Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 14-17, 2025

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park invites everyone to participate in the 28th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) February 14 through 17, 2025. In this worldwide citizen science opportunity, anyone can count wild birds anywhere on one or more days and enter their sightings at birdcount.org. The information gathered by tens of thousands of individuals helps track bird population changes on a massive scale. The GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the National Audubon Society, Birds Canada, and Wild Birds Unlimited.

From Friday, February 14, through Monday, February 17, visitors to Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, can join in the count by recording bird observations in the park and make plans to count birds in their own backyards.

Participating is easy, fun to do alone or with others, and can be done anywhere you find birds.

Step 1: Decide where you will watch birds.

Step 2: Watch birds for 15 minutes or more, at least once over the four days, February 14–17, 2025.

Step 3: Identify all the birds you see or hear within your planned time/location and use the best tool for sharing your bird sightings:

If you are a beginning bird admirer and new to bird identification, try using the Merlin Bird ID app to tell us what birds you are seeing or hearing.

If you have participated in the count before and want to record numbers of birds, try the eBird Mobile app or enter your bird list on the eBird website (desktop/laptop).

Along with the actual bird count, the park will be sharing other bird-related activities.  “Great Pink Heron Scavenger Hunt” will be on-going using the Netul Trail along the Lewis and Clark River. A “Birds of Fort Clatsop” display may be viewed in the visitor center. A variety of bird field guides and bird-themed items are available for purchase at the Fort Clatsop Bookstore operated by the Lewis & Clark National Park Association, the park’s non-profit education partner.

Visitor Center hours are 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day, with trails and Fort replica open from 9 am to 5 pm. Admission is $10 per adult and free for youth 15 years old and under. America the Beautiful passes and Oregon Pacific Coast Passports are accepted for free admission.

Check birdcount.org for more information on the worldwide bird count event or to submit bird counts. The weekend’s birding events at Fort Clatsop are sponsored by the Lewis & Clark National Park Association and the National Park Service. For more information, call the park at (503) 861-4414 or check out www.nps.gov/lewi or lewisandclarknps on Instagram, or Lewis and Clark National Historical Park on Facebook.