From February 18 to 21, novice and expert birders will be counting birds for the 14th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Join thousands of Canadians and Americans this year in counting birds in your backyard, local park or along a nature trail.For the second year in a row, Bird Studies Canada, our Birdlife International partner, will be leading the Canadian GBBC, encouraging birders of all ages and levels of experience to enjoy the outdoors while contributing to science. By filling out a checklist and submitting it on the new Canadian GBBC website, you will be helping scientists gather the data needed to understand how birds are faring across the continent. Last year, 6,700 Canadians submitted their checklists online, accounting for 579,121 individual bird observations.

All it takes is 15 minutes to record the birds in your area – it’s also an easy, fun way to become familiar with your local bird species.

The GBBC is coordinated annually by the Cornell Ornithology Lab, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada, typically recording more than 10 million observations. For tips, instructions, photos and maps from last year’s count, visit http://www.birdcount.org/.