ITHACA (AP) -- Organizers of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count say milder temperatures and scant snow may increase the numbers of American robins and Eastern phoebes in this year's count, coming up Feb. 17 to 20.
Snowy owls may also make a showing. The Arctic birds have thrilled birders across the United States this winter.
The count is coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada.
Participants count birds at any location they choose for at least 15 minutes on one or more days and enter their tallies at www.birdcount.org. Anyone can participate. It's free, and no registration is required.
There were more than 92,000 checklists with more than 11 million bird observations last year.
The data captured is a snapshot of how bird populations are changing year after year.
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