Citizen Science Projects for the Birds
These five citizen science projects invite you to discover feathered friends in your area. Help scientists collect data and protect bird habitats.
The SciStarter Blog
Whether you live in the city or the country, we can guarantee there are birds around you. These feathered creatures (and former dinosaurs) are some of the most diverse animals you’re likely to see! It’s prime time to celebrate our feathered friends with five projects that help you discover birds in your area and protect their future by arming scientists with more data on how their environments and lifestyles are changing. So go on, get flying!
Journey North
Seasonal migrations send birds thousands of miles every year, in a sweeping journey across the globe. Take part by submitting your observations of the many species migrating past your door, from hummingbirds to robins to butterflies. Journey North has a plethora of interactive features to check out on their website, too.
NestWatch
No matter where you live, there’s probably a nest hiding somewhere nearby. Keep tabs on the baby birds by checking in once or twice a week and submit your findings to Nest Watch. Researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology rely on the data to track the effects of climate change, pollution and more on bird populations.
Celebrate Urban Birds
Humans aren’t the only city dwellers! Many species call cities their homes as well. Learn to identify 16 of them and keep very still while you monitor a chosen area to find as many as you can. Submit your data to Celebrate Urban Birds and help uncover the behaviors of city birds, and maybe find a few new feathered friends while you’re at it!
Audubon’s Climate Watch
As the climate warms, habitats are shifting. Keep an eye out for the species in your area to help the Audubon Society build a better understanding of where birds are coming and going across the country. The better we understand how birds’ territories might be shifting the better we can help protect them!
Woodpecker Cavity Cam
Woodpeckers, iconic species across the U.S., are in danger. Part of the problem is that scientists still don’t well understand things like nesting ecology and parental behavior for the birds. You can tackle that problem by viewing and tagging online images from Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve in Minnesota. Every time you spot a woodpecker, scientists could potentially learn something new about them!
