Feeder Watch instructions

Have a bird feeder within our circle? You can contribute to the Christmas Bird Count from the comfort of your home.

First connect with our compiler to be officially added to the count. 

Here's a summary of the count “protocol” set forth by the National Audubon CBC bird science team. 

The purpose of the feeder watcher program is to determine the highest number of each species seen on your feeders and the area around your feeding station on the day of the Christmas Bird Count. 

Your complete feeder watch observation has two parts:

The Checklist, which is a list of the highest number of each bird species you saw, and

Effort, which is the time you spent watching and counting and the number of observers in your household who contributed.

Checklists without effort data cannot be accepted.

How to Count

Usually the same birds are coming and going so you will need to only report the highest number of each species you counted at a single glance during the entire observation period. If you saw two tufted titmice at eleven o’clock and four titmice at eleven-fifteen, the count is four, not six. In species where males and females can be easily discriminated, such as northern cardinals, counting the sexes separately will yield more accurate results.

Effort

The observation is timed so please note when you start and stop and report your total minutes of watching. You don't have to be staring at it all day, but checking on it at regular and constant intervals.  

All data is compiled and submit using eBird. Please add your effort data and any notes to the checklist comment. Submit your checklist by midnight on the day of the count.