What is the Great Backyard Bird Count?

Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days The Cornell Lab of Ornithology invites people to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find and reporting them to us. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an inter-organizational effort between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada. These organizations work together to bring the joys of birdwatching to their members.

Whether you count one bird or hundreds, participating is easy and fun for all ages! Let birds bring you closer to nature and to each other by spending four days in February with us!

How To Participate

Participating is easy, fun to do alone or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds.

Step 1: Decide where you will watch birds.

Step 2: Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 14–17, 2025.

Step 3: Identify all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:

  • If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to bird identification, try using the Merlin Bird ID app to tell us what birds you are seeing or hearing.
  • If you have participated in the count before and want to record numbers of birds, try the eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list on the eBird website (desktop/laptop).
Three Ways to Enter Your Data

Options and Step-by-Step Instructions

Merlin Bird ID

If you are NEW to birdwatching and bird identificationand have a smartphone, we recommend you use the Merlin Bird ID app to enter your first bird. It is FREEand easy to use.

Download Merlin Bird ID

Merlin covers bird species from 7 continents and is available in 18 languages.

Need instructions on how to use Merlin? Follow these.

Yellow-headed Blackbird being identified on Merlin.
Yellow-headed Blackbird by Dorian Anderson/Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab.

eBird Mobile

If you are already using eBird to track your birding activity or an experienced bird watcher, the FREE eBird Mobile app is a fast way to enter your bird lists right from the palm of your hand.

Download eBird Mobile

Need instructions on how to use eBird Mobile? Follow these.

eBird sightings in a wintery evergreen scene.
eBird sightings in winter.

Desktop or Laptop

If you prefer to enter your sightings on a computer, perhaps after making a list while on a hike or watching your feeders, we’ll walk you through how.

Enter birds using a Computer

Need instructions on how to use eBird on a computer? Follow these.