Project FeederWatch is looking for people to be citizen scientists and
help gather information on local bird populations.
The project tracks bird populations and migrations through participants’
reports of which bird species visit feeders throughout winter.
“Project FeederWatch participants are reporting more American robins
than ever before,” Canadian coordinator Kerrie Wilcox said in a press release.
“More robins are staying farther north than a few decades ago.”
Now in its 30th season, Project FeederWatch is a joint research and
education initiative of Bird Studies Canada and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Project participation is open to anyone — from dedicated birdwatchers to people
who just want to try it out — as well as student and community groups.
Participants choose how much time to dedicate to the project by conducting
periodic two-day counts from November through April.
Many important discoveries of large-scale bird population trends have
been made through the project since it started in 1987, including the
disappearance of the evening grosbeak from much of its former range, the rapid
spread of the Eurasian collared-dove across North America and the expanding
ranges of several species.
The project, which has more than 20,000 FeederWatchers, supports
research and conservation of feeder birds. It is funded through an annual
registration of $35 that provides participants with a subscription to Bird
Studies Canada magazine, poster of common feeder birds and calendar, as well as
access to previous survey results, online data tools and expert advice on
identifying, understanding and caring for feeder birds. Registration is free
for existing Bird Studies Canada members. Visit www.feederwatch.org
for more information and to register, or contact pfw@birdscanada.org or
1-888-448-2473.
(Thanks to Tara Hatherly from the North York Mirror for this article.)
