Backyard Bird Count 2023

One of my fond childhood memories, growing up in a New York City Housing Authority complex , is watching my mother throwing a slice of white bread out the window onto the small lawn below.  I would watch as pigeons and sparrows descended on the bread.

I had no way of knowing that bread was probably the worst thing to feed a bird, but no matter - I was transfixed by the sight below.  One bird in particular caught my eye - a bird that I now know may have been a male house sparrow in breeding plumage.

In fact, don't think you can't bird if you live in a city.

Some 60 years later, my spouse, increasingly fascinated by birds himself, bought our first bird feeder.  We've been feeding birds since 2020 and learning more about them.

Now it's time, once again, to give back to science.

It's time for the Great Backyard Bird Count.  It started yesterday and continues through Monday.  You you can participate from anywhere in the world.    No registration is required. No experience level is required. No backyard is required.  All you need is 15 minutes of your time, but you can devote as much time (just a minimum of 15 minutes) per watch.  

You can watch anywhere.  Watch like we do from our kitchen window, or from an exercise walk.  Watch from a stroll along a river, on the beach, or a city park.  Anywhere counts, city or country. If you are traveling, no problem!  Any location counts.  All bird lovers are welcome.

All birds count, whether you see them or hear them (or both).

Chances are, you already are familiar with some of the birds in your area.  If not, there are various online ways to identify your new friends.

This is the home page of the Count.  

There are several ways to report your finding.  Take pictures if you want.  (We don't submit pictures).  Also, you can win a pair of Zeiss binoculars just for posting your entries.

If you already post using Merlin or  eBird free apps and eBird is also available via your computer) you are automatically entered just for doing what you already do.  If you are new to birding, it's recommended that you use the Merlin app, which will also generate a life list (list of birds you've seen or heard in your lifetime) and allow you to identify the birds through recordings or photos.

This count is important to scientists who study birds to understand bird population changes, and much more.

I hope you will join in.

We didn't participate but are today, from the comfort of our kitchen and dining room windows.  In case you are interested, birds we've seen today include:  Canada geese, dark-eyed juncos, Northern cardinals, black-capped chickadees, and Carolina wrens, although we've only had one 15 minute stretch of viewing.  We hope to be able to see downy woodpeckers and mourning doves, at least, before the Count ends. 

Will you be participating?