The 26th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is underway

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The 26th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is happening this President’s Day weekend.

“It’s a four day event every President’s Day weekend in February, where we ask anybody who’s interested in birdwatching to go out and observe birds and report what they see,” National Audubon Society Director of Science Technology Kathy Dale said.

The National Audubon Society is one of three organizations teaming up to organize the bird count. During this time, Dale asks that anybody who has a few minutes to spare steps outside and takes some pictures of their local birds.

“The only requirement is that they observe birds for a minimum of 15 minutes and report what they see to us. And it’s now a global program,” Dale said.

The event’s data has shown activity from 192 countries, reporting almost three fourths of the world’s known bird species.

“It’s really grown. Birdwatching and reporting birds through the backyard bird count has grown in places like India and Brazil, and Ireland,” Dale said.

To learn about how to participate in the avian festivities, click here.

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