The Great Backyard Bird Count taking place during the Family Day long weekend

A group of birders in Carburn Park are recording the species they see along the Bow River

People of all ages are invited to join Birds Canada and take part over the long weekend in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Andrea Gress, Birds Canada’s special projects coordinator, said it’s the biggest birding weekend in Canada and around the world -- and doesn’t have to be in a literal back yard, but anywhere outside.

“Get out to a natural area,” she said. “Spend 15 minutes counting birds looking for birds, report everything that you see and then that information feeds into conservation and helps us learn about bird trends.”

Gress said the data obtained by the public is inputted into one of two birding apps; Merlin Bird ID or eBird and is shared with researchers around the world.

“In the longer term, scientists all over use this data and it feeds into things like the State of Canada’s Birds Report, which helps us talk about where birds are at in our own country,” said Gress. “How many are increasing in population, which ones are declining, where their populations are changing, for example we’ve seen American Robins expand in where they go so things like that - this data helps to serve those projects.”

Gress said the count has become something that families take part in to introduce their children into citizen science projects.

“The most beautiful thing about this is it is for everyone,” said Gress. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a little tot just getting into nature, or you’re someone who’s been an expert birder your whole life -- we want everyone to come out and start learning birds, finding as many birds as you can.”

Learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count here.