On this page:

New to Online Data Entry

Inside Data Entry

Getting Help

New or Returning to Online Data Entry?

• New to online data entry? Have your FeederWatch ID number available. Read below for further instructions.
  
  
• Have you entered data online in the past? Have your FeederWatch ID Number, Login Name, and Password available. Click here for further instructions.

If you are NEW to online Data Entry:

1. Print this page. Follow along as you enter the Data Entry section.
   
   
2. Click on the Data Entry button on the top of this page. A login page will appear. Scroll down to "Need to create a Login Name?" Note: If you made an online profile with this or another project in the past, do NOT make another one. Just log in using the login name and password that you chose when you first created your profile. HELP! I forgot my login name or password.
   
   
3. Click on the link: "Create your login name and online profile now." Choose and enter a login name and password that are easy to remember. Note that the password is case sensitive. The login name is not the same as your ID number. You will be asked for your ID number on another page.
   
   
4. Write your login name and password down in a convenient place. You may need them to login in the future.
   
   
5. Enter your name and contact information.
   
   
6. On the next page enter your FeederWatch ID number in the appropriate box (next to Cornell Lab of Ornithology if you are a U.S. resident or Bird Studies Canada if you live in Canada). This is the LAST TIME you will be required to enter your ID number this season. If you are asked for your ID number in a future session, that means that you inadvertently created more than one online profile (login name and password). Refer to Data Entry FAQs for a solution.

Inside Data Entry

1. The first screen you will see is the Data Entry home page. Before you can enter bird counts, you need to create a Count Site. Click on the "Your Count Site" link. If you submitted data on paper forms in the past, your past Count Site will be listed on the page as the zip code from which you counted. If you are counting from the same location, use this zip code labeled site. If you are new to Project FeederWatch or if you are counting from a new location, scroll down to the "Create a New Count Site" button. Add your FeederWatch Count Site to the database.
   
   
2. After creating your Count Site, it should appear at the top of the "Your Count Site" page. Next describe the site using the Count Site Description form by following the "describe" link next to the name of your site.
   
   
3. Before entering counts be sure to review the counting instructions.
   
   
4. Now you are ready to enter bird counts. From the Data Entry home page, click on "Enter your bird counts" and follow the on-screen instructions. This section is divided into fours steps (labeled at the top of each page). On Step 1, select your Count Site and enter the first date of your two Count Days. Step 2 asks for your weather and effort data and your bird counts. Check for errors on Step 3 and click the confirm button once everything is correct. Be sure you see a "Thank You" page (Step 4) before leaving the web site to assure that your data has been successfully submitted to the FeederWatch database.
   
   
5. FeederWatch online data entry has a flagging system designed to help catch errors in the data entry process. The system asks participants to confirm counts determined to be unusually high based on data submitted by FeederWatch participants in each region. The system also requests confirmation for all subspecies. Learn more about the flagging system.
   
   
6. To view or edit counts from the current season or to view counts from a past season, follow the "View and manage your counts" link on the Data Entry home page.
   
   Note: Errors made while entering data this season can be corrected by clicking on the "edit" link after the count that needs to be changed. However, the only way to change an incorrect Count Date is to delete the data for the incorrect date and then re-enter it under the correct date. So be sure to choose the correct date when entering data--the first date of your two-day count.
   
   
7. Follow the "Report rare, sick or unusual birds" link to report any of these birds seen at your feeders. Learn more about rare, sick, or unusual birds.
   
   
8. Follow the links on the right side of the Data Entry home page for answers to Frequently Asked Questions, to print a Tally Sheet (the worksheet you use to record your counts), to join the email discussion group, to send us extra notes or observations on a Comment Form, or to request technical support.

Getting help

• For quick answers to common questions, read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
  
  
• If you are unable to resolve the problem after consulting the FAQs and you can access the Data Entry pages, follow the "Request Technical Support" link on the right side of the Data Entry home page to fill out an online request-for-help form.
  
  
• If you are unable to enter Data Entry, contact us for assistance.
  
  
• Anytime you send a request for help, we must know your full name and address, ID number (if possible), web browser and version, and a complete description of the problem you are having, including what you were doing and seeing on the computer screen when the problem occurred and what you have already tried. Using the online request for help form, when possible, easily provides us with most of this information.
  
  
• We have limited staff available to provide technical assistance. During peak times, we may need a week or more to respond to your message. Thank you for your patience.