Whether you are an experienced birder or just getting started, you should head outside to take part in the 25th Great Backyard Bird Count from February 18–21, 2022.

What is the Great Backyard Bird Count?

The GBBC is an online citizen science project coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. With more than 160,000 participants submitting bird observations, the project shows the abundance and distribution of bird populations.

Getting Started

You will need an online account with Cornell Lab to participate in the GBBC — this free online account can be used for a slew of citizen science projects like FeederWatch, NestWatch, and eBird. Click here to create a new account with Cornell Lab.

Start Counting

If you have 15 minutes to spare during the GBBC, you can participate! Grab a friend or family member and head to your backyard, nearby park, or other favorite birding spots to start tallying up what you see (or hear). If you want to spend more than 15 minutes in each place, have at it! That is simply the minimum amount of time you must devote to each list you submit.

Submit Your Data

You can enter your results at the GBBC website by clicking “Submit Observations” or through eBird. Your GBBC account and eBird account are linked so that you can log into both with the same credentials. Anything entered in eBird during the GBBC dates will count for the GBBC. Downloading the eBird mobile app to your phone can make entering your data easy and immediate. If keeping a paper tally, you can enter your observations when you are on a computer.

Help & FAQs

Check out the GBBC website’s Help & FAQs page for some great tips including what to do if you can’t identify a bird you see, how to estimate numbers of birds in roosts or flocks, what to do if you see a bird that is not on your area’s checklist, and more.

So don’t worry about whether you are an expert or not. Just ask yourself the question, “How many birds will I see?” and head out to find the answer.

Would you like to share your GBBC adventures with us? Feel free to send your stories and photos to Communications & Marketing Coordinator Molly Keenan at mkeenan@michiganaudubon.org. or share them by tagging us in your social media posts on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.