At 25, Backyard Bird Count shows power of 'citizen science'

This image provided by Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology shows a mangrove cuckoo. The slender, long-tailed mangrove cuckoo, which has a large range in southern Florida, the Caribbean and Latin America, is among species likely to be spotted by participants in the Great Backyard Bird Watch, running Feb. 17-20. The global count by volunteers helps scientists studying the decline of bird populations worldwide. (Scott Young/Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology via AP)
This image provided by Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology shows a winter wren. The winter wren, a loud singer in the eastern forests of North America, is among species likely to be spotted by participants in the Great Backyard Bird Watch, running Feb. 17-20. The global count by volunteers helps scientists studying the decline of bird populations worldwide. (James Davis/Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology via AP)
This image provided by Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology shows a dark-eyed junco. The dark-eyed junco, one of the most common forest birds in North America, is among species likely to be spotted by participants in the Great Backyard Bird Watch, running Feb. 17-20. The global count by volunteers helps scientists studying the decline of bird populations worldwide. (Rowan Keunen/Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology via AP)
This image provided by Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology shows two girls watching birds through a window with binoculars, bird lists and cameras in Elm Grove, Louisiana, during the Great Backyard Bird Count in February 2022. About 385,000 people from 192 countries took part in the 2022 count, and their results have been used by scientists to study bird populations worldwide. (Emily Tubbs/Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology via AP)
In this photo supplied by Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a chickadee sits on a branch. Chickadees are fond of black oil sunflower seeds; loading up a clean, carefully-positioned backyard feeder will attract many of them. (Brad Imhoff/Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology via AP)