The Great Backyard Bird Count: February 14 - 17, 2025 | Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu

Count Birds in Your Backyard, Park or Wherever You Spot a Bird, and Submit Your Observations Online

Every February people all over the world come together for the love of birds by participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count - GBBC. This year’s count begins on Friday, February 14, 2025 and continues through Monday, February 17, 2025. Over these four days, everyone is invited to spend time in their favorite outdoor spots, watching and counting as many birds as they can find, and then sharing their counts and photos with the GBBC.

These observations help scientists gain valuable insights into global bird populations before one of their annual migrations. It’s a fantastic way for your family to spend quality time together while enjoying the great outdoors. Your kids will have fun honing their observation skills and learning about the amazing wildlife around us!

More about the Great Backyard Bird Count:

Last year, people from over 200 countries reported sightings of about two-thirds of the world’s known bird species—truly amazing! View last years final result.

The GBBC was Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society. It was the first online citizen science - also referred to as community science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. In 2009, Birds Canada joined the project to help support participation in Canada. By 2013, the GBBC became a global project when it began entering data into eBird, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science project.

^{Steve-Luke/ Macaulay Library GBBC}

Birding

Once the GBBC has ended, consider making birding a regular outdoor activity with your family.

We live in an amazing area with a rich variety of birds, making it a fantastic way to get outside and explore nature together. Birding is a fun and educational activity for all ages, so why not invite extended family or friends along for the experience? It's a great way to encourage your family to be more active outdoors.

I’ve gathered a variety of local information, resources, and fascinating articles about birds to help you and your kids learn more—check them out below and click on the links to dive deeper.

Birdability . . . because birding is for everybody!

Birding truly is for everyone and every body, regardless of disability or health concerns.

Through education, outreach and advocacy, Birdability works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for all. Focused on individuals with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, as well as those who are neurodivergent, deaf, hard of hearing or have other health concerns. Birdability strives to make birding enjoyable for everyone.

The Birdability Map is a crowdsourced tool that highlights the accessibility features of birding locations worldwide. This map helps people with accessibility challenges find locations that suit their needs and preferences, ensuring a better birding experience.

Bird Walks

Be sure to check the local Audubon websites below for upcoming bird walk events and visit the Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas event calendar for more details on local bird walks.

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How to Take Part in the Great Backyard Bird Count

Volunteers around the world participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count by counting the birds they see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days during the four-day event. It’s easy for people of all skill ages, levels and abilities to join in - perfect for kids! Participants submit a new checklist for each different location or time of day during the count. The GBBC website offers helpful tools and resources for both new and returning birders. Be sure to check out the links above and below for more details.

How to Participate

Decide where you want to watch birds.
Watch birds for 15 minutes or more at least once during the count on February 14 - 17, 2024.
Count all the birds you see or hear within your chosen location and time frame, then use one of the tools below to share your bird sightings.

Tools to Share Bird Sighting

Merlin Bird ID app - Perfect for beginning bird watchers or anyone new to the count.
eBird Mobile App or eBird Website - If you've participated in the count before use eBird to log your bird sightings viamibile app or on your desktop / laptop.
Group participation - Check out instructions for Group Counting if you're birding with others.
Already contribute to Merlin or eBird? Keep up the great work! All entries over the four days count towards the GBBC.

Tips and Ideas

Where to Find Birds

How to Identify Birds - Use these eight clues to guide your identification.
Start by watching birds in your front or backyard.
Count the birds visiting your bird feeder or birdbath.
Take a walk through your neighborhood and observe the birds.
Head to a nearby park for more birding opportunities.
Seek out water sources such as creeks, rivers, lagoons, lakes and the beaches - great places for spotting birds.
Go on a drive and count the birds as you go.
Ultimately, just get outside and count birds any way that works for you!

^{Luke-Seitz/Macaulay Library for GBBC}

Where to Go Birding:

Birding can be done just about anywhere! From your own backyard and neighborhood to local, state, and national parks, there are plenty of opportunities to spot birds. You'll find a diverse range of species anywhere there’s water—such as local creeks, ponds, lakes, lagoons, beaches, and even water fountains. Explore the links below for additional ideas on the best places to go birding in your area.

Birds

Birds of Ventura County PDF
Conejo Open Space - Printable Bird Checklist
Los Angeles Neighborhood Birds – The Ten Most Common
Ornithology - the science of birds

^{Fertnig from Getty Images Signature via Canva}

Just for Kids

Audubon for Kids is full of learning resources just for kids, crafts, games and more.

Learn more about birds

Articles from Audubon

^{Angelafoto from Getty Images Signature via Canva}

Local Organizations / Resources

Santa Monica Mountains - National Recreation Area
Conejo Open Space Foundation
Wild Birds Unlimited Nature Shop - Thousand Oaks
Conejo Valley Audubon's Bird-Friendly Virtual Garden Tours
Local Native Plant Resources
California Wildlife Center - Malibu
The Ojai Raptor Center
Heal the Bay

Audubon

"The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization." - From their website

These local sites are a treasure trove of resources and information, many offer bird walks, field trips or other events.