The Great Backyard Bird Count Starts Feb. 14!

"Everyone’s favorite midwinter bird count is happening this February 14–17, and for the second year in a row it’s open to anyone, anywhere in the world. The Great Backyard Bird Count is a free event now in its 17th year, and by participating you're helping give scientists their biggest, broadest single-moment snapshot of bird populations. Last year nearly 138,000 people participated, counting 33.4 million birds and 4,258 species. A newly redesigned website is full of great features like a gorgeous display for your photo submissions, how-to materials, data exploration tools, and tricky bird ID help (our blog has more on what's new). Come count with us."

The Great Backyard Bird Count accepts entries from anywhere in the world—like this Cuban Emerald photographed by Harold Davis.

''Which Species Is This?

Here’s a bird with a familiar shape but an unusual size–it's not much bigger than a sparrow. These softly colored, gray-and-dun birds walk on short legs or burst into flight to reveal bright wings. Their hollow, whistled cooing carries across the dusty open country of the southernmost U.S. They may be unfamiliar to folks in the rest of North America, but take a close look and we're sure you'll find some common ground. Do you know this species? Check your guess and learn more.

Puzzled? Try Our Free Bird ID App. Our Merlin app asks you five simple questions and then suggests the most likely birds based on where you are. Try it with this photo if you like—let’s say you saw it near Orlando, Florida, just this morning. Pull up the app and enter what you see—how does Merlin do? See Merlin in the App Store. (Android version coming soon.) ''

Black-capped Chickadee by Mike Wisnicki via Birdshare.