The Great Backyard Bird Count

Just because we’re going to be experiencing the coldest temperatures in a decade this weekend, it does not mean you still can’t participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 12-15.

You can either bundle up (seriously, be aware of the risk of frostbite and hypothermia), or you can sit inside your warm home and count from your window!

When it comes to bird watching, Logan County has many high-quality birding spots with more than 340 species observed, including the unusual sightings of the Eastern Towhee, Least Tern, Red Crossbill, or this Ovenbird, among others. Eagles are quite popular along the South Platte River and other bodies of water. Don't forget to take this birder's checklist with you and check out this seasonal bird observation bar chart.

Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, and later joined by Birds Canada, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time.

Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. Over these four days, people are invited to spend time in their favorite places watching and counting as many birds as they can find. These observations help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.

Participating is easy, fun to do alone or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds. Simply watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 12-15, and report what you see! Here’s how to participate.

The Great Backyard Bird Count uses eBird, one of the world’s largest nature databases. It stores more than 100 million bird sightings contributed each year and is used by professionals for science and conservation. Learn more about eBird.