Event · Citizen Science
Great Backyard Bird Count
Every February, the Great Backyard Bird Count turns kitchen windows and backyard feeders into real scientific field stations. Families spend as little as fifteen minutes counting the birds they see, then submit their tallies to a global database that researchers actually use. It is one of the easiest ways to do genuine science together without leaving the neighborhood.
This page from Outside, the family adventure app, covers the Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual four-day citizen science event held each February in which families count and identify birds in any outdoor location and submit their observations to a shared scientific database. The page explains when the event takes place, how to register and participate, what supplies help families get the most from the experience, and how to build a memorable weekend tradition around the count. Key facts include the event's February timing, its free participation, and its use by ornithologists and conservation researchers worldwide. Outside presents the event as an accessible, confidence-building outdoor tradition for families with children roughly ages four through fourteen.
| Cost | Free |
|---|---|
| Season | February |
| Duration | Four-day annual event |
| Age range | 4 and up |
| Location type | Backyard, park, or any outdoor space |
What the Great Backyard Bird Count is
For four days each February, backyard naturalists across North America and beyond step outside with a notebook and spend at least fifteen minutes watching birds. They count every individual bird they see, record the highest number of each species spotted at one time, and submit their results through the free eBird platform or the Merlin Bird ID app. Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon Society have run the count together for more than two decades. The data flows directly into research on bird population trends, migration shifts, and habitat health. Your tally from the back porch counts the same as one from a professional birder. That is the whole idea.
When it happens and how to register
The count runs for four consecutive days over Presidents Day weekend in February, typically the third weekend of the month. Exact dates are announced each fall on the official Great Backyard Bird Count website at birdcount.org, where free registration takes about two minutes. You can count from your backyard, a local park, a schoolyard, or anywhere birds are present. Each count session must last at least fifteen minutes, and you can submit as many separate checklists as you like across the four days. Participation is completely free. The Merlin Bird ID app, also free from Cornell Lab, is the easiest tool for beginners: it identifies birds by photo or by sound and works well for kids who are just learning to tell a house finch from a purple finch.
Getting ready as a family
The week before the count is a good time to set up or refill a feeder, hang a suet cage, or simply walk the yard and note which birds already visit. Pick up a regional field guide from your library or download Merlin, and spend one evening flipping through common local species together. Even young children can learn four or five backyard birds reliably before the count begins. Assign roles: one child watches and calls out birds, another marks tallies on a clipboard, an older kid looks up species in the guide. A pair of basic binoculars sharpens the experience considerably. Eight-power lenses work well for most backyards; you do not need expensive optics to have a good time.
Planning a full weekend around the count
The count runs Friday through Monday, which makes it a natural frame for a long-weekend tradition. Count from home Saturday morning when feeders are busiest, then spend Saturday afternoon on a walk at a nearby nature center or state park and submit a second checklist from the trail. Sunday works well for a slower session: set up chairs, bring hot chocolate, and watch the feeder for an unhurried hour. Make a simple chart on paper and track which species appear each day. By Monday, most families have a short list they are quietly proud of. Some families cook a bird-themed meal, bake a seed cake for the feeder, or start a photo log of every species they identify. These small rituals are what turn a single event into something kids ask about the following January.
What your data actually does
Every checklist submitted during the count joins a database that scientists use to track changes in bird populations across years and continents. Researchers look for patterns: which species are showing up earlier in spring, which winter ranges are shifting northward, where certain birds are becoming scarce. A family in Ohio submitting a ten-bird list contributes a real geographic data point that no satellite or sensor can replicate. Over the years, the count has helped document the spread of the Eurasian collared-dove across North America and tracked the recovery of some species after conservation efforts. Kids who understand this tend to count more carefully and pay closer attention, because they know the number on their clipboard is going somewhere real.
Tips for keeping young counters engaged
Keep early sessions short: fifteen to twenty minutes is plenty for children under seven. Let kids be the official tally keeper with their own clipboard and pencil. Celebrate new species the way you would celebrate a discovery, because that is what it is. For older kids, introduce a personal challenge: Can you find ten species in one session? Can you beat yesterday's total? Print a simple regional checklist from birdcount.org and let them check off each bird they see across the weekend. After the count closes, look up how many checklists were submitted worldwide that year. Seeing a global number in the millions, and knowing your list is one of them, is a reliable way to make a child feel like a scientist.
Write down every bird you saw during the count weekend, then pick one and describe exactly what it was doing when you first noticed it. What made you look up?
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to be an experienced birder to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count?
No experience is required. Beginners are welcome and encouraged. You only need to count and identify birds you are confident about. The free Merlin Bird ID app from Cornell Lab helps with identification by photo or sound and is designed for people who are just starting out.
How long does each counting session have to be?
Each session must last at least fifteen minutes to qualify for submission. You can do multiple sessions across the four days and submit a separate checklist for each one. There is no maximum time limit.
Where do families submit their bird counts?
You submit checklists through eBird at ebird.org or through the Merlin Bird ID app, both from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Great Backyard Bird Count website at birdcount.org walks you through the process step by step and links directly to both submission options.
What if we only see two or three species in our backyard?
Submit them. Every checklist matters regardless of how many species it includes. A two-bird count from a suburban yard in February is a legitimate data point that tells researchers something real about bird presence in your area. Scientists need information from ordinary locations, not just hotspots.