Bird-feeding enthusiasts asked to watch for West Nile Virus

When most people think of West Nile virus, they think of its effects on people. Despite the publicity surrounding its human impact, the virus is primarily one that affects birds. And just what kind of effect is it having on birds? Researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology invite bird-feeding enthusiasts to help them find out.

Since 1987, the Cornell Lab has been conducting Project FeederWatch, a winter bird survey that invites bird enthusiasts of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds to count the numbers and kinds of birds that visit their feeders from November through early April. Cornell Lab researchers analyze the data to determine changes in population distribution and abundance of some 100 species that regularly visit feeders.

Although crows and jays were among the first species known to be affected by West Nile virus, more than 110 species of birds have been infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP). What will this mean for North America's beloved feeder birds?

"Because Project FeederWatch has more than 15 years' worth of data, we have a strong baseline to determine population changes in recent years that may be attributable to West Nile virus," said David Bonter, project leader for Project FeederWatch, in a press release. "But to be able to make an accurate assessment, we need as many people as possible to tell us which bird species they're seeing at their feeders and in what numbers."

The CDCP points out that the virus is spread among birds and to people by mosquitoes, and reassures that there is no connection between bird feeding and West Nile virus.

Currently, almost 17,000 "citizen scientists" from across the U.S. and Canada are signed up for the project and contribute their observations to researchers at the Cornell Lab. Participants count birds for as long or as little time as they wish on select days throughout the winter. They may submit their observations over the Internet or on paper forms sent by regular mail. Data are combined and findings are published in scientific journals, magazines and on the Lab's web site.

FeederWatch data have already contributed to important breakthroughs in scientists' understanding of bird diseases. In recent years, FeederWatchers have been helping track the spread of mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, or "House Finch eye disease." The illness primarily affects a common bird called the House Finch, manifesting itself in the form of swollen, crusty eyes and frequently leading to blindness and eventually death as the birds starve or are caught by predators. Results of the study were published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Cornell Lab researchers continue to rely on project participants to help them understand the dynamics of this disease and why it persists.

Project FeederWatch also produced the first study to document cyclical changes in Varied Thrush abundance and the irruptive movements of the Common Redpoll. "These findings have been possible simply because so many bird-feeding enthusiasts are serving as our eyes and ears, since researchers can't be everywhere at once," said Dr. Wesley Hochachka, assistant director of Bird Population Studies at the Cornell Lab and the scientist and coauthor of many of the FeederWatch findings. "Involving the public in our research is the best way to acquire vast amounts of data."

Participants in Project FeederWatch receive a research kit that includes a full-color feeder-bird poster, a calendar and the FeederWatcher's handbook containing bird-feeding tips and other useful information. They receive summaries of FeederWatch data and other findings published in the Lab's quarterly newsletter, Birdscope. A $15 fee helps cover the cost of materials and data analysis.

Here in Alaska, FeederWatchers can look forward to seeing common redpolls, black-capped chickadees, boreal chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, pine grosbeaks, black-billed magpies, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, pine siskins and dark-eyed juncos.

For more information about Project FeederWatch or to sign up, people may call the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473 or visit the FeederWatch web site at www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a nonprofit membership institution interpreting and conserving the earth's biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds.