All you need is 15 minutes and some experience identifying birds (or an app like Merlin ID to help you)! Whether you're counting great blue herons and great egrets on the coasts of Florida, black-capped chickadees and white-breasted nuthatches at a feeder in Massachusetts, or Townsend's warblers and acorn woodpeckers in the mountains of California, your participation and input in this decades-old community science project is critical.
If this is your first Backyard Bird Count, welcome! Please make it a point to visit the Cornell/Audubon website to learn How to Count Birds. If you're a pro, please encourage a friend or two to count their birds as well, and show them the ropes; the more the merrier! Just be sure if you're away from your home, to maintain that 6 feet of social distance, and wear a mask (or two) if you think you will encounter crowds of people.
To participate in The Great Backyard Bird Count simply visit the Cornell/Audubon website to enter your bird data on your computer, or use the eBird app to record and submit your sightings. This is an easy, fun event everyone can do no matter who we are or where we live, and is actually something we can all agree on! Birds need us more than ever, so please participate! Who knew birds could bring us together? Please be respectful of the birds you're observing and all wildlife you encounter along the way, and have an awesome time counting birds this year. What else are you going to do this weekend? Seriously!
