CONCORD – Residents are invited to take part in New Hampshire Audubon’s 39th annual Backyard Winter Bird Survey on Feb. 14-15.

This science project encourages participants of all ages and experience levels to count the birds, and squirrels, visiting their backyards and help track long-term trends in winter bird populations.

Participation is simple and flexible. Participants can count birds for as little as 15 minutes or as long as they’d like during the two-day period. Counts can be done from a window or outdoors. Any bird seen in the backyard counts. Observations are submitted through an easy-to-use online survey form at https://backyardwinterbirds.nhaudubon.org/submit-your-data/.

This year’s survey features a new project website, offering expanded resources for participants and the community. Visitors can explore annual reports, browse photo galleries and dive into 38 years of bird data including population trends for 20 common winter species. Species profiles include identification tips, lookalike species and simple actions people can take to help birds through the winter. New Hampshire Audubon thanks the Davis and Butler Foundations for their support in developing this new project website.

“The Backyard Winter Bird Survey is for everyone, whether this is your first year or your tenth,” said Grace McCulloch, community science project leader at New Hampshire Audubon. “There is always something new to discover and every count adds to our understanding of New Hampshire’s winter birds and how they respond to changes in climate and habitat.”

The survey also serves as an introduction to birding. Beginner-friendly online guides help new participants get started, and photographers are encouraged to submit images through the project’s new photo page for a chance to be featured in the 2026 Backyard Winter Bird Survey photo gallery.

Each year brings surprises, from first-time sightings of Carolina Wrens to rare winter visitors. In 2025, eight participants reported Baltimore Orioles, a species rarely seen in New Hampshire during the winter. With rumors of an Evening Grosbeak eruption this season, survey organizers are eager to see what participants discover.

Last year, a record 1,953 residents took part in the survey. That year, the most commonly reported bird was the Dark-eyed Junco, with 10,490 counted statewide. With help from participants across the state, New Hampshire Audubon hopes to surpass that milestone again in 2026 and find out which species will top the list this year.