Participate in Focus on Feeders 2012

Whether you’re novice or experienced birder, participating in Focus on Feeders is easy – and fun!

Step 1: Save the Date: February 4th and 5th.
That's the weekend to make your bird observations. There's no minimum amount of time you're required to devote to Focus on Feeders. We want as many people as possible to participate!

Ask your friends and neighbors to join the fun - the names of all those who report their observations will be entered into a drawing to win one of several prizes, including Mass Audubon baseball caps and more!

Step 2: On February 4th and 5th, watch for birds in your yard and at your feeder.
Although we call it Focus on Feeders, we want to know about all the birds you see in your yard from Chickadees to Red-tailed Hawks. You can download and print out our Focus on Feeders reporting form - it has a list of the most commonly-seen birds.

Step 3: For each bird species, keep track of the highest number you see at one time.
For most birds, it's hard to know whether you've seen the same two birds three times, or six different birds. So we want you to count the maximum number of each species that you see at any one time - you should have one count to report for each species of bird you see. Some birds tend to wait in a nearby tree or bush for their turn at your feeder. Try to include them in your count, too.

Identifying Bird Species - including tips on identifying commonly confused species

Step 4: Enter your bird counts online, or mail in our downloadable form.
We've made an easy, online form where you can enter your highest count for each bird species. It includes an area to add any birds that aren't listed.

If you prefer, you can download our report form (pdf), fill it out, and mail it back to us at the address on the form.

We need to have all of the results by February 29th, so we can tally the data.

We will be awarding prizes to randomly-selected participants, so don't forget to get us your results by February 29th!