Project Feederwatch is a community science program that enlists birders in monitoring birds that visit backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America from November through April. The data submitted by participants are analyzed at the end of each season.
This past season, 233,750 checklists were submitted and birds from 16,623 different counting locations were reported. Amazingly, 11,962 of those locations had bird counts from prior years from returning participants. Plus, there were counts from 4,661 new locations, adding data from fresh sites. Cornell also heard from 592 people who FeederWatch without bird feeders. This may seem counterintuitive because of the name of the program, but it is perfectly reasonable to FeederWatch feederless, and in fact it is giving us a glimpse into what bird communities look like in yards without supplementary food.
Feederwatch heard from many of you last year asking, “where have all the birds gone?” and saying that bird counts seemed lower at their count sites than in the past. They were correct: last season the average number of birds per checklist was 37 individuals. This average may seem high to many participants, but comparing this average to the average from previous years provides some perspective. The 37 birds per checklist average is the lowest average for at least the past 10 years. Exactly why birds were relatively scarce this past season is not entirely clear. the decline is likely due to the unseasonably mild winter in many parts of the U.S. and Canada, leading many birds to find natural food more easily and not visit our feeders. Alternatively, it could reflect the long-term decline of many bird species in North America.
This was the first season that participants were asked to monitor mammals at their count sites. Unsurprisingly, participants reported squirrels more often than other mammals at their count sites (76.2% of checklists), followed by dogs (15.3%), chipmunks (13.2%), and domestic cats (9.2%).
There were 9700 participants In the Northeast region. The top 10 species by percentage of sites reporting in the Northeast:
- Chickadees (Carolina/Black-capped) 92%
- Dark-eyed Junco 90%
- Northern Cardinal 88%
- Downy Woodpecker 88%
- Blue Jay 87%
- Mourning Dove 85%
- American Goldfinch 78% American Goldfinch numbers have been on a slow and steady decline for decades. This decline is not obvious if you look at how often they are seen at sites, but it is obvious if you look at the average flock size when they are seen.
- White-breasted Nuthatch 76% White breasted nuthatches are also showing declines
- House Finch 76%
- Red-bellied Woodpecker 70%
Notable increases in the Northeast Region were Carolina wrens (47% of sites) and Eastern bluebirds (30% of sites). Carolina wrens are staying around due to milder winters, helped by the supplementary food from feeders. Eastern bluebird populations are increasing along with the use of nestboxes.
On a sad note, longtime Feederwatchers were heartbroken to hear the news in early January that Emma Greig passed away over the holiday break from cancer at the age of 43. Emma led Project FeederWatch in the United States for more than 10 years with her signature mix of vision, wisdom, diligence, limitless curiosity, good humor, and warmth. In that time, she oversaw a near doubling in FeederWatch registrations, and published more than 20 scientific papers spanning both birds and the benefits of birdwatching for people. The Project will go on, but Emma will be missed.
