Birdfeeder Data Collection
(Adapted from the Cornell FeederWatch Program)

Count Days are two consecutive days that you select for watching your feeders and recording data for Project FeederWatch. You will select two Count Days during each Count Period, which is a window of time within which to select your two consecutive days. For Wisconsin NatureMapping, you may set a Count Period of one week or more.

Select your FeederWatch Count Days in advance and try your best to stick with them. Don’t change your Count Days just because you see remarkable numbers or kinds of birds. Doing so would bias your data. However any new or unique sighting can be reported as a single observation to the NatureMapping database.

Watch your feeders for as long as you can during your two Count Days. However, you don’t need to get up early or watch continuously. Many people observe the birds at their feeders before and after work, or they count for five minutes at the top of every hour. If you can’t count for two days in a row, that is okay, but try to count longer on your one available day.

For entering data on the NatureMapping Site, you may count your birds every week. Just make sure that your counts are at least five days apart and that you count for two days in a row (you may decide to count every Tuesday and Wednesday, for example).

Important Note: If you intend to enter birdfeeder data make sure you select the "feeder count" choice on the bird data input page. This will insure your feeder data is credited as using the following methods.

Specific Methods for FeederWatch Counting

The FeederWatch counting method we have adapted is designed to provide an index of abundance for each bird species. The Wisconsin NatureMapping adaptation is designed to standardize our feeder watching data collection, and to help indicate relative presence absence of species. To ensure that the Wisconsin NatureMapping database can be used for scientific research, every FeederWatcher should count birds in the exact same way. Here’s how to conduct your two-day count.

1. Keep a tally sheet and a field guide handy.
2. Each time you see a species within your Count Site (birdfeeder and surrounding area), count the number of individuals in view at one time and record that number on your tally sheet. (For example, if the first time you look at your feeder you see one Northern Cardinal and two Blue Jays, record these numbers next to their names.)
3. If later on you see more individuals of these species in view at one time, revise your Tally Sheet to reflect the larger number. (For example, if later on you see two Northern Cardinals and three Blue Jays, change the number of Northern Cardinals on your Tally Sheet from one to two, and the number of Blue Jays from two to three. Do not add your counts together; record only the largest number of individuals of each species in view at one time. By following this method you will never report a single bird more than once per Count Period.)
4. At the end of your two Count Days, the largest number of individuals that you saw at one time becomes your final tally and the number that you will report to Wisconsin NatureMapping.
5. Record the date, the weather, and how much time you spent observing birds on your count days.

Please count...

... all of the individuals that are in view at one time. For example, if two House Sparrows are on your feeder and six more are waiting their turn in a nearby bush, count all eight.

... birds that are attracted to your Count Site because of something you provided, either directly or indirectly. For example, count birds that are investigating your feeder or bird bath even if they don’t eat food or take a bath.

... birds that are attracted to fruits or ornamental plantings in your Count Site, even if only a few individuals actually visit your feeders. Examples might include Cedar Waxwings and American Robins.

... hawks, owls, and other predatory birds and shrikes that are attracted by birds at your feeders, even if the predators are not successful in catching a meal.

But don't count...

... birds that simply fly over your Count Site, such as Canada Geese or Sandhill Cranes.

... birds that you observe outside of your chosen Count Days. Unusual observations on non-count days may be reported as incidental observations on Wisconsin NatureMapping. You also may report your feeder sightings to eBird or Cornell Lab's FeederWatch. The FeederWatch program has very similar guidelines (we have adapted some of their bird feeder observation protocols for Wisconsin NatureMapping).

Questions? Contact info@wisnatmap.org or call 715-877-2212.

This page last updated: 6-29-07        
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