Pilot season begins for new
citizen-science project

Have you ever noticed birds nesting in your yard and wanted to share this information with scientists? Well, now you can!

Join us this spring and summer in pilot testing NestWatch, our newest citizen-science project. Whether you make a few visits to a nest in your backyard or monitor several nests in your neighborhood all season long, your observations are important! As a NestWatch participant, you will learn how to properly monitor nests and submit nest records for any of North America’s breeding birds.

The data you provide will be used to gain a better understanding of the impacts of environmental change on bird reproduction. Ultimately, the NestWatch database will include electronic records from The Birdhouse Network and the 40-year-old Nest Record Card Program, making it the largest resource for nesting data in North America.

Participation is free. Sign up today at www.nestwatch.org.

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Laura Erickson, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-1114. email: lle24@cornell.edu