Project FeederWatch-Bird Counting

From LIFE of FL Yahoo Group

Project FeederWatch
Newswise - If you've ever watched birds at a feeder, you've seen
changes in how many birds feed from season to seasons and year to
year. Do some of the long-term shifts reflect changes in the
environment and climate? To find out, the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology's Project FeederWatch is asking bird watchers for help.

FeederWatchers count the birds at their feeders each week and send
the information to the lab. They've helped document unusual bird
sightings, winter movements and shifting ranges of some bird species
over the past 20 years. To see the effects of global climate change,
scientists say they need new and veteran participants alike to help
count birds.

"Being a FeederWatcher is easy and fun, and at the same time, helps
generate the world's largest database on feeder-bird populations,"
says project leader David Bonter. "Since we started in 1987, nearly
40,000 people have submitted observations, adding up to well over 1.5
million checklists."

Some of the most dramatic changes revealed by data collected during
two decades of Project FeederWatch may be related to changes in
climate, he says.

"We're seeing hummingbirds turning up much farther north than usual
during the winter," says Bonter. "Warblers and other insect-eaters
are also lingering longer into the northern winter, possibly because
of warmer temperatures. Bird count data gathered in the coming years
will really help us focus on these trends and what might be causing
them."

The 21st season of Project FeederWatch runs from Nov. 10 through
April 4. All ages and skill levels are welcome. To learn more or to
register, visit http://www.birds.cornell.edu or call toll-free (800)
843-2473.