eBirdMay Global Big Day bird count

Bird populations are always shifting and changing. Bird count events help collect data that highlight changes in bird populations, such as the effects of warm weather on their migration patterns and other phenomena.

Several important bird count events held throughout the year. Anyone can participate in these events, whether you are brand new to bird watching or an experienced “birder” familiar will the bird calls of many species.

Bird count volunteers sign up to participate, use interactive maps to follow results across the country in real-time, and report their findings to the birding community through online checklists or mobile apps. 

Listed below, we provide details for the following annual bird count events:

• February: Great Backyard Bird Count over President’s Day Weekend (collaboration between Audubon Society and Cornell University Ornithology Department)
• May Big Day: Cornell University bird count
• May World Migratory Bird Day (2nd Saturday in the U.S.)
• October Big Day: Cornell University bird count
• October Global Bird Weekend: Cornell University bird count
• December 14 – January 5: Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Audubon Bird Counts

The Audubon Society conducts the Great Backyard Bird count (February) and the Christmas Bird Count (Dec 14-Jan 5) every year. Read more about each of these bird count events below and learn how you can participate.

Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is a free, fun, and easy event. GBBC is a collaboration between the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Anyone can take part in the GBBC, from beginning bird watchers to experts. You can participate from your backyard, around your neighborhood, or a local park, anywhere in the world.

Recently, more than 160,000 participants submitted their bird observations online, creating the largest instantaneous snapshot of global bird populations ever recorded.

• The 2022 GBBC will be held Friday-Monday, February 18-21, 2022.

How to participate in GBBC

1. Count for as little as 15 minutes in your own backyard (or longer if you wish) on one or more days of the four-day event. 
2. Report your sightings online at birdcount.org. Each checklist submitted during the GBBC helps researchers learn more about birds around us and how to the environment we share.

For more information, visit the official website at birdcount.org.

Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Since the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) began over a century ago, the data collected has become one of only two large pools of information used by ornithologists and conservation biologists to find out how the birds of the Americas are faring over time.

• CBC occurs between December 14 to January 5 every year. Local counts are scheduled for one day during this period. 

Local counts rely on the dedication and commitment of volunteers. Join them if you can!

Anyone can participate in the Christmas Bird Count. However, there is a specific methodology you must follow.

All participants must register to participate. The CBC establishes count “circles”. Each circle is a 15-mile wide diameter area organized by a count compiler.

Volunteers follow routes assigned by the compiler in the established circle and count every bird they see or hear all day. Your counts are reported to the compiler.

• If you are a beginning birder, you may be able to join a group that includes at least one experienced birdwatcher.
• If your home is within the boundaries of a CBC circle, you may be able to stay at home and report the birds that visit your feeder on count day–as long as you have made prior arrangement with the count compiler.
• Random, single-observer counts are not allowed. It’s not just a species tally, it’s a bird census. All birds are counted all day, giving an indication of the total number of birds in the circle that day.

Participating in the CBC is easy and free!

How to participate in the CBC

To participate in the CBC, you must join an existing CBC circle by contacting the compiler in advance of the count day.

To find an existing circle, use the interactive map: Christmas Bird Count: Map of Active Circles. Green and yellow circles are open for new participants; red circles are full. Choose an open circle near you and contact the compiler using the instructions provided.

Please note that the COVID-19 pandemic will affect CBC participation. Pending local restrictions, many counts will be done under the COVID-19 guidelines, while others will likely be cancelled.

Donate to the Audubon CBC

In 2012, Audubon made CBC participation free to make it accessible to anyone.

To keep the program free and to help ensure the future of the program, please make a donation to this very important community science effort. Donate to Audubon Christmas Bird Count.

For more information, visit Christmas Bird Count | Audubon.

Cornell University bird counts

Cornell University “Big Days” are a 24-hour opportunity to celebrate the birds around you and be a part of a global birding community. Your observations help ornithologists better understand global bird populations.

Participating is easy, no matter where you are. If you can spare at least 5 or 10 minutes, you can report bird observations in your backyard or around your neighborhood. If you have more time, you can submit checklists of birds throughout the day at different times. Can you find more birds in the morning, or the evening? You never know what birds you might spot!

How to participate in Cornell U bird counts

Participating in Cornell U bird count “Big Days” is easy:

1. Create an eBird account. It’s 100% free from start to finish. eBird is a bird checklist program used all year long by millions of birders worldwide. For more info, read the eBird FAQ.
2. Take the eBird Essentials Course before you watch birds to learn how to follow birding Best Practices. eBird is a free, self-paced course that will walk you step-by-step through using checklists to report your observations. You don’t need to be a bird expert, eBird is easy to learn and use. 
3. Enter what you see and hear on the eBird website or with their free eBird Mobile app available on Google Play and Apple App Store. Using the mobile app makes participation super easy. You can enter and submit lists while out birding and the app tracks how far you’ve walked! You don’t need to count all day long–just 10 minutes in your backyard will do!
4. Watch the sightings in real time. During the day, follow along with sightings from more than 170 countries on the Big Day page.

Listed below are the days you can participate in Cornell U bird counts.

Global Big Day bird counts

Global Big Day is an annual celebration of the birds around you. No matter where you are you can be part of birding’s biggest team. The original Big Day was in spring (May). A second Big Day was added in the fall of 2018 (October). “Big Days” coincide with Cornell U Global Birding Events and World Migratory Bird Day (more info below).

• 2022 Big Day spring bird count: May 14, 2022. More info: Global Big Day—14 May 2022 – eBird
• 2021 Big Day fall bird count: October 9, 2021. More info: October Big Day—9 Oct 2021 – eBird

World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)

Birdwatching is a past time enjoyed by millions of Americans. WMBD has more than 700 events in the Americas designed to help people learn how to identify birds, how to connect with them, and how to delve deeper into topics such as birdsongs, bird calls, migration, and the science of flight. WMBD is officially celebrated on the second Saturday of May in Canada and the US, and the second Saturday of October in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. 

Pacific Northwest events

• April 24-30, 2021: Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival | World Migratory Bird Day
• May 14-15, 2021: Virtual – Oregon Tualatin River Bird Festival | World Migratory Bird Day
• September 23-26, 2021: Wings Over Willapa | World Migratory Bird Day

 

 

Upcoming bird festivals, birdwatching, and other birding events

(If nothing is listed below, there are no bird-related events in our calendar. Most bird-related activities occur in fall, winter, and spring.)

Saturday, August 20, 2022

 

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