The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org.

Anyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can now participate from anywhere in the world! It’s free, fun, and easy. Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share.

Last year, participants turned in more than 134,000 online checklists, creating the world’s largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded.

The 18th annual GBBC will be held Friday, February 13, through Monday, February 16, 2014. Please visit the official website at www.birdcount.org for more information.

2014 GBBC Instructions