Get outside at Pickering Creek Audubon Center to participate in the 27th Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This worldwide annual event will be taking place February 16 through 19, 2024. GBBC is a free, fun, and easy event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of bird populations. Bird observations submitted during the GBBC helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how birds are doing, and how to protect them and the environment we share. Last year, more than an estimated half-million people participated during the 2023 GBBC. They reported more than 7,500 species of birds from 200+ countries.

“We are happy to support Great Backyard Bird Count locally and contribute to better understanding of birds worldwide and at the Center,” says Samantha Pitts, Community Partnerships Coordinator at Pickering Creek Audubon Center. The Center is a hot spot for birds and birders in the region. A diverse array of habitats including forests, fields, meadows, and wetlands all within easy walking distance of each other, attracts a wide variety of bird species. Over 230 species of birds have been recorded at Pickering Creek from accumulated observations made during prior during Great Backyard Bird Counts and ongoing guided bird watching walks at the Center. Guided Great Backyard Bird Count walks will take place at Pickering Creek Audubon Center on Friday, February 16 from 8 to 10 am. It’s a great opportunity share the joy of birding with family or friends. You can sign up online at https://pickeringcreek.org/programs/upcoming-programs/