Winter bird count will take you only 15 minutes Washington Post Mark your calendars for the third weekend in February, when backyard birders are being asked to tally the hardy birds that keep the winter garden buzzing. The counts will help scientists at the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology measure populations and species health. It is scheduled for Feb. 18-21. On one or more of the four days of the census, participants are asked to spend 15 minutes observing and recording bird species in their gardens or in green spaces near their home. Just counting is a science in itself, of course.
Participants then record their tallies on the Web site, which are grouped by ZIP code.
The site also shows what type of birds you might expect to see where you live. The first count attracted about 14,000 participants. Last year the number jumped to 42,000, and organizers hope this year's count will be even more successful. Some content on this site has been supplied by paid sponsors.