15 Minutes, a Cup of Coffee & Save a Bird Species This Weekend in Arkansas

If you love nature and want to help the environment, here is an easy way to do it. It only takes 15 minutes, and you can do it while drinking your coffee in the morning. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a global event where we can help scientists and conservationists simply by counting the birds in our backyard sometime between February 14 and February 17.

All we have to do is count the birds we see in a 15-minute window and identify as many species of birds as we can.

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Why Should We Count the Birds?

Early Detection: It detects shifts in bird populations 2 to 3 years faster than traditional surveys.

Real-Time Migration: Provides current data on how birds are moving across the continent.

Smarter Conservation: Helps the EPA and USDA adjust pesticide application windows based on winter range maps.

Emergency Action: Since 2010, this count has triggered emergency protections for 12 different species.

Here's How to Participate in the Great Outdoor Bird Count

Pick a 15-minute window between Saturday, February 14, and Tuesday, February 17

Then just sit down somewhere by a window, on your porch, anywhere you can see birds. Then start counting the birds and how many birds in each species you see. Cardinals, sparrows, blue jays, etc

All you need to do after that is submit your findings at birdcount.org.

READ MORE: Tuition-Free Outdoor Education at Arkansas Outdoor Academy

If you don't know what type of birds you have, you can get the free Merlin Bird ID app by Cornell. It can identify birds by photo OR by sound! Just hold your phone up and it will tell you what birds are singing.

Bird Counting in February is More Important Than Any Other Time of the Year

Counting in February shows the bird species that survived the winter and this was a brutally cold winter in Arkansas and Texas. If a bird species is missing from the public count, then it is an early warning.

Last year, through this process, they found there was a 23% decline in Evening Grosbeaks across the northeastern states. That information actually triggered an emergency habitat review within 6 months.

We can really make a difference this weekend during the Great Backyard Bird Count!