For the past 15 years, nature lovers throughout the United States and Canada have counted birds during the same four-day period to get a unique snapshot of birds across our continent.
This year, for the first time, the Great Backyard Bird Count is going international.
"We're interested in seeing what other parts of the world are seeing," said Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology spokeswoman Miyoko Chu.
The rules are simple.
Anyone who wants to count birds for the contest can participate at any location between Friday and Feb. 18.
Participants must watch birds for a minimum of 15 minutes, and report the number of specific types they are able to identify on www.birdsource.org.
The project is an annual event organized by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Laboratory.
Last year, Ohio ranked eighth in states/provinces submitting the most checklists. The city of Mentor was No. 9 in 2012 and has been No. 1 in previous years.
"Ohio is an important piece of the puzzle to detect movement," Chu said. "In Ohio, we'd like to know if migrating birds are going early? Are northern birds going farther south into Ohio? We're also interested in surprises."
The 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count uncovered some shocking facts.
Arctic-dwelling Snowy Owls and redpolls irrupted into the Great Plains and the West in the largest numbers ever recorded.
Participants reported Eurasian collared-doves and great-tailed grackles in northerly locations, a sign of the species' continuing range expansion.
Another surprise was that spring migration came early for several species, including red-winged blackbirds, sandhill cranes and snow geese. In addition, the blue jay, a species often thought to be resident, showed unusual patterns with low numbers recorded in much of the East.
Last year, a record 17.4 million people submitted individual bird observations.
The No. 1 reported bird was the northern cardinal, a close second was the mourning dove.
The most numerous bird reported was the snow goose. Coming in second was the tree swallow.
Penitentiary Glen Reservation in Kirtland is hosting its own Great Backyard Bird Count during the four-day period for all ages. There is no cost, but participants should register online because there is a 50-person maximum. For more information, call 440-256-1404 or email email@example.com.