An Overview of PROJECT WILDBIRD

PROJECT WILDBIRD is the first comprehensive study of feed and feeder preferences of wild birds in the US and Canada. Upon completion of the study, consumers will know the feed and feeder preferences of the common backyard birds we see visiting our bird feeders every day and be provided with knowledge that is specific to most geographic regions of the US and Canada during different seasons of the year.

PROJECT WILDBIRD began in September 2005 and continues through December 2008 and features two approaches, an Observational Approach and an Experimental Approach.

Thank you very much for your interest in PROJECT WILDBIRD. As the project draws to a close we are no longer accepting observational or experimental approach participants. We would like to invite you to participate in a short survey of your views on bird feeding. If you would like to fill out the survey, please click here. Thanks again for your support of this bird feeding study!

OBSERVATIONAL APPROACH: Observers monitor birds in their yard each season of the year: fall, winter, spring, and summer. The specific dates of monitoring are based on the peak distribution of birds during breeding, wintering, and the two migratory seasons for a given geographic region. During each season, observers monitor the activity at their feeders for a total of 3 hours spread across a single eight day segment. Each observation period is 30 minutes in length. These observations of the birds by species, the type of bird feeder used, and the feed offered to the birds by the Observer are recorded into the PROJECT WILDBIRD database using a simple computer data entry system.

If you are a busy person who has limited time but strong interest, here is how PROJECT WILDBIRD's Observational Approach works. Observations have to be more than 3 hours apart from one another, and two observation sessions can be on the same day. A person could monitor birds on Saturday morning, watch an early movie, watch birds again 3 or more hours later, and have a night on the town. On Sunday, a person could monitor birds, go to church and have brunch, and then monitor birds Sunday afternoon before sitting down for football.

If you are an avid bird feeding enthusiast, please consider the observational approach which requires no more than 3 hours spread across a single 8-day segment per season. The research procedure is straight forward and easy to follow. Learn more about the observational approach by clicking here.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: PROJECT WILDBIRD'S Experimental Approach appeals to dedicated bird feeding enthusiasts. Like the Observers, citizen scientists in the Experimental Approach will be monitoring birds during each of the four seasons. However, in the Experimental Approach participants are provided with feeders and feeds and asked to monitor birds that visit these feeders. The Experimental Approach requires a larger time commitment, and participants are asked to follow a well-defined system. Learn more about the experimental approach by clicking here.

SUPPORT PROJECT WILDBIRD! As you can imagine, a project of this magnitude requires significant resources. Your financial support of PROJECT WILDBIRD will help all of us, our children, and our grandchildren to be better stewards of the wild birds that visit our yards. Click here to contribute now!

Thank you very much for your interest in PROJECT WILDBIRD. As the project draws to a close we are no longer accepting observational or experimental approach participants. We would like to invite you to participate in a short survey of your views on bird feeding. If you would like to fill out the survey, please click here. Thanks again for your support of this bird feeding study!