Overview
Project Name
Project FeederWatch
Access Level
Open (core fields)
Year started
1987
Year Ended
ongoing
Dataset
Project FeederWatch (Eastern US)
About
Dataset summary
Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. FeederWatchers periodically count the highest numbers of each species they see at their feeders from November through early April. FeederWatch helps scientists track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. Project FeederWatch is operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in partnership with Audubon, Bird Studies Canada, and Nature Canada.The data set includes: date of observation, species, highest number seen at one time, effort, weather (low temperature, high temperature, precipitation, snow depth, and snow cover), count site description (size, vegetation, population density of neighborhood, elevation, habitats, numbers and types of feeders, types of food provided, etc.).
Season(s) and frequency
November through early April.
Geographic area covered
North America (US and Canada) Approximately 16,000 participants from all states and provinces.
Primary species covered
Landbirds that visit bird feeders
Goals
To track broadscale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. Also to detect and explain changes in the wintering ranges of many species.
Methods
Sampling Design
Depends on citizen scientists (data collected by volunteers). Sampling locations are determined by the volunteers.
Field methods
Counts at feeders, species, number and weather conditions, effort information
Analysis methods
http://birds.cornell.edu/PFW/News/
Partners
Citation
Birds Canada and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2025. "Project FeederWatch". Data accessed from NatureCounts, Birds Canada.
