busconews.com

by Neil A. Case

From Virginia north through Newfoundland, west through Illinois and north through Ontario chickadees were seen at more bird feeders by participants in Project FeederWatch in the winter of 2009-10 than any other birds. That’s black-capped and Carolina chickadees, reported together because they are so much alike in appearance and habits. The area delineated so broadly is the Mid-Atlantic, East-Central, Northeast, Great Lakes, Allegheny, and Atlantic Canada Regions of Project FeederWatch, reported together because, like chickadees, most of the same species of birds were seen at feeders across that area. This is one of six areas, covering all of North America, studied in FeederWatch.

This is a cooperative research project of the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada. Partici-pants are volunteers who agree to watch birds at their bird feeders a specified number of hours and days throughout the winter, make a list of birds seen during each observation period, count the birds and send copies of their lists either to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology or Bird Studies Canada. When all the reports are in the results are tabulated and published for each area. The latest report published is the one for the winter of 2009-10.

Dark-eyed junco was second in that area that winter in number of feeders where it was seen, mourning dove number three. Filling out the list of the top ten species were downy woodpecker, blue jay, American goldfinch, northern cardinal, white-breasted nuthatch, house finch and tufted titmouse. Two common birds, considered pests by many people who have bird feeders, starling and house sparrow, did not make the top ten list. Starling was number eleven, house sparrow fifteen.

A total of 15,699 people participated in Project FeederWatch in 2009-2010. They submitted 112,590 bird lists with a total of 5,855,881 birds.

I look at birds at and around the feeders outside the window behind my desk frequently. I identify and name them to myself. I don’t list them nor do I count them regularly. If I did I would undoubtedly watch more closely and be more likely to see the unexpected, a pine siskin with a flock of goldfinches, a purple finch with house finches, a song or chipping sparrow with tree sparrows, perhaps a bird even more unexpected. But I am not a participant in FeederWatch.  Most years I could not be.  Most winters in recent years my wife and I have gone south for two or three months.

Identifying and listing birds visiting my feeders would be interesting and fun. Counting them, however, could be difficult. Minutes ago there were three chickadees at the feeders outside my window and there were more in the trees and bushes nearby. With them flitting about as chickadees do it would have been hard to count all of them, assuming all of them would come to a feeder sooner or later. I’d have had to count quickly, too, for now they’ve all flown. There isn’t a chickadee in sight.

Those numbers compiled by FeederWatchers are good for more than the enjoyment of the observers. They indicate the most common winter birds in different areas of North America. They give an indication of the numbers of those birds. They indicate changes in numbers and in distribution. They tabulate rare sightings, birds out of their normal winter range such as a white-crowned sparrow currently coming to a feeder in north-central Indiana. They show changes in distribution, cardinals extending their range north for example, house finches spreading across the continent.

Finally, participating in FeederWatch would give a reason other than enjoyment for watching birds at your feeder. You can tell friends, particularly non-birding friends, that when you look at the birds on and around your bird feeder you’re participating in a scientific research project.

For information contact: Project FeederWatch, Cornell Lab of Ornitho-logy, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850.