The 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count takes place the
weekend of Friday, Feb. 15, through Monday, Feb. 18. This
activity engages citizen scientist volunteers to count birds in
specific locations all across the United States and Canada on
the third weekend of February each year. In 2012, this effort
recorded 104,151 separate checklists, including 2,046 from
Tennessee. Shelby County contributed more than 10 percent of the
total, 256. And Memphis recorded 93 species, tops in the state.
The 2013 Great Backyard Bird Count, a joint project of the
Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology and the National
Audubon Society, will incorporate two major changes. First, it
will go global. Checklists can be submitted from anywhere in the
world. Second, Great Backyard Bird Count data will be merged
with eBird, the National Audubon Society and Cornell
University's worldwide database of bird sightings. This will
require participants to create an eBird account. To do so, go to
BirdCount.org. The bird count is fun and fr