Everyone can help birds and contribute to the global conservation movement. No matter who you are, where you live, or what your level of birding experiences is, your observations matter and are counted! There are many opportunities to participate in species and habitat monitoring – click the links below to learn more.
Climate Watch Counts
To test how specific species are responding to climate change, teams of Audubon members from chapters across the U.S. have been conducting twice-yearly point counts in specific locations to document the numbers of specific, targeted species in the count areas. The counts include songbird species such goldfinches, towhees, nuthatches and bluebirds.
If you would like to participate in a Climate Watch Count to help document how birds are coping with climate change, please use our Contact Us link.
For more information, visit the Climate Watch page.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Bird lovers of all ages and experience can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count each February. This is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Participants from across the globe are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes, or more if they wish, on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online.
For more information, visit the Great Backyard Bird Count website or Contact Us.
Christmas Bird Count
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a census of birds in the Western Hemisphere coordinated by the National Audubon Society and local chapters. It has been performed by volunteers every year since 1901. The purpose is to provide population data for use in conservation science and to engage bird enthusiasts in the longest running community science survey in the world. Each year, birders fan out into their community to count every bird of all species they see during one day. The time window of the survey generally runs from mid-December through early January.
Everyone, of every birding experience level, is encouraged to participate in the Christmas Bird Count. Visit the National Audubon Society’s CBC page for more information and to learn how to join a count in your community.
Big Year at Home
Bird enthusiasts can count and monitor birds from anywhere, particularly from their home or neighborhood. The Big Year at Home campaign, led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Partners in Flight, provides monthly challenges and resources to help bird watchers learn about and log birds in their location. To participate, go to Partners in Flight website.
Other Community Science
Everyone can make a difference for birds and other wildlife. For additional community science/citizen science ideas, please visit these websites.
Get Involved With iNaturalist
Help Climate Change Research With ISeeChange
eBird: Explore and Contribute to Ornithology Research
Citizen Science Projects With NASA
Citizen Science at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Forest Service Citizen Science Projects