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| Feeder empty? No problem! (Winter 2006) |
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Here’s one less thing to worry about—the status of your bird feeders while you are on vacation. “Studies of banded birds at winter feeders show they have a variety of food sources,” explains Cornell University scientist David Bonter, director of Project Feeder Watch. “The five chickadees you see at your feeder all day are most likely 40 or 50 different chickadees, making their rounds. If your feeders goes empty for a week or so, it won’t impact bird survival. They will just find food from other nearby feeders or natural sources.”
Bird report
If you enjoy watching birds at your feeder, you may want to join in Cornell’s Project Feeder Watch. It’s a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders all across North America. “More than 15,000 people participate each winter,” explains Bonter, “periodically counting the numbers of each species at their feeder. All these volunteers help scientists track broad-scale trends in bird distribution and abundance.”
For more information on how to sign up for Project Feeder Watch,
go to www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw or call 800-254-2473.
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