Chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers flitting around outside your window all winter long are a small but important piece of bird populations that indicate changes in the environment.

The Great Backyard Bird Count offers bird watchers around the world the opportunity to share bird counts that help compile a database researchers rely on.

Anyone can submit a bird count to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York, from Feb. 13-16. For social birders, the Weeminuche Audubon Society in Pagosa Springs also will hold two events over the weekend.

"I think it's a responsible thing to be aware of those kind of changes that might be occurring so we can sound alarm if need be or celebrate," said Kristi Streiffert, the owner of For the Birds, a local bird seed supplier.

Tens of thousands of birders send data to the Cornell Lab every February about millions of birds in an effort to help answer broad environmental questions. For example, they are working to answer "How will weather and climate change influence bird populations?"

A September study by the Audubon scientists, which partner with the Cornell Lab, found that about 300 species will lose more than 50 percent of their range by 2080.

Without volunteers, tackling a project such as the backyard bird count would be impossible because there simply aren't enough scientists or funding sources to gather the same scope of data, said Lynn Wickersham, senior avian ecologist with Animas Biological Studies.

The annual count also can help individuals connect with birds, some of the most constantly visible forms of wildlife.

"The winter and fall, those are the best times to get out there and really learn your backyard," said Kristi Dranginis, a local birding instructor.

During the spring and summer months, there are so many species in the area it can be overwhelming, she said. Around Durango some of the common winter species are northern flickers, downy woodpeckers, blackcapped and mountain chickadees, pine siskins, white-breasted nuthatches and red-tailed hawks.

On ponds or rivers, look out for the common goldeneye, the ring-necked duck, the common merganser, the bufflehead and the mallard.

Bald eagles also have become increasingly common in the area as their numbers have improved, Wickersham said. Some of them are winter visitors that spend the summer in Canada or Alaska.

Beginning birding

Dranginis recommends picking a certain spot to watch birds for a short time each day to familiarize yourself with your winged neighbors and their behavior.

"It's amazing how fast people will learn the patterns of the birds," she said.

Beginners often make the mistake of believing that they've spotted a rare bird, which can turn into bad data for counts.

To avoid this, Dranginis recommends learning the habitat, behavior and postures associated with specific birds. This can make identifying them far easier than relying on markings alone, which change with the season.

As your skills advance, learning the warning calls of birds can alert you to predators nearby such as foxes and mountain lions. It is a skill that used to be common among Native Americans, she said.

"We've lost the messages that they have the capacity to share with us," she said.

Joining the weekly bird walks at 9 a.m. in the winter and 8 a.m. in the summer each Wednesday at Rotary Park can help connect you with local experts.

Birders also recommend eBird, a mobile app, that tracks local bird sighting and the best local spots to watch birds.

If you would rather the birds come to you, having the right feed blend can help draw in a good variety of birds, said Streiffert, who helped develop a specific blend for the area.

Generally, there aren't too many concerns about birds becoming dependent on feeders, because birds are well-adapted to their environments and finding their own food sources, Wickersham said.

However, Weeminuche Audubon Society members generally take down their feeders before the bears come out of hibernation to avoid drawing them in.

Backyard counting

If you would like to help with the upcoming international event, researchers ask for a quick, 15-minute minimum commitment.

It's important to include all the birds you clearly can identify, even if they aren't necessarily exciting.

Submitting the number of Eurasian collared doves and house sparrows helps researchers keep tabs on these two invasive species that might be displacing native birds, Wickersham said.

However, if you are not sure of a bird's species, it's better not to guess.

"No data is better than bad data," she said.

mshinn@ durangoherald.com