SF Bayflower

Sunday, February 15, 2026

The Great Backyard Bird Count ends tomorrow!

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Black-capped Chickadee hangs from a branch.

The Great Backyard Bird Count Ends Tomorrow!

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) ends soon, but you still have today and tomorrow to join this global bird count! Get involved by spending as little as 15 minutes tallying birds in your community and then submit your lists online. The data collected by volunteers powers conservation initiatives and helps us better understand how climate change will impact the birds we all love.

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count

The GBBC is an inter-organizational effort between Audubon, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Birds Canada. Anyone can take part in the GBBC, from beginning bird watchers to experts, and you can participate from your backyard, a public park, or anywhere in the world.

Right now, bird and nature lovers of all skill levels and abilities are tallying as many of the world's bird species as possible. Keep reading to learn how to participate in this year's count.

Black-capped Chickadee. Photo: Andre Levesque/Audubon Photography Awards

National Audubon Society
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014 USA
(844) 428-3826 | www.audubon.org

© 2026 National Audubon Society

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Saturday, February 14, 2026

Valentine’s Day? More Like Gullentine’s Day

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| Love of Birds February 2026

Will You Be Our Gullentine?

The most romantic bird holiday of the year, Gullentine's Day started as a Valentine's spoof but evolved into a popular celebration of gulls and all their subtle differences. Get into the Gullentine's Day spirit with these tips and tricks on how to identify gulls near you.

Ring-billed Gull. Photo: Vasura Jayaweera/Audubon Photography Awards

A silhouette of a bird perched on a tree branch.

Who's This Lovely Bird?

The final rose goes to… wait, who's that bird? Name this mystery bird using the silhouetted image above and the three hints below!

Clue #1: This gentle bird is known for forming devoted pairs that often reunite with the same partner each breeding season.
Clue #2: These birds build fast and flimsy nests and often place them in peculiar places, including air conditioners and flower pots.
Clue #3: Their melancholy coos are a familiar song across North America—and often confused for the hoot of an owl.

Here's a bonus hint: This bird's four-letter banding code, which researchers often use as shorthand for species names, is MODO. Click here to learn more about this bird and reveal the answer.

Photo: Lia Bocchiaro/Audubon

An American Woodcock surrounded by crunchy leaves.

The Sex Lives of Wandering Woodcocks

Making time for love can be difficult. Migration requires an awful lot of energy, as does raising the next generation, so most birds prefer to focus on one at a time. But for birds like the American Woodcock, mating and migrating go hand in hand. Learn more about the on-the-go sex lives of timberdoodles.

American Woodcock. Photo: Ryan Mandelbaum

A Common Raven perches on a tree branch.

Listen to This Raven Serenading Their Partner

Relationships take work, and Common Ravens certainly put in the time. Suspected to mate for life, raven pairs sing to each other, using gentle "comfort sounds" while bonding. Listen to the sweet warble Common Ravens sing to their partner.

Common Raven. Photo: Doug Kliewer/Audubon Photography Awards

Send a Northern Cardinal to a Loved One

Nothing says "Valentine's Day" like a splash of red. Whether it's a treat for yourself or a significant other, you'll get this adorable Northern Cardinal plush when you donate today.

Photo: Luke Franke/Audubon

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