With the ranks of birdwatchers swollen to historic levels by people looking for new hobbies in a world constrained by coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the 2020-21 season of Project FeederWatch could bring greatly expanded loads of data to researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
FeederWatch, which gets under way on Saturday, November 14, gathers observations online from birdwatchers across the U.S. and Canada, employs that data in avian research, and provides the observers with tools to learn more about the birds in their neighborhoods.
FeederWatch reports are expanding the long-term database used to detect shifts in the numbers and distributions of birds in the United States and Canada.
“Typically, participants do watch birds at feeders,” said FeederWatch leader Emma Greig. "But it’s OK if you don’t have one. Just choose a defined area where you can easily monitor birds.
“There may be a pond, or maybe you’ve deliberately planted shrubs to attract birds. Whatever you have done to create a space for birds is appropriate for FeederWatching. Feeders or natural areas at schools and nature centers work too.”
FeederWatch participants make periodic 2-day counts from mid-November through early April. They spend as much or as little time as they like collecting data. Even counting birds once or twice all winter has value to the database.
“It will be interesting to see if the boom in birdwatching that started last spring continues through the rest of 2020 and into spring 2021,” said Greig. “We’re hearing from a lot of people that watching birds is a bright spot in their day and makes them feel more peaceful and relaxed.”
Project FeederWatch is a joint research and education project of the Cornell Lab and Birds Canada.
To join tens of thousands of other FeederWatch participants, sign up online at FeederWatch.org.
The participation fee is $18 in the U.S. ($15 for Cornell Lab members).
The Cornell Lab Visitor Center is presenting Winter Bird Feeding 101 with Project FeederWatch at noon Thursday, November 19. In the free webinar, Feederwatch’s Emma Greig and Holly Grant will get participants ready to feed birds this winter and contribute to science. They’ll answer audience questions about feeders, foods and the birds that frequent our yards. Register through the Project FeederWatch website.
Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.
"bird" - Google News
November 12, 2020 at 05:00PM
https://ift.tt/2Uk3mAz
Backyard bird feeders invited to count birds for Project Feederwatch - pennlive.com
"bird" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2s1zYEq
https://ift.tt/3dbExxU
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Backyard bird feeders invited to count birds for Project Feederwatch - pennlive.com"
Post a Comment