Invasion 2000

The land that regularly sends human "snowbirds" to Florida send real feathered friends to the United State each winter. People expect an invasion of Winter Finches from Canada's north woods to delight feeders/ watchers to the South. Citizens who participate in Project Feeder Watch and other bird watching surveys may be in for a real treat this year. If the patterns of the last decade hold true winter bird feeding enthusiasts through much of central and eastern US should expect a big showing of northern finches this winter.

North American winter finches include Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills, White Winged Crossbills, common Redpoles, Hoary Redpoles, Pine Siskins, and Evening Grosbeaks. Ornithologists base their predictions about these birds on more than ten years of data collected. Thousands of diligent back yard bird watchers throughout the United States and Canada contributed this information. Observations by Bird Feeders and Bird watchers revealed a two year cycle in the southward southern invasion of some northern finches. Evidence suggests food shortages in the northern areas caused these southward winter forays. A nation wide network of bird watchers collecting information about these birds may lend more insight into the invasion phenomenon.

Also Project Feeder Watch will sponsor many other surveys that will monitor winter bird populations. The Sudden Invasion Bird Survey will collect information about these visitors from the North and several other sudden invasion species. A similar project, The North American Finch Survey proved instrumental in mapping a massive winter invasion in 1997. Participation in the annual Christmas Bird Count will count birds at some 1,700 locations across North America. The Great American bird Count 2,000 will take place February 18 through 21, 2000. This count works much like the Feeder Watch. They expect participants to count birds in their back yard and other locations during these four days only.

Feeder watchers receive a beautiful poster of birds they likely will see at their feeders, a bird watching day calendar, access to the Feeder Watch listserv and a resource guide that offers bird feeding tips and much more.

Top Feeder Birds of North America- Dark Eyed Junco, Mourning Dove, House Finch, Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, Blue Jay, Northern Cardinal, Black Capped Chickadee, White Breasted Nuthatch and European Starling.

To join Project Feeder Watch, call the Cornell lab at 800-843-2473. Or write them at Project Feeder watch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology/AMW, 159 sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. You cam visit Feeder Watch and other winter bird surveys

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