FeederWatchers: A Book for You
We are excited to announce the arrival of a new book written by two
important figures in FeederWatch history, Erica H. Dunne and Diane L. Tessaglia-Hymes.
Birds at Your Feeder is based completely on Project FeederWatch (PFW) data and provides
detailed information on the birds that frequent feeders in winter. The book describes and
explains bird behaviors typically seen at feeders. For example, the book describes the
often-aggressive hierarchical interactions of juncos and explains that the dominant juncos
have the privilege of eating in the center of a feeding area while other juncos eat at the
fringe and must spend more of their time watching for predators. The book also provides
maps and graphs depicting the distribution of feeder birds in North America during winter.
This is a valuable resource for current and past FeederWatchers because it puts your
FeederWatch contributions into a biological, nationwide perspective.
What's more, the authors have been integral to the development of Project FeederWatch. Erica H. Dunn brought the concept of Project FeederWatch to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology from Canada's Long Point Bird Observatory. As many FeederWatchers know, she served as PFW Coordinator from the project's beginning in 1987 until 1993. Diane L. Tessaglia-Hymes was also there from the beginning as the research coordinator and programmer/analyst for PFW from 1987 through 1998. Diane designed FeederWatch News until it was incorporated into Birdscope. She is now the Lab's graphic designer. Congratulations to the authors and to all FeederWatchers who contributed invaluable data over the years.
Birds at Your Feeder, published by W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., is available from Wild Birds Unlimited at Sapsucker Woods; call toll-free in the United States or Canada (877) 266-4928. Retailers interested in carrying the book can contact W. W. Norton at (800) 233-4830. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It makes a great gift!
—Anne Marie Johnson