Press Releases

That "One in a Million Birder"

Project FeederWatch Set to Reach Milestone

December 2, 2004

THAT "ONE IN A MILLION BIRDER"

Project FeederWatch Set to Reach Milestone

Ithaca, NY, November 2004--There's more to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch this year than hoping for a rare bird. There's suspense and anticipation: Who will be the one-millionth participant to file a checklist of birds seen at their feeder? The milestone will be reached most likely in December or January. When it is, that lucky individual will be awarded a raft of prizes from the Lab of Ornithology and its sponsors, including a pair of Swift binoculars donated by Wild Bird Centers of America, a lifetime of free participation in Project FeederWatch, and much more.

Since Project FeederWatch began 17 years ago, the number of participants from all across North America has grown to more than 16,000. These citizen scientists make a real contribution to what researchers know about where the birds are during the winter months, and how many there are compared with other years. It's a simple concept that produces some amazing results. Participants periodically watch their backyard feeders from mid-November through early April, recording the numbers and kinds of birds they see. They send their data to scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who use the information in studies of winter bird populations.

Past counts have documented some regional declines in bird populations and increases in others. In some cases, these changes may be tied to environmental challenges such as natural cycles in food abundance, widespread forest fires, or diseases such as House Finch eye disease and West Nile virus.

People of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate. Although the project begins in November, participants can begin counting in December or later. To learn more about Project FeederWatch or to sign up, log onto www.birds.cornell.edu or call the Lab of Ornithology toll-free at (800) 843-2473. In Canada contact Bird Studies Canada at (888) 448-2473. In return for your $15 registration fee ($12 for Lab members), you receive the FeederWatcher's Handbook, a colorful poster of the most common feeder birds, a calendar, and complete instruction on how to file your reports. It's fun, it's easy, and it's a valuable contribution to ornithology. And who knows? You just may turn out to that "one in a million" birder!