Spend time with your VALENTINE! ā¤ļø in yourĀ favorite places watching birdsāthen tell us about them! In as little asĀ 15 minutesĀ notice the birds around you.Ā IdentifyĀ them,Ā countĀ them, andĀ submitĀ your counts to help scientists better understand and protect birds around the world.Ā If you already useĀ eBirdĀ orĀ Merlin, your submissions over the 4 days count toward GBBC.
How to Participate
Participating is easy, fun to do alone or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds.
Step 1: Decide where you will watch birds.
Step 2: Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 13ā16, 2026.
Step 3: Identify all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:
- If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to bird identification, try using the Merlin Bird ID app to tell us what birds you are seeing or hearing.
- If you have participated in the count before and want to record numbers of birds, try the eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list on the eBird website (desktop/laptop).
For more information and to register: CLICK HERE
Logging VH: Time spent counting birds can be logged as Cornell: Great Backyard Bird Count. Remember, no more than 12 hours of VH/AT can be logged in one day. See our Calendar for more information.
