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Great Backyard Bird Count Tips and Resources

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The Great Backyard Bird Count is a citizen-science project which collects data that can be used by scientists to give them an overall picture of the bird population. It’s powerful for kids to know their efforts are part of a large collective effort.

For the 2025 event, they have two pre-event webinar times. You can view and register for one of those webinars here.

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The Great Backyard Bird Count is a fantastic opportunity for children to connect with nature and learn about their feathered neighbors. Plus, birding is a no-cost family activity!

The Great Backyard Bird Count first became part of our homeschooling in 2003 , and it was the start of our ongoing interest in backyard birds.

Birds are now a part of our daily lives. We’ve designed our landscaping and flower gardens to attract birds and pollinators. Each Spring we change plants out, trim (or don’t trim) bushes and trees in an effort to provide shelter and nesting areas for birds.

Tips for the Great Backyard Bird Count

What’s so great about the Great Backyard Bird Count?

1. You don’t have to be a birding expert to take part.

Is a robin the only bird you can identify? That’s fine. GBBC encourages you to count the birds you can identify. Kids are often inspired to learn when they are involved. This event very well may have them off on their own learning quest as they seek to identify the feathered friends they see. Let them be the lead researchers!

You can arm the kids with a bird guide (my personal favorite —> Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America) or download one of many birding apps available for your cell phone or tablet.

Here are three resources we currently use. The Birding Journal is something we take with us on weekend trips and vacations. The flashcards have beautiful drawings!

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Related post—->My Favorite Bird Apps

2. Participation requires only a bit of time each day.

According to their website, GBBC simply asks participants to “Count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the GBBC.” You can count longer than 15 minutes. You can participate one day or all 4 days. It’s up to you!

Our kitchen and dining area has lots of windows, so we have always sat for a few minutes at the table looking out the window and breakfast and lunch. The kids kept a field guide and a list on the table so we could identify and record the birds and officially report them later.

3. Submitting your observations is easy.

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After observing and identifying the birds in your area, it is time to report your findings. You can submit your counts on the GBBC website or through the eBird app. The eBird app is FREE in the iTunes and Google Play Store .To make things even easier, GBBC has information on how to participate.

 

Tips For Making Great Backyard Bird Count a Memorable Learning Experience

Here are some of the things we have done to help teach our children about backyard birds. These are some activities you can do with your children alongside the Great Backyard Bird Count

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  • Enjoy a study of backyard birds. Download our FREE bird study printable. (See the request form below.)
  • Read fun bird books: Look for colorful books with age-appropriate information about birds. Some of the ones we have used are:
  • Watch some of the bird videos from the Cornell School of Ornithology at their All About Birds site.
  • Visit a bird sanctuary or park: Immerse yourselves in the world of birds by visiting a birdwatching hotspot. Do an internet search on places to watch birds in your state. Your state wildlife organization or the Audubon chapters in your state will have state-specific birdwatching areas or events.
  • Build bird feeders to place in your yard. Here is our list of birdfeeder ideas using common household materials.
  • Spend time watching the birds right outside your window and journaling what is observed. In our free printable (see below), there are several levels of birding journaling pages.
  • Learn about the birding flyways at the Audubon.com. Each Spring and late Summer, we spend extra time watching our feeders for the birds that stop over for 1 to 3 days before continuing north (Spring) or south (late Summer)
  • Learn common bird songs: Use apps or online resources to familiarize yourselves with local bird calls.
  • Practice bird identification: Use bird guides or apps like Merlin Bird ID to learn about the birds likely to be seen in your area.

Preparing for the Great Backyard Bird Count

  • Choose a good location: Consider areas with diverse bird habitats like your backyard, local park, or wooded area.
  • Gather supplies: binoculars, notebooks, pencils, checklists.
  • Discuss the importance of the count: Explain how data collected contributes to bird conservation efforts. Review how the data helps scientists.
  • Review the data collection options and decide which will be the best fit for your family. Here is the information over on the Great Backyard Bird Count website.
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During the Great Backyard Bird Count

  • Play counting games: Turn birdwatching into a scavenger hunt, competing to see who can spot the most different species.
  • Follow the global map that it updated throughout the count as observers upload their data. It’s a great way to teach children about reading maps and graphs.
  • Draw or take pictures of birds: Encourage children to document their observations creatively.
  • Use our printable to complete a bird study alongside the bird count.

After the Great Backyard Bird Count

  • Submit your list: Help children input their bird sightings on the Great Backyard Bird Count website or app.
  • Reflect on the experience: Discuss what they learned and what birds they enjoyed seeing the most.
  • Plan future birdwatching outings: Keep the momentum going by exploring new locations and birdwatching throughout the year.

Download the Free Backyard Bird Unit

More Bird Resources

Want to learn even more about birds? Here are some great resources we recommend.

Bald Eagle Unit Study Resources - TheHomeschoolScientist.com

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