Virginians will count birds across the Commonwealth over the weekend for the Great Backyard Bird Count.
Experts say the event is useful to gather data for conservation and encourages people to give birding a try. At least once over the course of four days, Virginians are asked to watch birds for at least 15 minutes in one location. A person can count any birds they see – or hear – and submit a report to researchers. A new birder, who may need help identifying birds or their song, can use the Merlin Bird ID app. More experienced birders can upload their counts to eBird, a database developed by the Cornell Ornithology Lab and the National Audubon Society.
Greg Butcher, a former board member of the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance, said the databases make good use of amateur birders’ notes, which went unused in the past.
“We all used to go birding in small groups. We used to keep notebooks that we’d put on our shelves that no one would ever see later,” he said. “And now, when we go birding, we’re participating in a worldwide initiative, and the information we collect is now available throughout the world – and incredibly useful for understanding bird populations and their conservation.”
Birders in the Commonwealth identified more than 500 birds, from waterfowl such as the long-tailed duck and shorebirds such as the American oystercatcher, during last year’s count.
Globally, nearly 840,000 people participated in last year’s bird count, identifying more than 8,000 species of birds. That’s nearly a 25% increase from 2024.
Butcher said the count helps experienced researchers, scientists and long-time birders, but also offers great information for those just getting started.
“It’s a huge record that’s used by scientists to understand the status of bird populations,” he said, “and by amateur bird watchers to find the next place where they want to go birdwatching.”
The app for new birders saw a more than 100% increase in usage during last year’s bird count, totaling more than 650,000 submissions.
