January 20, 2026 | Ithaca, NY Love is in the air—listen closely and the sounds of chickadees, sparrows, and thrushes are beckoning you to step outside to experience the love from birds and nature. Take a moment to celebrate what birds and nature give us during the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) from February 13 through February 16, 2026.
The 28th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was a massive success, with bird enthusiasts across Canada and around the world coming together to share their sightings. From backyard feeders to heading out in extreme winter temperatures, people across Canada proved once again that our passion for birds knows no bounds.
While February may still be wrapped in winter’s chill, it’s also a month of excitement, kicking off with the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) next week. Running from 14-17 February, this event engages bird enthusiasts of all ages around the world in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are.
Share in the joy of birds during the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) and help make your community stronger for you and the birds. Bird and nature lovers everywhere unite in the effort to tally as many of the world’s bird species as possible over these four days. Combined with other bird counts, GBBC results help create a clearer picture of how birds are faring—whether individual species are declining, increasing, or holding steady in the face of habitat loss, climate change, and other threats.
