Four and twenty blackbirds

All hands on deck. The National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are calling all birders across North America to break out their binoculars and field guides -- it's time for the 8th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), Feb. 18-21.

This is the eighth year of the popular event, which helps scientists monitor winter bird populations across the nation. Last year roughly 100,000 people of all ages across the U.S. and Canada participated in the Count, submitting a total of 42,500 checklists, and counting more than four million individual birds of 554 different species.

This year's theme, North America's "Great Backyard Bird Count"

To count your lot get up early and check in at Audubon's report site, black coffee is highly recommended.

Stay tuned for the results right here on The Animal Broadcast Network, media with teeth.