Citizen Science: Project FeederWatch

Project FeederWatchers are doing their part to unravel nature’s mysteries—simply by sharing information about the birds that visit their feeders from November to April. The new Project FeederWatch season begins November  10, although new participants can join at any time.

People of all ages and skill levels can be FeederWatchers and do their part to help researchers better understand trends in bird populations. Participants count the numbers and different species of birds at their feeders and enter their information on the FeederWatch website at www.FeederWatch.org.

By collecting information from all these feeders in all these back yards, scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are able to track patterns in bird populations and movement from year to year, all across North America.

Here are just a few key findings based on nearly a quarter-century of FeederWatch data:

• Populations of Evening Grosbeaks, once one of our most common backyard birds, continue to decline.
• Many species are expanding their ranges to the north, including Northern Cardinals and Anna’s Hummingbirds.
• The non-native Eurasian Collared-Dove is invading North America at an unprecedented rate – it is now found in backyards from Florida to Alaska.

To learn more about joining Project FeederWatch and to sign up, visit www.FeederWatch.org or call the Cornell Lab toll-free at (866) 989-2473. In return for the $15 fee ($12 for Cornell Lab members) participants receive the FeederWatcher’s Handbook, an identification poster of the most common feeder birds, a calendar, complete instructions, and Winter Bird Highlights, an annual summary of FeederWatch findings. (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)