The Project FeederWatch - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Project FeederWatchTop 20 feeder birds in New EnglandBased on the reports ofcitizen scientists fromacross the region.White-breasted Nuthatchby Steve DelloffDo you like to watch the birds that visit your backyard bird feeder? Perhapsyou even keep a list of these birds. Although keeping track of the birds atyour feeders may seem like nothing more than a relaxing hobby, you areactually collecting important information. By sending your counts of feederbirds to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch, you can helpscientists learn more about the distribution and abundance of birds.Project FeederWatch is a survey of North American bird populations thatvisit backyard bird feeders in winter. Since 1987, thousands of bird watchersacross the United States and Canada have participated in ProjectFeederWatch.The following show is a countdown of the 20 species that were themost frequent visitors to the backyards of Project FeederWatchparticipants in New England.1

PROJECT FEEDERWATCH REGIONSProject FeederWatch counts are divided into regions. What is aFeederWatch region?If you travel across the continent from west to east, you will encounterdifferent types of birds at different locations along your way. For example,you might see Western Scrub-Jays in California, Gray Jays in the CanadianRockies, and Blue Jays in Virginia. Therefore, to interpret FeederWatch datain a meaningful way, the continent is divided into fifteen FeederWatchRegions. Each region includes a group of states and provinces that sharesimilar bird communities.FeederWatch groups the states of Vermont, New Hampshire,Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut into the New England region.2

Regional Rank #20• Seen at 46% of feeders• Average flock size = 2.6Continental Rank #12American RobinMilneFood Preferences• Fresh and dried fruitIn the countdown that follows, all species will be featured in a slide similar tothis one.The slides provide a map, based on FeederWatch reports, of where thespecies can be seen in the winter.The slides also highlight a few key statistics telling us how common the birdsare in the region. For instance…3

Regional Rank #20• Seen at 47% of feeders• Average flock size = 2.6This species wasthe 20 th mostcommonly reportedbird in your regionContinental Rank #13This same specieswas the 13 th mostcommonly reportedbird in North AmericaThe Regional Rank refers to how common the species is at feeders in yourregion.The Continental Rank refers to how common this species is at feeders whenconsidering all of the United States and Canada.4

Regional Rank #20• Seen at 46% of feeders• Average flock size = 2.6Continental Rank #12American RobinMilneFood Preferences• Fresh and dried fruitPreferred feeders:•Ground•PlatformWinter Behavior:•Although the appearance of a robin is considered a harbinger of spring, theAmerican Robin actually spends the winter in much of its breeding range.However, because they spend less time in yards and congregate in largeflocks during winter, you're much less likely to see them.Cool Fact:•Earthworms are the food of choice for robins on suburban lawns.Experiments have shown that robins rely on vision to find their prey. Thebird’s familiar head-cocking allows it to see straight ahead even though itseyes are on either side of its head.6

American Tree SparrowRegional Rank #19• Seen at 47% of feeders• Average flock size = 2.7Continental Rank #23C. JohnsonFood Preferences• Mixed seedPreferred feeder:•Ground•PlatformWinter behavior:•The American Tree Sparrow is a common winter visitor in backyards allacross southern Canada and the northern United States. Despite itscommon name, it forages on the ground, nests on the ground, and breedsprimarily north of the tree line in Canada.Cool fact:•During the summer, the American Tree Sparrow eats mostly insects. In thewinter it eats almost no insects, turning to a diet of seeds and other plantfoods.7

Regional Rank #18• Seen at 50% of feeders• Average flock size = 1.5Continental Rank #17Song SparrowL. ElliottFood Preferences• Mixed seedPreferred feeder:•Ground•PlatformWinter Behavior:•Northern-nesting populations of Song Sparrows are partially migratory, withfemales moving farther south than males.Cool Fact:•Thirty-one Song Sparrow subspecies have been recognized, more than forany other North American bird.8

Red-bellied WoodpeckerRegional Rank #17• Seen at 51% of feeders• Average flock size = 1.2Continental Rank #15L. BarkerFood Preferences• SuetPreferred feeder:•SuetWinter Behavior:•Red-bellied Woodpeckers from northern parts of the breeding rangeroutinely migrate south for the winter, and some southern birds may moveshort distances, as well. However, there has been a noticeable decrease inmigratory behavior over the last 100 years, and the Red-belliedWoodpecker’s range has expanded to the North and West. Bird feedingmay have played a role in this expansion.Cool Facts:•Unlike Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers do littlehammering and probing of tree bark with their bills. Instead, they captureinsects hiding in bark crevices with their long, maneuverable tongues.•The Red-bellied Woodpecker competes vigorously for nest holes with otherwoodpeckers but it is often evicted from nest holes by the European Starling.In some areas, half of all Red-bellied Woodpecker nesting cavities are takenover by starlings.9

