Focus on Feeders 2007
Results & Photo Contest Winners

We would like to thank the almost 500 backyard bird feeding enthusiasts from across Massachusetts who took part in this fun and educational annual event. Focus on Feeders helps to raise conservation awareness, and further Mass Audubon's efforts to protect wildlife and habitat in Massachusetts.

A few highlights from the 2007 event:

• Nearly 50 different species were reported. The species observed in the greatest numbers were Dark-eyed Juncos (3,400 sightings), House (English) Sparrow (2,240 sightings), Mourning Doves (2,190 sightings), American Goldfinch (1,944 sightings), and Black-capped Chickadees (1,486 sightings).
• Numbers of birds per participant were up slightly from 2006, and several species increased substantially, including Dark-eyed Junco, whose sightings per observer were up nearly 80%. Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, and Starlings also increased. American Goldfinch was down slightly and Black-capped Chickadee sightings declined by 25%.
• We had a strange winter, with little snowfall for much of the season, an unseasonably warm January, and a cold, snowless February. Few unusual sightings were reported, and the winter finches (grosbeaks, siskins, and redpolls) remained rare sightings this winter.
• Thanks to your participation, our winter feeder database continues to grow. The current Focus on Feeders program dates from 1997, and results depicting changes in the rank order of birds visiting feeders since 1997 can be found in this table*.
• Some interesting patterns are beginning to emerge, and we will provide more detailed analysis of these results in upcoming posts to our web site. The more participants we have, the more valuable the data, so please ask your neighbors to join in the fun. A 2001 US Fish and Wildlife Service survey indicated that more than 1,000,000 people in Massachusetts feed birds!
• Our participants reported that they feed birds an average of 12 months of the year. The majority feed sunflower seed, followed by suet, thistle and mixed seed. Most shop for bird food at grocery stores, but many support our conservation efforts by purchasing bird feeding supplies and equipment at the Audubon Shop and our wildlife sanctuaries.

Did you Know?

Mass Audubon has been asking Massachusetts residents to report feeder birds since 1967. It all started with surveys for Northern Cardinal and Tufted Titmouse, common feeder birds today, but rare in Massachusetts in the 1960's. Stay tuned to this web site to learn more about this effort and the history of feeder watching in Massachusetts.

Did you participate?

Of the nearly 500 people who took part in this event, 350 were Mass Audubon members -- we'd like to thank our members for their support as well as their participation!

Did your community participate? How many different species were seen in your region and around the state? Find out by viewing our participation and species distribution maps.

Want to learn more about birds and birding?

More than 150 participants, members and non-members alike, told us they had taken a Mass Audubon birding program. If you are interested in other ways to get involved in Mass Audubon's bird conservation work there are many opportunities:

• Coming in May is Bird-a-thon, a fun 24-hour search for species, which raises important funds for our statewide wildlife and habitat protection efforts.
• Mass Audubon's Oriole Project is seeking citizen scientists to help build a database about the breeding status of these magnificent birds, and ensure they will be a permanent part of our landscape. Help us find Whip-poor-wills! See our web site for details - coming soon!
• Focus on Feeders takes place every February, but you can record your bird sightings throughout the year with Mass Audubon's eBird, our online birding tool.

Additionally, 361 participants reported that they had visited a Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuary. With 43 spectacular sites from the Berkshires to Cape Cod and the Islands, Mass Audubon offers many wonderful opportunities for bird watching, hiking, paddling and other outdoor activities.

And the photo contest winners are...

Thanks to everyone who sent in photographs! From the most humorous to the most interesting, check out this year's photo contest winners below.

2007 Photo Contest Winners
To add to the fun, many participants submitted wildlife photographs with their Report Forms. Prizes were awarded in the following categories:
Best Overall Photos - "Bluebird with Berries" Submitted by Cheryl Rose
Most Humorous Feeding Behavior "Saint Francis Feeding the Flock" (Wild Turkey) Submitted by Lisa N. Brayton	Most Humorous Photo "Decisions... decisions" (Black-capped Chickadee) Submitted by Leigh Hayward
Most Unusual Birds "What's up, ducks?" (Harlequin Ducks) Submitted by Lisa N. Brayton	Most Interesting Feeding Behavior "What's for dessert?" (Coopers Hawk) Submitted by Heather Steenburgh

View Past Results: 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003