and 17, the event invites nature enthusiasts around the world to watch and count as many birds as they can in their “favorite places.”
The event is in its 28th year, organized by the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada, aims to help scientists better understand the global bird population. Data collected over a four-day span in February provides necessary information on where birds are living and long-term changes in their populations.
February might sound like a chilly time of the year for bird watching, depending on where you live. But Benjamin Haywood, the National Audubon Society's Director of Community Science, said the event was originally designed to help capture where birds lived in the Northern Hemisphere before they began their annual spring migrations.
Roughly 650,000 people across about 200 countries participated in last year’s bird count. They found 7,920 different species – roughly two-thirds of the over 10,000 known species on the planet. Haywood said more than 200 scientific articles were published using the data collected.
"When we take a closer look at where birds are, we can understand what species need to survive and how we can better support them and their well being," Haywood said.
How to Participate
- Time commitment: Organizers recommend watching and counting birds for no less than 15 minutes at least one time over the four-day period.
- Where: You can count birds anywhere you want – whether that’s in your backyard, at a local park or on a hike.
- How do I identify birds? Amateur bird watchers can use the Merlin Bird ID app on their phones to figure out what species are flying around their area.
- How do I report details? Participants can enter information about the number of birds and species on the eBird Mobile app or eBird website.
- Need more information? Check out birdcount.org/participate/.
How popular is bird watching in America?
Around 96 million people across the U.S. – or 3 in 10 Americans – engage in bird watching, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Roughly 95% of those birders do so from the comfort of their own backyards.
But birding is also a major economic driver that helps boost tourism, retail sales and conservation efforts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that bird watching supported an estimated 1.4 million jobs and generated an economic output of $279 billion in 2022.
"The more we enjoy birds together, the more likely it is that we take steps to protect them and the places they need,” said Brooke Bateman, the National Audubon Society’s senior director of Climate and Community Science.
(This story has been updated to add new information and because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)