Regional Rank #15• Seen at 54% of feeders• Average flock size = 5.8Continental Rank #11House SparrowL. ElliottFood Preferences• Mixed seedPreferred feeder:•PlatformWinter Behavior:•House Sparrows are year-round residents, and their distribution is closelyassociated with human habitation. They are found in agricultural, suburban,and urban areas, although they tend to avoid woodlands, forests,grasslands, and deserts.•In winter, the size of foraging flocks of House Sparrows is correlated withboth the amount of food available and time of day (with feeding activityincreasing in the late afternoon). Foraging in flocks is highly beneficial due tothe protection against predation that is afforded by larger, more vigilant,flocks. Each bird within the flock can spend less time looking up for dangerand therefore forages more efficiently.Cool Fact:•The House Sparrow was introduced into Brooklyn, New York, in 1851,partly as a means to control insect pests. By 1900 it had spread to the RockyMountains. Its spread throughout the West was aided by additionalintroductions in San Francisco, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah.11

White-throated SparrowRegional Rank #14• Seen at 56% of feeders• Average flock size = 3.1Continental Rank #19M. McCallFood Preferences• Mixed seedPreferred feeders:•Platform•HopperWinter Behavior:•White-throated Sparrows establish wintering territories and return to thesame site year after year. These territories often overlap, and individualsfrequently join into loose flocks when foraging.Cool Fact:•White-throated Sparrows come in two color morphs: those with white stripesover the crown and those with tan stripes. In most birds such a plumagedifference would signify different ages or sexes, but in White-throatedSparrows it is a genetic trait. Youngsters of both color morphs can be raisedin the same nest and the color pattern is retained for life. Behavior seems todiffer between the color morphs as well. For example, the white-striped birdstend to be more aggressive and sing more often, and the males prefer tomate with tan-striped females.12

Regional Rank #13• Seen at 59% of feeders• Average flock size = 4.6Continental Rank #9European StarlingJ. Smith / CLOFood Preferences• SuetPreferred feeder:•SuetWinter Behavior:•Young starlings often migrate several hundred miles, as do a proportion ofthe adults, especially those adults breeding farther north.•In the winter, starlings can gather into roosts of several thousand birds.Dominant males occupy the center of roosting flocks, where they are mostprotected from the weather and predators.Cool Fact:•European Starlings were introduced into North America in 1890 and arenow among our most abundant birds from coast to coast. Like the HouseSparrow, starlings compete with our native cavity-nesting species for nestingsites.13

Regional Rank #12• Seen at 68% of feeders• Average flock size = 1.3Continental Rank #16Hairy WoodpeckerMilneFood Preferences• SuetPreferred feeder:•SuetHairy Woodpeckers can be distinguished from the more common DownyWoodpeckers by their larger size. If you do not have both species forcomparison, check the length of the bill relative to the size of the head. TheHairy Woodpecker’s beak is as long as the distance from the base of thebeak to the back of the head, whereas Downy Woodpecker bills are shorterthan the length of the head.Winter Behavior:•The male Hairy Woodpecker uses his hefty beak to dig deeply into treetrunks in a quest for beetle larvae, while the female spends more timescaling off bark and probing for insects near the surface. Sometimes thebeak is whacked against a tree in a series of side-to-side blows, a behaviorhypothesized to produce echoes that indicate the degree of insectinfestation.Cool Facts:•Woodpeckers have two toes pointing backward (instead of one, as in mostsmall birds), allowing the birds to cling tightly to vertical tree trunks.•Air bubbles incorporated into the skull act as shock absorbers to protect thebrain from the effects of hammering on trees in search of food.14

Regional Rank #11• Seen at 69% of feeders• Average flock size = 3.6House FinchContinental Rank #7T. FaucegliaMale (above)Female (right)L. ElliotFood Preferences• Black-oil sunflower seed• Hulled sunflower seedPreferred feeder:•Platform•Hopper•TubeWinter Behavior:•Eastern House Finches have become partially migratory (some individualsmigrate and others do not), whereas the ancestral stock, which is fromWestern North America, is resident.Cool Facts:•House Finches were introduced to eastern North America in the 1940s bypet dealers. Threatened with prosecution for illegally selling House Finches,the merchants freed their captive finches on Long Island. From this foundingpopulation, House Finches rapidly spread throughout the East.•Coloration in male House Finches can range from yellow to bright crimson.The color comes from carotenoid pigments found in some natural foods. Abird’s color can change if different pigments are consumed prior to thegrowth of new feathers.15

