Here are some of the most popular community bird counts that you could join:

• The Audubon Christmas Bird Count is held from December to January throughout the United States. This program was begun in 1900 and will celebrate its quasquicentennial (125th anniversary) in 2025!

• The Great Backyard Bird Count is a four-day count held each February around the world. Participants identify, count, and record the birds around them, adding to their life lists and to an enormous snapshot of global bird populations. In 2024, over 7,800 bird species were spotted on more than 290,000 completed checklists!

• Project FeederWatch runs from November to April in the United States and Canada. The Cornell Lab and Birds Canada started this program in 1990 to track birds in local communities, around bird feeders, in backyards, and beyond.

• The North American Breeding Bird Survey takes place around the breeding season, usually in June, in the United States and Canada. This survey was initiated in 1966 following concerns over pesticide impacts on bird populations, and it relies on expert bird identifiers to gather population data along specific survey routes.

• Manomet’s International Shorebird Survey occurs during spring and fall migrations in North America and Latin America. This volunteer program was initiated in 1974 to study shorebird migrations, and intends to expand to the Caribbean and South America.

• Climate Watch is held during January and February throughout North America. This program, run by the Audubon Society since 2016, emphasizes counting target bird species whose ranges indicate their response to a changing climate.