On this page:

Project Leader

Project Assistants

Bird Studies Canada

Volunteers and Temporary Personnel

Principal Investigators and Data Analysts

Birdsource Programmer and Web Site Designers

The Lab's Communications Staff

The Lab's Membership Personnel

Who are the people behind FeederWatch? Participants across North America are at the core of Project FeederWatch. But besides the army of citizen scientists collecting information on birds at their feeders, several people in the United States and Canada are responsible for archiving and analyzing the data, and the day-to-day operation of the project.

Project Leader, U.S.

Since 2002 project leader David Bonter has been overseeing Project FeederWatch, analyzing data, and writing reports and scientific journal articles.

Project FeederWatch's U. S. team, from left to right, David Bonter, Genna Knight, and Anne Marie Johnson (photo by Susan Spear).

Project Assistants, U.S.

Anne Marie Johnson and Genna Knight do a great job of keeping FeederWatch running smoothly. Both write and edit printed materials and web pages; answer email, phone calls, and letters; and much more. In addition, Anne Marie makes sure that Research Kits and other materials are designed, printed, inventoried, and mailed out while Genna focuses on data processing and participant support.

Our Canadian partners at Bird Studies Canada

Project FeederWatch is administered in the United States by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (CLO) and in Canada by Bird Studies Canada (BSC). In April of 2003, the Project FeederWatch staffs from CLO and BSC met at BSC Headquarters in Port Rowan, Ontario (see photo below). The group exchanged ideas for the future of Project FeederWatch and coordinated efforts to improve the day-to-day administration of the project. Meeting attendees enjoyed the opportunity to meet face to face with those they have frequently corresponded with by phone and email.

Bird Studies Canada and Cornell Lab of Ornithology staff attending the meeting in Port Rowan were, from left to right: Ron Rohrbaugh, Director Citizen Science, CLO; Anne Marie Johnson, Project FeederWatch Assistant, CLO; Laura Thomson, Communcations Manager, BSC: Wes Hochachka, Data Analyst, CLO; David Bonter, Project FeederWatch Leader, CLO; Denis Lepage, Data Analyst, BSC; Rosie Kirton, Membership Services, BSC; Becky Whittam, former Project FeederWatch Leader, BSC.

Throughout the two-day meeting, project staff were reminded of the strength of the collaboration that FeederWatch represents. Not only do FeederWatchers participate in a continent-wide bird survey that gathers data from such far-flung places as the Yukon, Alaska, Hawaii, Labrador, Newfoundland, California, Texas, Florida, and everywhere in between, but participants also support a collaborative research effort that is one of the largest and most productive citizen science projects in the world.

BSC and CLO are currently working together in analyzing the valuable data collected over the past 16 years. The FeederWatch staffs are also busy planning new directions for the project that will expand the value and breadth of our research and educational programs. Project personnel are pleased with the strength of the FeederWatch and excited about the possibilities for future growth. We thank our thousands of participants who make it all possible.

Volunteers and Temporary Personnel

In addition to relying on work study students and seasonal temporary staff, the successful operation of FeederWatch, particularly the processing of data forms, is absolutely dependent upon the generous help of volunteers. Larry and Susan Newman (pictured at left below, from left to right) help us process data and correspondence that comes through the mail, among many other things. Historically Ruth Davis and Shirley McAneny (pictured at right below, from left to right) have been our data processing experts. Sadly we lost Ruth in 2007, and she is deeply missed. Now Shirley carries on the tradition, opening all the paper data booklets and reviewing all the comment and extras that are sent along with the data. We are deeply indebted to the service all the volunteers provide.

Additional Staff Support

The scientific and educational aspects of FeederWatch are overseen by the following the director of Citizen Science, Janis Dickinson.

We are grateful to Wesley Hochachka for the tremendous scientific support he provides.

The FeederWatch web site and online data entry is made possible by the efforts of Birdsource's computer programmers and web designers.

The colorful and informative materials you see may have been written by the project staff, but the communications staff often edit and design the materials before they hit the press. They also answer calls to the toll-free phone lines, distribute press releases based on FeederWatch results, and speak to reporters across the country about the project.

All things must start somewhere, and your participation in FeederWatch usually starts at the membership office. The membership personnel enter your name into the database and ensure that your kits are sent to you after you sign up.

FeederWatch is truly a team effort. Many thanks to those who are involved every step of the way!