Join the Great Backyard Bird Count
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
For four days each February, people all over the world count the birds they see or hear and send the lists to the same database. The minimum is fifteen minutes of watching from any spot you choose, which makes it one of the simplest ways into real field science.
GentleFreeAn afternoonIndoors or outAlone or with othersFebruary
How to start
- Read the official How to Participate page and choose a place to watch birds.
- Install the free Merlin Bird ID app if you are a beginner, or eBird Mobile if you want to record numbers of each species.
- Watch for at least fifteen minutes during the count and submit what you identified.
Where to go
We opened this link on 7 October 2026 and found it to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Events have fixed dates and entry or ticket deadlines. Physical events add a training plan from our guidance engine, and its length is set by the engine, not by the date you would like.
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