Cornell University founded FeederWatch in 1987. It has become a major bird census tool for bird conservation nationally. The participants are those who maintain bird feeders in their yards or have bird watching spots and are willing to observe and count birds and keep and submit a record of what they see. The ideal count period is two consecutive days about once a week. However, folks can count only as frequently as they wish to.
FeederWatch begins November 1 every year and extends through April. Data is collected during that period.
To participate in Project FeederWatch, one can go to the website https://feederwatch.org and request a participant packet. It does have an $18 fee to cover the expenses of the program which is non-profit.
The data collected is immensely valuable. Of great concern is the fact that last year’s data showed the lowest count ever of birds nationwide, making this year’s data even more valuable.
Sharon Taylor, Ashton