Photo by Bobby Walz
FeederWatch is a November-April survey of birds that visit backyards, nature centers, and community areas in North America. You don’t even need a feeder! All you need is an area with plantings, habitat, water or food that attracts birds. The schedule is completely flexible. Count your birds for as long as you like on days of your choosing. Then enter your counts online. Your counts contribute to a continental dataset of bird distribution and abundance. Here’s how to participate:
1. Sign up If you have not yet joined, sign up at FeederWatch.org, a Cornell Lab program. It takes a few weeks for your kit to arrive, but you can begin counting right away.
2. Select your count site Choose a portion of your yard that is easy to monitor, typically an area with feeders that is visible from one vantage point.
3. Choose your count days For each count, select two consecutive days as often as once a week. Even if you only count once all winter, your data are valuable. We recommend that you leave at least five days between each of your two-day counts and that you schedule your counts in advance.
4. How to count Watch your feeders for any amount of time over your selected count days. For every species you can identify, record the maximum number of individuals visible simultaneously during your two-day count. Keep one tally across both days. Do not add day 1 and day 2 counts together.
What to count
- Birds attracted to food or water you provided
- Birds attracted to fruits or plantings you maintain
- Hawks and predatory birds that are attracted by the birds at your feeders
do not count
- Birds that simply fly over the count site, such as Canada Geese
- Birds seen on non-count days
5. Report your counts Submit counts through the Your Data section of the FeederWatch.org website. Or you can use the FeederWatch app, available for both Apple and Android mobile devices, to keep track of your counts and submit your counts directly to the Cornell Lab’s database. The app is connected to the Cornell Lab’s All About Birds online guide with detailed species information, including photos, identification tips, natural history, and a range map.
