Citizen Science Updates

Birds in Forested Landscapes

The Birds in Forested Landscapes Recreation Study, a component of the Birds in Forested Landscapes project (BFL), was conducted on National Forest land with generous funding from the USDA Forest Service. We collected the last season of data for the Recreation Study in 2002 and are now working on a final report and other publications. We'd like to thank all participants and Student Conservation Association volunteers who contributed their time and effort. As we found with Project Tanager, an earlier BFL project, the U.S. Forest Service played a crucial role in collecting data. We hope the Forest Service will continue to participate in BFL next season with its newly established volunteer base. Although the Recreation Study is coming to a close, BFL will be continuing with 48 regional priority species. Gathering data to understand the habitat needs of these birds is very important for conservation efforts. In the future we will use BFL data on the distribution of the Wood Thrush to contribute to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) risk assessment analyses for Wood Thrush populations. More specifically, we are developing an assessment of the risk to Wood Thrush populations from acid rain and other human-caused stressors such as forest fragmentation. We are very excited about this new relationship with the EPA and will keep you posted as things develop. Look for a BFL renewal mailing this fall.

— Sara Barker, Project Leader

The Birdhouse Network

Thanks to all of you who entered nest-box data for 2003. The data entry pages are now closed and will reopen again in the spring. We will spend the next few months compiling and analyzing data from 2002. Please renew for 2003 if you haven't yet done so. Although birds may not be nesting in your boxes currently, there is still work to be done. Winter is a good time to repair old boxes, add new ones, or fashion predator guards in time for spring. If you manage a trail, you can look into obtaining donated wood from hardware and lumber companies to reduce the cost of providing nest boxes. Don't delay—spring will be here before you know it.

— Tina Phillips, Project Leader

House Finch Disease Survey

Thank you to all who signed up for the House Finch Disease Survey. If you are not part of our survey, we hope you'll consider joining (Follow this link for contact information). The House Finch Disease Survey continues to yield fascinating results. Eight years after mycoplasmal conjunctivitis was first observed by FeederWatchers in the Washington, D.C., area, the disease is still as prevalent as ever in the eastern House Finch population. Data from our project participants in the past showed a consistent autumn peak in disease prevalence, but it seems that this year the peak was earlier than usual—participants reported several diseased birds as early as August. We have also received reports from several people who found dead House Finches in their backyards at the end of last summer. We suspect that some of these deaths may have been caused by the high prevalence of West Nile virus this year, though this hypothesis remains untested. In the future, we hope to learn more about the impact of West Nile virus on House Finches and how this may influence the dynamics of mycoplasmal conjunctivitis.

— Véronique Connolly, Coordinator

Project FeederWatch

FeederWatchers often wonder why they can't find Slate-colored Junco, Oregon Junco, and Pink-sided Junco on their data forms. Several years ago, scientists determined that these “species” were actually races of a single species, the Dark-eyed Junco. Online FeederWatchers may report which races are visiting their feeders by adding the races to their regional checklist. Participants submitting paper data forms should report all of the races simply as “Dark-eyed Junco.” Please do not use the write-in section on your data forms to report the various races.

In other name-changing news, Texas participants should note that the Tufted Titmouse has just been “split” into two species, the Black-crested Titmouse and the Tufted Titmouse. FeederWatchers in the south-central portion of Texas should take a closer look at their titmice to determine which species is visiting their feeders. The crest of the Black-crested Titmouse is indeed black and is often raised higher than the Tufted Titmouse's gray crest, which is black at the base. Online participants may add the Black-crested Titmouse to their regional lists. Participants submitting data on paper forms should continue to report individuals of both species as Tufted Titmouse.

For the story of how and why the names of species change, and what it means to FeederWatchers, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/ News/name_changes.htm

— David Bonter, Project Leader

PigeonWatch and Urban Bird Studies

PigeonWatch has an all-new web site including online data entry. Although we continue to charge $15 for PigeonWatch kits, you can participate over the Internet for free. Let us know what you think.

We are now revising the new Urban Bird Studies protocols and web site. Please send us your comments so that we can make the best web site and set of projects possible. We invite you to send your photos, poetry, artwork, and essays to be included in the online version of the Urban Bird Studies newsletter, Pigeonscope (Follow this link for contact information).

We will be filming a video about the projects this spring. If you have a group you think would be perfect for the video, let us know.

— Mindy LaBranche, Project Leader