A bird is a bird is a bird in this global count of our feathered flyers.
Step outside to count backyard birds Feb. 17-20 and you’ll be joining global research on nature’s feathered aviators. “This count is so fun because anyone can take part—whether you are an expert, novice, or feeder watcher,” says Chad Wilsey, the National Audubon Society’s vice president and chief scientist.
The Great Backyard Bird Count was launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, in partnership with Audubon, to track local birds and their migration patterns. In 2013, the count went worldwide on eBird, Cornell’s online bird database. Last year, 300,000 people in 192 countries counted more than a million birds, documenting 7,000 of the world’s 11,000 species.
Among the states, Virginia ranked seventh in participation. This year’s backyard birders can use the Merlin Bird Id or eBird apps to report counts. BirdCount.org
This article originally appeared in the February 2023 issue.
