Every February, for four days, the world comes together to celebrate birds, and to help scientists better understand global bird populations before their annual migration. It’s that time again, time for the 2026 Great Backyard Bird Count.
The Great Backyard Bird Count began in North America as an inter-organizational effort between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada. Today it has gone global. In 2025, an estimated 838,000 participants worldwide identified and submitted counts for 8,078 species of birds.
This year counting will be done between February 13 and 16. If you want to participate, it is easy and fun. Pick one or more of your favorite birding locations, then observe birds at your feeder, backyard, or at a local park or greenspace for as little as 15 minutes. Identify and count the birds you see, and then submit your counts through either eBird or Merlin to GBBC scientists. I submit my counts via eBird checklists. Participation by Washington birders skyrocketed in 2025 primarily through the use of Merlin to submit their counts.
To learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count and see in detail the results from the 2025 count go to: http://www.birdcount.org/ There you’ll find a great video on this fantastic community science program, learn about reporting your bird sightings using eBird and Merlin, and be able to join this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count as a counter.
Tom Reynolds
