Focus on Feeders

Eastern Bluebird. Photo by Cheryl Rose.

It will probably come as no surprise to our members, but bird feeding has become an extremely popular winter activity in our region. A recent U. S. Fish and Wildlife survey estimated that as many as 40% of the residents of New England feed and closely watch wildlife.

This continued growth in popularity is welcome news, but it's worth noting that Mass Audubon and its partners in the birding community have enlisted enthusiastic feeder watchers of all ages to track trends in abundance of winter feeder bird species for more than 40 years.

Observations from the bird watching public contribute to a growing database that can provide early warning signs on changes in abundance of bird species that visit. For example, feeder watching in Massachusetts has helped document the decline of House Finch as a result of conjunctivitis, and the northward expansion of Northern Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, and Carolina Wren in response to warmer winters.

And, it's fun! We especially appreciate reading the many comments submitted by participants as they can help us interpret results (e.g., "Feeder birds down this year" or "where are all my redpolls?"). The wildlife photos that are often sent in with Focus on Feeders observations are great, too!

You can learn more about the history of feeder watching in Massachusetts, see past results, or view results for Focus on Feeders 2008.

Thank you for your participation. To learn more please email conservation@massaudubon.org.