New Data Entry Options: Record Mammals, Management Activities, and More
Project FeederWatch is delighted to announce that, thanks to grant funding, participants are now able to record several types of additional information with their regular bird counts. Along with different bird species you see and their behavioral interactions, you may now record types of mammals seen during your count, specific signs of disease in birds, bird mortality during counts, management activities conducted at your site, and feelings about what you’ve seen during your counts. If this sounds exciting to you, great! We hope you will contribute! But if it sounds overwhelming, know that all of these additional data are optional, so if you prefer to stick to only the traditional bird counts, that is completely fine.
Collecting these new types of data is exciting for several reasons. You will now be able to keep track of more details about your count site for your own purposes, so we hope FeederWatch will be an even more useful tool for you! Additionally, we hope that from these additional data we will be able to gain a better understanding of how people and wildlife interact. We know that people have an impact on birds, but exactly how that impact plays out over time is something we don’t understand very well, so we hope these new data will help. But perhaps most exciting is the possibility of learning how birds impact people! By recording your own feelings about what you see at your count site, we hope to get a better understanding of how the things we observe around our homes impacts our well being. Thank you for any data you are able to contribute!
For FeederWatchers who have participated in the past, the initial part of entering counts will look very similar to how it has always looked, with new optional sections added to the bottom of the page and new navigational shortcuts on the sides of the screen. When you start entering a count through our website or mobile app, you will see the sections that need to be completed on the left side of the screen. In the first three sections, you will still select your site, count dates, time watched, effort, snow depth, and bird counts, as you have in the past. As you complete sections, these details will show up on the right side of the screen.
When you are done with each section, you may scroll down or click on the next section in the navigation on the left.
The next three sections include the new questions and additional details. The Mammal List can be used to report all mammals that you observed in your count site during your count. Here you will be able to tally domesticated mammals like cats and dogs, small-size mammals like squirrels and chipmunks, medium-sized mammals like opossums and raccoons, and large mammals such as bears or deer. If you observe something not on the list, just write it in the last option of “other.”
The Sick and Dead Birds list will allow you to report any disease you may see at your count site and add any observation for dead birds that you notice. For sick birds, you can now list symptoms such as red and swollen eyes, odd growths, lethargy, and more. For any dead birds reported, you can check off any incidence you may have observed during your count, such as illness or predation, or you can check “unknown” if you are unsure what caused the death.
The next section will allow you to record Behavioral Interactions during your count. Just as in the past, you may select the source species and target species from a list of species you reported during your count, as well as the interaction type between the two species, all using dropdown menus. Interactions you can report are still limited to displacement and predation. With our new option to record mammals, however, you may add interactions between mammals and birds, rather than just interactions specifically between bird species. In this section, you can also add any additional comments about the behavior and list how many times you witnessed it between those two species. Interactions you report will now show up on a list right on the count page.
The final section allows participants to record management activities they have taken between counts. This management activity includes changes in the amount of food offered, the addition or removal of feeders, the addition of mammal deterrents, or whether and how often feeders were cleaned.
Throughout data entry, you may now report on how each aspect of FeederWatching made you feel. If you opt into reporting feelings, you can report them by clicking on one of the emojis listed in each section, ranging from angry or sad to neutral or happy.
When you have finished entering all the information you wish to enter, you may click the blue button on the right of the page to review and submit your count. You are welcome to limit your reports to bird counts, as you have in the past, and skip the new fields. On the summary page, please be sure to check that everything you’ve reported for this count is correct. Upon clicking the “Finish Count” button, if you opted into being asked about feelings, you will be asked a final question about how it felt to observe your bird feeding areas for this two-day period, and then you may submit your count when ready.
Thank you for all of your past or future contributions to FeederWatch, and we hope you enjoy all these new types of data that you can collect. We look forward to hearing about your FeederWatching experiences!
57 comments on “New Data Entry Options: Record Mammals, Management Activities, and More”
Sounds great!! Looking forward to reporting more detailed information.
First, let me say that as a long time member of the feeder watch program, I am always excited to participate in a new season. I am also excited at the prospect of recording other mammal observation.
However ….
I cannot wrap my head around the “record your feelings” aspect, with accompanying emojis too. Wow.
Observation is a scientific approach to understanding better the world around us.
FEELINGS are NOT scientific and completely irrelevant. Expressing ones “feelings” about wildlife observation may be better left to some little Facebook support group.
Hi Kristine, thanks for reaching out! Thank you for writing to us about the emotional data that is new to Feederwatch: we agree it is something unusual for our program! You are correct that it is a different type of data than objective observations of the birds and mammals of your count site. Emotional data is much more subjective (perhaps by definition!) and requires the skill sets of social scientists to be able to analyze and interpret correctly. However, it is certainly still meaningful data, and social science is a rigorous scientific field, even though the approaches are different than those used in ecological fields. So worry not, the data that are submitted about peoples feelings will be analyzed in just as methodical and conservative a manner as the bird data are analyzed, and are just as valuable. But you are certainly correct that it is quite a different thing to incorporate into FeederWatch! Thank you again for writing and we hope you enjoy the season.
Agree completely!! Why would Cornell need to know how I “feeeel”? I don’t give a rat’s ass how anyone else in the program ‘feeeels” on any given day. I assume they’re good with participating or they wouldn’t make the effort!
Hi Linnea, thanks for reaching out! Thank you for writing to us about the emotional data that is new to Feederwatch: we agree it is something unusual for our program! You are correct that it is a different type of data than objective observations of the birds and mammals of your count site. Emotional data is much more subjective (perhaps by definition!) and requires the skill sets of social scientists to be able to analyze and interpret correctly. However, it is certainly still meaningful data, and social science is a rigorous scientific field, even though the approaches are different than those used in ecological fields. So worry not, the data that are submitted about peoples feelings will be analyzed in just as methodical and conservative a manner as the bird data are analyzed, and are just as valuable. But you are certainly correct that it is quite a different thing to incorporate into FeederWatch! Thank you again for writing and we hope you enjoy the season.
lol😆😆😆🫢😆🫢
Feelings? Really?? Fuzzy thinking at best! Please concentrate on science and not social issues.
Hello Robert, thanks for reaching out! Thank you for writing to us about the emotional data that is new to Feederwatch: we agree it is something unusual for our program! You are correct that it is a different type of data than objective observations of the birds and mammals of your count site. Emotional data is much more subjective (perhaps by definition!) and requires the skill sets of social scientists to be able to analyze and interpret correctly. However, it is certainly still meaningful data, and social science is a rigorous scientific field, even though the approaches are different than those used in ecological fields. So worry not, the data that are submitted about peoples feelings will be analyzed in just as methodical and conservative a manner as the bird data are analyzed, and are just as valuable. But you are certainly correct that it is quite a different thing to incorporate into FeederWatch! Thank you again for writing and we hope you enjoy the season.
Emotions are as much a part of science as anything else. All animals have emotions, and much intra- and interspecies communication relies on emotion. We are not computers, and as Dr. Oliver Sachs (a renowned neuroscientist) observed countless times, we shouldn’t treat our brains like they are cold, rational machines.
Human scientists have emotions just like any other living creature, and recording those as an additional data point can provide contextual insights. If a research project intends to evaluate what motivates citizen scientists and birdwatchers to take actions, then gathering data on emotions is a logical part of the process.
Thank you for that. Our emotional health affects our overall health and correct, we are not robots. Bird watching can be an enjoyable experience and elevates humans overall life experience. It’s about the science and then how human disease can spread from poor health overall, emotions included. A sad lonely human is much more likely to become ill over a happy individual, thus more suscepteble to disease as well. Bird watching for many creates enjoyment or worry if sick, dead birds are noted. The negative reactions are very telling, especially since that part of the study isn’t required.
Agreed – thank you for saying what needed to be said!
Well said Whitney. I was a social scientist for nearly 40 years and I can attest that feelings and emotions are often a part of scientific hypotheses and data collection and attract grant funding for multi-faceted studies. I’m excited to provide such information for Project Feederwatch and hope it contributes to the field of study in new ways.
You are wrong, feelings are scientific. Just ask anyone who practices self-care to relieve stress or anxiety. All the people I encounter birding noticeably relax. That is proven scientific info. Just saying.
Remember it was a suggestion. You do not have to do it.
Well, not exactly accurate. Social sciences measure such metrics all the time. It is very unfortunate that we do not often integrated social sciences with our natural sciences, since it would make connecting our research information with all members of society so much easier and appear less elitism.
I have a trail cam on my feeders. Will I be able to report animals captured on that at night?
Hello Judith, thanks for reaching out. We are looking for mammals recorded during your count periods, so while you are actively FeederWatching. Since we don’t take FeederWatch counts through cameras/recording devices or any observations at night (as FeederWatch observations should purely be visual observations during daylight), we would prefer if you don’t count animals seen through trail cameras. I hope this helps!
All reads interesting. I am looking forward to participating as much as possible. I definitely am not going to remember all that I just fnished reading so I will save this in my Project Feederwatch folder. I look forward to all the prompts you mentioned and hope I will be helpful. Thank You for all you do. Special thanks for getting this new grant.
I have never done this, but my husband and I have several feeders and my morning starts with observing them. It seems a bit daunting, now. I hope to learn and provide useful information.
Hello Barbara! Thank you for reaching out, and we hope you will enjoy this season. Remember that the new information is purely optional; though we are happy to have any information you are willing to share! 🙂
Hi Barbara! Make your observations easy and fun. Here’s a suggestion: if you already know what birds typically visit your observation area, make yourself a simple list. Then each time you do your observations you can tally how many you see — this makes it easier to keep track as you watch. You can re-use the same sheet of paper and make yourself additional columns for dates — this does not have to be on a spreadsheet, but can be as easy as a junk-mail envelope. Entering the data can seem daunting, but after the first time it will feel easier, too. The program pretty much sets up a list of what species you commonly see as the project continues, so use that as a guide for the next time you enter data. Find joy in watching the interactions, let yourself make abbreviations for what and who you see interact. Have FUN with this and know that you are providing helpful information for a global network.
This all seems a bit daunting, but I start my day with watching the bird activity in our garden through my bedroom window. We have several feeders for various types of birds. I am hopeful my interest can be useful to these wonderful creatures.
Great! I’ve always wished I could record the many squirrels, etc. that take advantage of the “crumbs” around the base of our feeders.
I am very excited about the opportunity to record mammals or other animals that I observe near my feeders for Feederwatch 2023-2024! In addition, it will be interesting to note any signs of illnesses that the birds might have.
With climate change and loss of habitat, our birds and other animals have many challenges. I look forward to adding observations that may help our birds and urban wildlife.
Sounds awesome. I like this new feature of recording mammals especially since many squirrels scare off birds at the feeder sites, resulting in either a low count or no count ona specific date and time.
Great idea and why not use us “Feeder Watchers” to record additional data that we see every week. Love it!
Thanks for all the information. This will be our first year recoding our sightings. We spent several days this summer contacting energy and cable companies that marked our bird habitat for weed application and trimming . I already noticed a change in bird activity as we allowed them to top some apple trees off our deck. The lines cut right over our deck and the apple trees were here before we moved here. Even though I watched as they cut and they were cooperative in cutting less. They told me they contract to cut 15 feet to free line. It still affected the birds. It is very silent now whereas I was recording many species during the day on Merlin. They also cut at the edge of the property where the second pole is located. All this seems to have affected the number and species of birds we were observing. Fewer are at the feeders and it seemed especially to impact our Baltimore orioles. The males seem to be completely gone and only the immature or female yellow ones are coming for jelly. Will these birds return or will their habitat change force them to other nesting sights.
I look forward to this!
We’re so excited that Feederwatch is approaching!! Last spring was our first one, though we contribute daily to Ebird and other Cornell Citizen Science projects.
We’re ecstatic about the addition of mammals!! We live in Massachusetts, and our year-round mammals include squirrels, raccoons, possum and other things. We love them all!
We keep 15 bird feeders and heated birdbaths throughout the winter and snow blow a path necessary to keep them full so we’re a good restaurant!
I’m handicapped and can only bird in my yard. Cornell Citizen Science Projects are a very important part of my life!! They help me feel that I’m a part of the bigger picture of understanding and protecting all life on earth.
Backyard birds and habitats have much to teach the world and with the inclusion of mammals we can be even more useful!
It’s a huge understatement to thank you for your work!
God bless you all!
I I am excited to be able to report mammals encounters at my feeders. I have seen interesting encounters
between ravens and squirrels, foxes appearing and even a bobcat that would have been fun to report!
Looking forward to Nov.1st.
I will be very interested to read about data on emotions. Through the many years I have participated, other citizen scientists have often mentioned how much doing PFW means to them – gives them a sense of purpose, reminds them that even when they are sad or troubled, they can still watch birds and accomplish something. Scientists have emotions too, the point is that they (and citizen scientists) need to be sure their emotions aren’t affecting the facts of their data collecting. So how you feel becomes another, separate, data point.
When I first started PFW, it seemed like I saw only the same birds week after week. I ended up feeling like I wasn’t doing anything useful and quit for a while. When I came back some years later (after we moved to a new location) by then PFW had learned that they needed to keep telling people that every observation was worthwhile, and that seeing the same birds was still valuable information. That motivated me to keep going! Even tho I get grumpy at seeing the same-old, same-old I realize that is still important data. I think your collecting information about how people feel will help you understand what motivates people. Good luck with your new area of study, and keep us informed!
Hi Carolyn, well put! We are happy to hear your thoughts! Thank you for sharing.
I can see the usefulness of the more subjective questions and responses. I think it is important to have some understanding of what motivates an individual to feed birds, and what they find rewarding or disappointing. For instance, many people became more aware of wildlife during COVID restrictions, and discovered new things about our relationship in general with the natural world. Some people found that interacting with bird life was mentally therapeutic during a particularly stressful period. In my case, my own joy in rediscovering birds has been tempered by increased awareness of climate change impact, and grief at the tragic losses of bird populations and species. I now volunteer in a bird conservation project.
I like the idea of adding mammals. I occasionally set out a trail camera to see what’s coming at night. I mainly get flying squirrels. Is that reportable data?
I took the reporting of feelings differently that most of the others. To me there is a lot of subjective information in the observations. For example, I might report the same number of birds of a particular species two weeks in a row, however, subjectively, the number of visits one week may be 5 times the number of visits the next.
Hello Wally, thank you for reaching out. As per PFW protocol, we don’t allow counting at night, nor do we allow counting by video camera. This is because at night, you can’t see the full range of birds that may be at feeders, and videos don’t allow for a full view either. However, if you note flying squirrels in the daylight, when you are already keeping track of a FeederWatch count, then that is acceptable, reportable data. I hope this helps!
Hi
I’m just curious why the FeederWatch season has been extended, at both ends. November 1 to April 30, if I remember correctly, is 3 or 4 weeks longer than previous seasons.
My only concern is the possibility of attracting bears to the feeders, before, or after, their hibernation. It’s been a nice fall in Manitoba, so I may have to wait for significant snowfall and colder temperatures, before putting out my more accessible feeders.
Hello Wybo, thanks for reaching out. The main reason for extending the season from November 1 to the end of April is so that it is easier for participant to remember the dates of the season. Since participants are not obligated to count every single week, we recommend against counting when hibernation has ended, attracting bears with feeders endangers all. You are welcome to count the rest of the season when there is less of a risk of bears coming to feeders.
Question–If I split my time between a house in the city and a cabin in the country, can I record at both locations?
Hello Saul, thanks for reaching out. Yes, you may count at your other location as well. To do so, simply create a second count site here, and make sure that you are clicking the correct location when you enter a count. If you need any help, please feel free to email us at feederwatch@cornell.edu.
Emojis to express feelings seems to this birder of, almost, 86 a bit child-like.
Birders love what they do. Birders are, truly, saddened when they see dead or injured birds. Birders are angry at habitat loss. I, for one, do not need a cartoon face to express my feelings. I express my feelings out loud and at the ballot box.
I cannot imagine a birder having feelings that are counter to what real birders feel.
Hello, Thank you for writing to us about the emotional data that is new to Feederwatch: we agree it is something unusual for our program! It is a different type of data than objective observations of the birds and mammals of your count site. Emotional data is much more subjective (perhaps by definition!) and requires the skill sets of social scientists to be able to analyze and interpret correctly. However, it is certainly still meaningful data, and social science is a rigorous scientific field, even though the approaches are different than those used in ecological fields. So worry not, the data that are submitted about peoples’ feelings will be analyzed in just as methodical and conservative a manner as the bird data are analyzed, and are just as valuable. If you do not wish to report it, this data is optional. Thank you again for writing and we hope you enjoy the season.
I don’t understand how my “feelings” matter but I can’t record male and female Cardinals because some bird species sexes aren’t noticeably different. Which is more scientific? I’m “feeling” kind of frustrated.
Squirrels are really pesky this season hanging by their back feet from several feeders or sitting in open saucer feeder. Munching on seed.
Have several raccoons cruising around at night after cat food crows prefer.
I’m new to PFW this year and have some questions about the count sites. I live in an apartment complex with areas that are well landscaped with native plants. There are about three areas close by that I like to watch from, but they’re each rather large and roughly adjacent, though separated by buildings (1500sq yd acre community garden, 1 acre landscaped path area, and a smaller 800sq yd area around a hummingbird feeder that I could enlarge to 1/2 acre where I see the hummingbirds zip around often). Also, some apartments have feeders at their windows, but I don’t know anything about their management. No site has a dedicated water source, but all areas are well-irrigated at night. So, my questions- can I count at all three or just one site (given I see mostly different species at each one)? Should I ignore the management questions as I am not the one maintaining the feeders? Is it alright that there is no dedicated water source?
Hello Cathy, thank you for reaching out. We prefer that you watch from one vantage point where you can count everything in your regular count site, a spot where you have a clear and consistent view. I would keep it to one consistent area. The new data entry options are just that – optional, so you can feel free to leave them blank if they do not apply. Please feel free to review the “select your count site” section of our Detailed Instructions page here. This page can go into a little more detail for you.
Is it possible to block out all the added questions at the end of the weekly survey? I don’t mind the sick bird question, but would rather not have the rest. Gotta say I love FeederWatch and have done it for decades! Thanks!
Hello Suzanne, Thank you for reaching out. The new data entry options are just that – completely optional. Feel free to leave the optional sections blank if you so wish.
I have the FeederWatch app on my iPad. It does not show any of this. Do I need to delete the old app and get a new one? Also I have been having issues with the app in that it freezes up constantly and I have to shut down my iPad and reopen to get it to work again. Any suggestions?
Hello Pamella, thank you for reaching out. As mentioned in a recent eNews, our app is currently under construction, so we recommend recording data online on our website here. For now, we only have the new data entry options online, but hope to be finished with app changes in the near future. Thanks so much for your patience with us!
I am enjoying your new additions. I am sorry you did not put curious as one of the emotions. This is the feeling I have most often while watching. I am using surprised instead to register this emotion. Also, when I entered an interaction, I was unable to enter a second interaction. If I am only able to enter one interaction, then I will prioritize. Thanks for you additions and clarifying bout the interactions.
I am new but, sincerely enjoy the birds—squirrels- ground hog- racoon- cat -and also those I don’t see!!
I love these new options but will not be using them until they are wrapped into the app.
I record outside at the back of my property, not through a window. I feel like observations are going to be far more accurate “in the moment” rather than later in the day at my computer. And sitting outside in the winter juggling a pen and paper as well as my phone and binoculars (and let’s be honest, my coffee – LOL) is a non-starter.
Keep up the great work! I am looking forward to using the new extras once they hit the app.
I am not doing feeder watch this year because I could not do the program justice time wise. I hope to get back to it in the future. However I do have a curious observation to make about a particular bird I “know”. It is a House Finch and he (she ?) for the third year in a row, spends the winter nights perched behind a thermometer on my front porch. Usually from late December to sometime in March he shows up every day around 5pm, gets himself settled on the bar holding the thermometer and falls fast asleep! As I said, this is the third year in a row he has done this! I have no idea where he spends the rest of the year. Has any one heard of a bird doing anything like this? He is as regular as a clock. The other night he gave me a scare when he didn’t show up and temps were below zero. But he came back the next night. I have photos but I don’t think I can upload them here.
Does anyone have similar observation?
I wanted to respond to a story in the latest addition of your publication concerning the aggressiveness or laid back attitude of birds at my feeder. I am always amazing that different species of birds fly in together. It’s like “Let’s eat here…and then they fly off together. The story in the latest publication did not mention mockingbirds. Hands down, they are the most aggressive bird at our feeder. Over the years I’ve witnessed them sit 75 from the feeder and then when a bird flies in they take off and chase them away. We call them the bullies.
I would love to enter more data but won’t do so until it’s in the mobile app. I use my mobile phone for PictureID (to identify plants and insects) and for Merlin Bird ID (to identify birds). Also, I prefer the simple interface of the FeederWatch app over navigating the website on my laptop. Once I’m on my laptop, I’m sedentary so I try to stay away from it when possible.
I discovered that, while observing birds, my most primary emotion is “presence”. My mind stops chattering and I am here in the moment to watch and listen.
I would love to enter more data but won’t do so until it’s in the mobile app. I use my mobile phone for PictureThis (to identify plants and insects) and for Merlin Bird ID (to identify birds). Also, I prefer the simple interface of the FeederWatch app over navigating the website on my laptop. Once I’m on my laptop, I’m sedentary so I try to stay away from it when possible.
I discovered that, while observing birds, my most primary emotion is “presence”. My mind stops chattering and I am here in the moment to watch and listen.
WOW! How can I return to the previous formatting and record only bird counts (which I do weekly from Nov. 1 – April 30) and would really prefer to use the simpler way of sending in my report. Too much ‘extra’ questions, click this and that, etc., etc. – sorry, I won’t be sending in my count – first time in 20 some years . . . FEEL SAD!
Hello Elaine, thank you for reaching out. Much of the new data entry options are completely optional – feel free to skip the questions you do not wish to answer. Please feel free to email us at feederwatch@cornell.edu and we can change your formatting.