Spokane Residents Can Count Songbirds This Fall

Spokane residents can spend the colder months recording the birds that visit their backyard feeders. Familiar local visitors include chickadees, quail and flickers, along with nuthatches and both gold finch and house finch. The combination can vary yearly as weather conditions move birds between elevations. During last winter’s mild conditions, robins appeared in one local yard in early February, earlier than their usual arrival near the month’s end. Some birds normally found along the coast also crossed the mountains.

Those observations help researchers follow changes in the size and range of songbird populations. Bird movements can also signal broader shifts among plants and animals within an ecosystem. Project FeederWatch gathers feeder counts submitted across North America, allowing scientists to map migration changes and population strength as the climate changes.

The program is operated jointly by the Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory and Bird Studies Canada. Participants receive identification resources and instructions for recording and sending their counts to the Cornell Lab. No previous bird knowledge is required, and observations can be completed on the participant’s own timetable. Classes, clubs and youth groups may also participate, giving children practical experience with scientific observation and natural history.

This season runs from Nov. 1 through April 30. Enrollment costs $18, which pays for program support and materials, and begins at feederwatch.org by choosing the participant’s country. The free Merlin phone app offers another identification option: it listens for calls and can recognize birds located within 50 yards of the device.