Join the Great Backyard Bird Count 2026!
Why not show your love and care for our feathered friends by getting involved in the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)? It’s an exciting people-powered global annual birding event for everyone, amateur or expert, happening between February 13-February 16 this year. Whether you’re in an exotic location, or just your backyard, every count submitted helps to give scientists a better overview of bird populations.
As the New York Almanack reports, this event is the 29th annual GBBC, combining nature observation with citizen science. It sees hundreds of thousands of bird and nature lovers participating every year from multiple countries.
Enjoy Taking Part in This Year’s Great Backyard Bird Count!
No special gear or experience is needed to “Join the world in connecting to birds,” nature and each other, as the GBBC callout puts it, While binoculars are helpful, and bird feeders act as magnets for birds, neither are essential.
All participants need to do is to choose a location. It can be their backyard, a local park, front porch, or a hiking trail.
The next step is to watch birds at this chosen spot for a minimum of 15 minutes. This can be just once, daily during the allocated four days, or for more time each day. The goal is to note every bird seen or heard, and to try and identify which species it belongs to.
Learn more about birds and share your bird sightings using the ebird mobile app or ebird.org, both created by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Beginners will enjoy using the Merlin Bird ID app offering images and sound identification too.
Why This Bird Count Matters
The GBBC tracks bird populations over time, and promises to provide a global snapshot of bird populations just before migration. Scientists can compare this data gathered with past backyard bird counts, and spot bird population trends. This equips them with a good overview of where conservation efforts should be directed.
As founding sponsor, Wild Birds Unlimited details, every participant’s information feeds into an extensive database analyzed by researchers to better understand key trends including range expansions, habitat changes, and shifts in migration patterns.
This nature hub refers to a recent study which revealed that the skies over North America are home to nearly three billion fewer birds than in 1970. It encourages lay people to help out by not only submitting their findings, but by nurturing a habitat in their own backyard that supports birds and other wildlife.
The database was cited in nearly 250 research papers last year, including studies of bird behavior but other species as well, the Cornell Chronicle reveals.
In 2025, as the National Tribune details, over 800,000 people participated from nearly every country. This year, a total of one million participants is thought to be within reach.
Health Benefits of Watching Birds
But the merits of this count are much more than the data gathered alone.
The National Audubon Society emphasizes how spending time in nature observing birds can lower stress levels. It reminds us of the need to slow down, and of the therapeutic benefits of the beauty and serenity of nature.
David Bonter, co-director of the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, emphasizes the community-building aspect of the GBBC as “Watching birds with friends and family is also a great way to build community and show your support for the natural world.”
Importantly, as the National Tribune underlines, the GBBC is an opportunity to spark joy. Birds are spectacular and accessible. They are everywhere so it’s hard not to observe them. Spotting birds sees people engaging with the natural world around them, and importantly, feeling connected to conservation more broadly.
“They’re this really powerful ecological, uniting group of species… . No matter where you are, you can feel connected and engaged with birds that are living around you,” is how Becca Rodomsky-Bish, project leader for this annual participatory science event, explains the appeal of the GBBC to the Cornell Chronicle.
Rodomsky-Bish also believes that the growing popularity of the event reflects a hunger to connect to nature, particularly when so much of our lives is spent in front of screens.
She praises the exciting tools that enable participants to hit record, and immediately identify the species of birds that are singing and calling out. Seeking out birds making beautiful sounds just feels relevant to her. “It’s local. And it’s really interesting, like you’re making these personal scientific discoveries,” she shares.