Regional Rank #10• Seen at 70% of feeders• Average flock size = 2.7Continental Rank #13American CrowFood Preferences• Meat scrapsPreferred feeder:•Ground•PlatformWinter Behavior:•American Crows congregate in large numbers in winter to sleep incommunal roosts. These roosts can include several thousand crows. Someroosts have gathered in the same general area for well over 100 years.Cool Facts:•The American Crow is highly susceptible to West Nile virus, a diseaserecently introduced to North America. Crows tested in the laboratorygenerally die within one week of infection, and few seem able to surviveexposure. Recent declines in crow populations in many areas are likely dueto mortality from West Nile virus.•Most crows nesting in the United States are permanent residents. Eachfamily maintains a large territory, shared by the adult pair and several of theiroffspring from previous years. Young crows may remain with their parents tohelp raise their younger siblings.16

Northern CardinalRegional Rank #9• Seen at 87% of feeders• Average flock size = 2.3Continental Rank #8MaleFemaleA. ToppingL. BarkerFood Preferences• Striped sunflower seed• Black-oil sunflower seed• Safflower seedPreferred feeder:•Platform•HopperWinter Behavior:•Northern Cardinals can appear to be timid birds despite their bold colors.Cardinals often only visit feeders in the semi-darkness of dawn or dusk.However, flocking evidently generates a more relaxed atmosphere. In theSouth, where populations are most dense, flocks of 50 or more cardinalsmay visit feeders at any time of the day.Cool Facts:•The brilliantly colored Northern Cardinal is the state bird in seven states—more than any other species.•The number of cardinals has increased over the last 200 years, and thespecies’ range has expanded as well. These changes have probablyresulted from habitat changes. The cardinal adapts well to park-like urbanhabitats and has benefited from bird feeding.17

American GoldfinchRegional Rank #8• Seen at 90% of feeders• Average flock size = 5.0Continental Rank #5Winter plumageSummer maleL. WorthingtonC. RayFood Preferences• Nyjer seed• Black-oil sunflower seedPreferred feeders:•Tube•Hopper•PlatformWinter Behavior:•Goldfinches rely on storing food in their crops each evening to provideenergy during the night.•Goldfinches will hang upside down to eat, but experiments with speciallydesigned feeders have shown that they prefer to dine upright if possible.Cool Fact:•The bright yellow plumage of summertime is replaced by a dull-green winterplumage—often confusing new bird watchers. This winter coat features adense layer of soft feathers to provide extra insulation against coldtemperatures.18

White-breasted NuthatchRegional Rank #7• Seen at 92% of feeders• Average flock size = 1.5Continental Rank #10H. KeyFood Preferences• Suet• Sunflower seed• PeanutsPreferred feeder:•Suet•HopperWinter Behavior:•Nuthatch pairs defend quite large territories year-round. Territory size canbe 25 to 30 acres in woodland and up to twice that in more fragmentedhabitat. As a result, each feeder site is normally visited by only one or twoindividuals, although a feeder near a territorial border may sometimes attractthree or four.Cool Fact:•White-breasted Nuthatches spend quite a bit of their time caching food,carrying seeds a short distance and carefully concealing them in crevices inbark. The male nuthatch, being dominant, may often displace his mate atfood sources or steal food she has just cached. As a result, the female islikely to go on caching trips in the opposite direction from the male and hideher food farther away from the food source than he does.19

Regional Rank #6• Seen at 93% of feeders• Average flock size = 2.3Continental Rank #14Tufted TitmouseL. BarkerFood Preferences• Striped sunflower seed• Black-oil sunflower seedPreferred feeders:•Hopper•Platform•TubeWinter Behavior:•Tufted Titmice are permanent residents and defend territories year-round,although they are often joined in winter by young birds. This territorialbehavior explains why only a few titmice visit feeders at any one time.Cool Fact:•The range of the Tufted Titmouse continues to expand northward. Birdfeeding may play a role in the range expansion.20

