It's an international scientific research effort taking place in backyards across the U-S and Canada. Tamara Lindstrom tells us about the 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, and why this year there may be some unusual finds.

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ITHACA, N.Y. -- It's a scientific effort in which anyone can lend a hand, or a pair of eyes.

"It's just a really great opportunity to get outside with your family or friends and just experience the natural world," said Jessie Barry of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Birdwatchers across North America are getting ready to tally millions of birds in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

"It provides a window for us to link that to other information, such as the weather, and figure out how bird populations are changing from year to year," Barry said.

Led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Bird Studies Canada, the four day event helps paint a picture of the bird population.

"It can be common species like cardinals, Canada geese," Barry said. "But also rare birds that are harder to find are also counted."

And this year, there may be some surprise spottings.

"The Snowy Owl is a really special owl of the arctic," Barry said. "And every so often they have years when they just can't find enough food so they'll start to come farther south. And this year we're seeing an incredible influx of Snowy Owls into North America."

About 60,000 people take part in the simple tracking process each year, a data collection effort made even more important by the warm winter when many birds didn't bother to migrate.

But that doesn't mean they're hanging around the usual haunts.

"One thing you're going to see is there tends to be less birds at birdfeeders. There's a lot of natural food, so the numbers at feeders are down a little bit," Barry said. "But there are still a lot of species around in the woods if you go look for them."

But you'll never know, unless you count.

The bird count begins February 17th. Anyone can sign up to help out.

For more information, visit www.birdsource.org.