Betsy Bloom/Daily News While it looks relatively benign, northern shrikes are among the few songbirds that hunt, preying on birds, insects and even small mammals. Like Cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks, this mostly winter visitor has learned to stake out bird feeders, so might make an appearance during the Great Backyard Bird Count that starts Friday and runs through Monday, Feb. 16.

The 29th-annual Great Backyard Bird Count is set to begin Friday and extend through Monday, Feb. 16.

It’s easy to participate in this count, as it can be done by watching from a window in the warm comfort of home if you so choose. Unlike the Christmas Bird Count, numbers and species seen don’t have to be relayed through a coordinator.

The event simply asks that participants spend at least 15 minutes on one or more of those four days noting each bird species and numbers seen. The https://www.birdcount.org/participate/ website has several ways to then enter what you see or hear.

Organizers also encourage those who enjoy photographing birds to share their best shots from the count.

If already using the Merlin or eBird mobile apps that aid in identification, all entries made over the four days count toward the GBBC, so there is no need to register or sign up separately, the birdcount.org website advises.

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an inter-organizational effort between the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada.

The effort provides a yearly snapshot avian census of sorts that when “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,” according to an Audubon news release.

This is an easy way to play “citizen scientist”; school classes in particular are encouraged to join in the effort. All, from beginning bird watchers to experts, are welcome to participate.

“The GBBC is a great opportunity for everyone to take a moment to appreciate what birds and nature can do for us,” said David Bonter, co-director of the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Watching birds with friends and family is also a great way to build community and show your support for the natural world.”

More than 800,000 people participated during the 2025 GBBC. Birders found 8,078 species of the world’s known species, 158 more than in 2024. Counts were done in nearly every country.

“By participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count we can appreciate the beauty and serenity that birds bring us every day. In return, the bird observations we submit can be used to inform conservation efforts that secure a brighter future for birds and people alike,” said Ben Haywood, Audubon’s director of community science. “The more the merrier as we celebrate the joy of birds all over the world and join the global effort to protect them and the places they need.”

“The Great Backyard Bird Count invites people to slow down and truly get to know the birds that share their lives,” says Jody Allair, director of Communications at Birds Canada. “The simple act of observing, learning, and sharing can spark joy, connect us with a growing community around the world, and inspire a lifelong commitment to protecting the places birds depend on.”

Locally, this winter showed promise early on as some of the prized “irruptive” bird species such as pine and evening grosbeaks and Bohemian waxwings came through the region late last year. But that initial wave appears to have moved on, at least the ones at Six Mile Lake, though Phyllis Carlson of Quinnesec posted Jan. 21 that she had about nine evening grosbeaks show up at her feeder for about 30 minutes.

The usual resident birds of winter do seem to be in good supply this year, even if some of the novelties don’t show: woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, mourning doves, blue jays, crows and ravens, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, hawks and bald eagles.

For more information and details on how to be part of the effort, go to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Great Backyard Bird Count website at https://www.birdcount.org/.

A one-hour live webinar with tips, tricks and ideas to prepare for the GBBC is set for 6 p.m. Central time Wednesday. GBBC team members will share how to participate with confidence, while special guest and author Julia Zarankin will talk about beginner birding and the love and joy of backyard birds. To register, go to https://act.audubon.org/a/2026-gbbc-training-webinar?ms=nas-eng-partner-webinar-2026_great_backyard_bird_count_cornell_lab&utm_campaign=2026_great_backyard_bird_count&utm_medium=partner&utm_source=webinar&utm_content=cornell_lab.

Betsy Bloom can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85240, or bbloom@ironmountaindailynews.com.