AUTUMN 2000/VOLUME 14, NUMBER 4

Become A Member
House Finch Disease Survey

Thanks to the 50,000 or so data forms submitted by House Finch Disease Survey (HFDS) participants during the past five years, we are successfully tracking the epidemic of House Finch disease (also called mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, after the bacterium Mycoplasma that causes the eye infections) in House Finches in an unprecedented way.

This citizen-science-based survey is now a pivotal research component of a newly funded National Science Foundation research project that will examine the ecology of the disease organism in House Finches and other birds during the next five years.

To achieve our goals, we need even more participants across North America. Anyone who watches birds can take part in this exciting study. Please request House Finch Disease Survey data forms from Molly Brewton at <mb105@cornell.edu> or by phone at (607) 254­2446.

Project FeederWatch participants will receive paper HFDS data forms in their Research Kit this November and will be asked to provide disease information if they enter their FeederWatch counts over the Internet.

The House Finch Disease
Survey forms were simplified
this past summer.