The Great Backyard Birdcount is Here

How to do the Great Backyard Bird Count
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 13–16, 2009. You can count each day or just some of the days and you can count in different places. Just be sure to keep a separate list of birds for each day and each location.

2. For each type of bird you see, count the most you see at any one time. For example, maybe you see two chickadees when you start watching, then five chickadees a few minutes later. The number you put on your list for chickadees is five. Do not add two plus five. (This way way you don't accidentally count the same bird twice.)

3. Enter your results on the Great Backyard Bird Count web site! Then watch the maps as more and more people enter their reports.



That's it! Now get ready to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count because when it comes to watching birds, kids count!

(Click Here) to view the webpage and participate in this event.

What is the GBBC?

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds. We'll be adding updated 2009 GBBC materials as they become available.
See the new 2009 GBBC PowerPoint presentation.
Visit our special page for kids!
Print a regional tally sheet
Check out the top birds reported in the 2008 GBBC
Download the 2009 GBBC poster
Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count web site.As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year's numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.In 2008, participants reported more than 9.8 million birds of 635 species. They submitted more than 85,000 checklists, an all-time record for the count.