Volunteer for Project FeederWatch

BirdNote^®

Volunteer for Project FeederWatch

Written by Conor Gearin

This is BirdNote. 

    [Pine Siskins and Eastern Bluebird calling at a bird feeder]

The sights and sounds of birds visiting a feeder in the backyard or a local park can brighten our days during the darker months of the year. And if you want to take your experience to the next level, you can contribute to science just by keeping track of birds at a feeder.

    [Pine Siskins and Eastern Bluebird calling at a bird feeder]

Project FeederWatch is a community science project organized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada. Thousands of people across North America help gather data on over 100 species of birds that spend their winters on the continent. 

From November through April, participants make lists of the birds they see at a bird feeder, bird-friendly garden or water feature — whenever they get the chance — and submit those lists online. It’s that simple.

    [American Goldfinch flock calling at a bird feeder]

You might think an activity so simple couldn’t possibly make a difference. But the data from Project FeederWatch have already helped sound the alarm about declines in bird species, track the spread of disease among wintering bird flocks, and note shifts in the ranges of bird species throughout the colder months. 

Through efforts like Project FeederWatch, we can become the eyes and ears of bird conservation.  

For BirdNote, I’m Ariana Remmel.

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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Pine Siskin ML17616 and American Goldfinch ML425252021 recorded by Jay McGowan.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote February 2023
Narrator: Ariana Remmel

ID# feederwatch-03-2023-02-24    feederwatch-03