Extend the Season of Love to Birds

NEW YORK, NY—Love is within the air—hear carefully and the sounds of chickadees, sparrows, and thrushes are beckoning you to step outdoors to expertise the love from birds and nature. Take a second to rejoice what birds and nature give us in the course of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) from February 13 by February 16, 2026. 

Spending time immersed in nature and watching birds can scale back stress and convey a smile to everybody’s face. Try this happy group of participants from 2025. 

Be part of within the enjoyable this February and spend no less than quarter-hour watching birds and sharing what you see with the world at birdcount.org. 

You are additionally invited to tune in to a particular webinar about easy methods to take part within the GBBC. Register for considered one of two free occasions taking place on Friday, February 5, at 3 p.m. Jap (12 p.m. Pacific) or Wednesday, February 11, 7 p.m. Jap (4 p.m Pacific). Register here.

Guadalupe Angel Vallejo Tapia, a GBBC participant from Mexico says, “What I like most about birdwatching is the direct reference to nature. Every species has its personal habits, and it’s fascinating to have the ability to establish its patterns and find out about its habits. As well as, birdwatching permits me to understand the biodiversity of our area and the constructive influence that the conservation of those ecosystems has. It’s an exercise that, along with being instructional, invitations us to replicate on the significance of defending our pure areas.” 

The twenty ninth annual Nice Yard Hen Depend is going down February 13 by 16, 2026.

Hen and nature lovers in all places unite within the effort to tally as most of the world’s hen species as attainable over 4 days in February. Mixed with different hen counts, GBBC outcomes assist create a clearer image of how birds are faring—whether or not particular person species are declining, growing, or holding regular within the face of habitat loss, local weather change, and different threats.

“The GBBC is a superb alternative for everybody to take a second to understand what birds and nature can do for us,” says David Bonter, co-director of the Middle for Engagement in Science and Nature on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Watching birds with family and friends can also be an effective way to construct group and present your assist for the pure world.”

Greater than 800,000 individuals participated in the course of the 2025 GBBC. Birders discovered 8,078 species of the world’s recognized species, 158 greater than in 2024. GBBC continues to succeed in individuals around the globe—birders counted birds in practically each nation. 

“By collaborating within the Nice Yard Hen Depend we are able to recognize the wonder and serenity that birds convey us on daily basis. In return, the hen observations we submit can be utilized to tell conservation efforts that safe a brighter future for birds and other people alike,” stated Ben Haywood, Audubon’s director of group science. “The extra the merrier as we rejoice the enjoyment of birds all around the world and be a part of the worldwide effort to guard them and the locations they want.”

“The Nice Yard Hen Depend invitations individuals to decelerate and actually get to know the birds that share their lives,” says Jody Allair, director of Communications at Birds Canada. “The easy act of observing, studying, and sharing can spark pleasure, join us with a rising group around the globe, and encourage a lifelong dedication to defending the locations birds rely upon.”

To participate within the 2026 GBBC, every participant or group counts birds for quarter-hour or extra and makes use of the birdcount.org web site or eBird app to enter the birds they’ll establish at every website they go to. That might be their yard, but it surely may be a park, a wilderness space, residence balcony, neighborhood avenue, or wherever.

Anybody can take part within the Nice Yard Hen Depend. First-timers ought to make it a degree to learn the directions on the GBBC website, the place they can even discover useful birding ideas and birding app downloads. The GBBC web site additionally encompasses a map of native occasions that can assist you discover your flock: birdcount.org/community-map

The Nice Yard Hen Depend is a joint undertaking of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, and Birds Canada and is made attainable partially by founding sponsor Wild Birds Unlimited.

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Editors: Download images to use with GBBC stories. The usage of this materials is protected by copyright. Use is permitted solely inside tales concerning the content material of this launch. Redistribution or some other use is prohibited with out specific written permission of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology or the copyright proprietor. 

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Media Contacts:

• Nicolas Gonzalez, Nationwide Audubon Society, (212) 979-3068, nicolas.gonzalez@audubon.org

• Kathi Borgmann, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, (607) 254-2137, birdnews@cornell.edu 

• Olivia Carvalho, Birds Canada, 1-888-448-2473 ext. 307 ocarvalho@birdscanada.org

About Audubon  

The Nationwide Audubon Society is a number one nonprofit conservation group with 120 years of science-based, community-driven influence, devoted to defending birds and the locations they want, as we speak and tomorrow. Birds are highly effective indicators of our planet’s well being, appearing as sentinels that warn us of environmental change and encourage motion. Audubon works throughout the Western Hemisphere, pushed by the understanding that what is sweet for birds is sweet for the planet. By way of a collaborative, bipartisan strategy throughout habitats, borders, and the political spectrum, Audubon drives significant and lasting conservation outcomes. With 800 employees and over 1.9 million supporters, Audubon is a dynamic and ever-growing pressure dedicated to making sure a greater planet for each birds and other people for generations to come back. Study extra at www.audubon.org and on Fb, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.