Get ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 18-21; free webinar at 2 p.m. ET Feb. 16 can help you participate

A Carolina wren (Great Backyard Bird Count photo by Gary Mueller)

The Great Backyard Bird Count returns for its 25th year next weekend, Feb. 18-21. Participating is easy: Pick a spot and watch birds for 15 minutes or more at least once, using one of the tools on the GBBC website to tally all the birds you see or hear while you're observing.

Participants can count birds anywhere in the world, and help scientists get a snapshot of global bird populations. Volunteers from around the world count the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, and then enter their checklists at birdcount.org. In 2021, a record 300,000+ participants counted some 6,436 species.

Birders of all ages and experience levels can attend a free webinar at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 16, to "brush up on bird ID, unlock the mystery of bird songs, and practice counting birds no matter how large the flock or busy the feeder," according to the website.

The count is sponsored by the ornithology lab at New York state's Cornell University, the National Audubon Society and Birds Canada. The sponsors say counting birds has become more important, and note that scientists recently reported a decline of more than one in four breeding birds in the U.S. and Canada since 1970. "In addition to these steep declines, Audubon scientists projected a grim future for birds in Survival By Degrees, a report showing nearly two-thirds of North America’s bird species could disappear due to climate change. Birds from around the world are facing similar challenges and declines," the Great Backyard Bird Count website says. To sign up, click here.