Regional Rank #5• Seen at 94% of feeders• Average flock size = 1.7Continental Rank #3Downy WoodpeckerA. ToppingFood Preferences• SuetPreferred feeder:•SuetWinter Behavior:•Male and female Downy Woodpeckers may stay in the same areas inwinter, but they divide up where they look for food. The male feeds more onsmall branches and weed stems, and the female feeds more on largebranches and the trunks of trees. Males appear to keep the females fromforaging in the more productive spots. When the male is removed from awoodlot, the female shifts her foraging efforts to the smaller branches.Cool Fact:•Downy Woodpeckers defend territories against neighboring pairs, but theyare very tolerant of other species. These woodpeckers learn and respond tothe alarm calls of other birds.21

Regional Rank #4• Seen at 95% of feeders• Average flock size = 5.4Continental Rank #4Mourning DoveC. JohnsonFood Preferences• Mixed seed• Cracked cornPreferred feeder:•Ground•PlatformWinter Behavior:•Mourning Doves form winter flocks in November and December. The flocksaverage about 50 birds but range from a few birds to several hundred.•Winter flocks spend their days in fields eating grain or small seeds. Onepatient scientist counted 17,200 grass seeds in a single Mourning Dove’sstomach.Cool Facts:•A Mourning Dove pair rarely leaves its eggs unattended. The male usuallyincubates from mid-morning until late afternoon, and the female sits the restof the day and night. A dove may have up to five or six clutches in a singleyear.•A majority of the Mourning Doves spending the winter in Ontario, Canada,were found to have lost one or more toes to frostbite.22

Regional Rank #3• Seen at 96% of feeders• Average flock size = 3.4Continental Rank #6Blue JayL. BarkerFood Preferences• Striped sunflower seed• Peanuts in shellPreferred feeder:•Ground•PlatformWinter Behavior:•For the most part, Blue Jay migration remains a mystery. Some jays arepresent throughout the winter in all parts of the range. Which jays move andwhich stay put? Although young jays may be more likely to migrate thanadults, many adults do migrate. Some individual jays may migrate south inone year, stay north the next winter, and then migrate south again the nextyear.Cool Facts:•The Blue Jay frequently mimics the calls of hawks, especially the RedshoulderedHawk.•Although Blue Jays may appear to be gluttons at feeders, this behavior iskey to their survival in winter. They often transport and store food in cachesfor later use. One researcher found that the jays he was studying cachedover two thousand beechnuts in a single month.23

Regional Rank #2• Seen at 97% of feeders• Average flock size = 6.3Continental Rank #1Dark-eyed JuncoH. KeyFood Preferences• Mixed seedPreferred feeder:•Ground•PlatformWinter Behavior:•“Snowbirds,” as juncos are also known, have earned their informal name ontwo counts. Not only are they more likely to visit feeders during snowyperiods, but their return from far-northern breeding areas is a signal thatcolder weather is close behind. In fact, juncos are sighted at more feedersacross North America than any other species, visiting over 80% ofFeederWatch sites.Cool Fact:•The sociable junco spends its winter in a flock of up to 30 birds who remaintogether throughout the season. Each flock is organized following adominance hierarchy—dominant birds get to feed in the center of a foodpatch and spend less time looking around for predators. At the top of thedominance hierarchy are adult males, followed by young males, adultfemales, and young females.24

Black-capped ChickadeeRegional Rank #1• Seen at 98% of feeders• Average flock size = 3.0Continental Rank #2(Combined with Carolina Chickadee)M. WoodruffFood Preferences• Sunflower seed• Safflower Seed• Suet• PeanutsPreferred feeder:•Platform•HopperWinter Behavior:•Chickadees spend the winter in flocks that average six to ten individuals.Each flock is composed of a resident pair and a number of unrelatedjuveniles.Cool Facts:•Much of the food gathered by chickadees is stored for later use. Laboratorystudies have shown that 24 hours after caching food, chickadees not onlyremember where they hid items but also which sites hold the highest qualityfoods. These high quality items are recovered first.•Most stored food items are recovered within a day or two, but food may bestored for as long as 28 days.25

Signing up for ProjectFeederWatch is easy…• Online at:www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw• By phone:1-800-843-BIRD• By mail:Send a check for $15 forProject FeederWatch to:PFWCornell Lab of OrnithologyPO Box 11Ithaca, NY 14850A joint research and education project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology,Bird Studies Canada, Audubon, and Nature Canada.Are the Top 20 species at your feeders similar to those reported byFeederWatchers from across New England? You can contribute to futureTop 20 lists and help scientists learn more about the distribution andabundance of feeder birds by participating in Project FeederWatch.You don’t need to be an expert birder to participate. When you sign up youwill receive an identification poster of common feeder birds, a calendar, aninstruction booklet, and the FeederWatcher’s Handbook with tips on birdfeeding.Find more information online at www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw26