In this issue: the best fodder for your feeder, a quick quiz, and holiday gifts for birdy people!
GBBC eNewsletter
November 2013
You never know what to expect when feeding wild birds! This Wild Turkey has found something he can't resist. Photo by Jeanette Tasey, MT, 2013 GBBC
Make Your Feeder Irresistible
If you've ever wondered which foods would work best to attract the birds you want to see in your backyard, there's a new online tool to try. It's called the Common Feeder Birds tool and is part of the FeederWatch project in the U.S. and Canada. A list of nearly 100 common feeder birds is cross-referenced what each species likes to eat and where they prefer to eat it. Use the Common Feeder Birds tool to explore your region and to see what you might be able to attract to your feeder this winter in time for the Great Backyard Bird Count!
Great photo by Doug Boucher, 2013 GBBC.
Quick Quiz:
Do you know this bird? It doesn't live everywhere in North America, but may be found in evergreen forests of the West. It plays an important role in planting new trees because just one of these birds can bury tens of thousands of seeds each year. Get the answer.
Find the perfect gift for the birding and nature enthusiast in your life while helping raise revenue and awareness for the Audubon mission. Audubon receives financial compensation every time you buy or use an official Audubon licensed product or service. More information.
And check out Bird Studies Canada’s holiday flyer (PDF) for a range of nature-themed gift ideas, including books, calendars, puzzles, and more! Best of all, the proceeds support bird research and conservation.
The GBBC is
February 14-17, 2014
Purple Sunbird by Varshini Choudhry, India, 2013 GBBC
A gang of colorful Evening Grosbeaks at the Ontario FeederWatch cam.
Live Feeder Cams
Get some practice watching feeders at two new live-streaming Project FeederWatch Bird Cams. They are set up at feeders in Manitouwadge, Ontario, and outside the Cornell Lab Visitor Center in Ithaca, New York. Check out the great winter birds already on display in Canada, including Evening Grosbeaks, Purple Finches, and Gray Jays. You'll also see goldfinches, woodpeckers, and other cold-weather birds at the New York feeders. If you'd like to contribute your own feeder observations to Project FeederWatch in the U.S. and Canada, follow the links below to sign up! United StatesCanada
Christmas Bird Count
The 114th Christmas Bird Count will take place from December 14, 2013, through January 5, 2014. Please consider joining the tens of thousands of dedicated volunteers who take part in the longest-running citizen-science project on the planet! Everyone who takes part in the Christmas Bird Count does it for love of birds and the excitement of friendly competition--and with the knowledge that their efforts are making a difference for science and bird conservation. Watch the video above to learn more about the history of the CBC from Chan Robbins, who has participated in 412 Christmas Bird Counts since his first in 1934! Also, click here to learn more about participating in the CBC and to sign up today!
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Cornell Lab website at www.birds.cornell.edu
Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife and the habitat that supports them. Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation. www.audubon.org
Bird Studies Canada administers regional, national, and international research and monitoring programs that advance the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats. We are Canada's national body for bird conservation and science, and we are a non-governmental charitable organization. www.birdscanada.org
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Call toll-free (800) 843-2473
National Audubon Society
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014
Call: (202) 600-7962
Bird Studies Canada
Box 160
Port Rowan, ON N0E 1M0 Canada
Call: (888) 448-2473 or (519) 586-3531
