Citizen Science
Citizen scientists are making a big difference in what we know about birds and the natural world. Citizen science is the partnership of volunteers with scientists to answer real-world questions. There are many opportunities to get involved in citizen science initiatives of all levels. Explore our favorite opportunities below!
Programs Run by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
(Formerly Madison Audubon):
Bird Collision Corps
WHAT: Monitoring specific buildings on the UW-Madison campus for dead or injured birds
WHEN: Three days per week for 60-90 minute surveys, mid-April to early June or mid-September to early November.
WHERE: UW-Madison campus
WHY: To study the frequency and patterns of bird-window collisions
We know window strikes are a big problem for birds, leading to the second-highest source of human-caused bird deaths, right after free-ranging cats. But there is a lot we don't understand yet, and much to explore on a local level as well. The Bird Collision Corps sets up volunteers to survey specific high-priority buildings on campus (tall and/or with lots of windows) during migration to study which buildings have the highest impact on bird deaths and why.
KESTREL NESTBOX MONITORING PROGRAM
WHAT: Installing, monitoring, maintaining kestrel nest boxes within south-central Wisconsin
WHEN: Frequent visits, March through July
WHERE: A nest box near you in south-central Wisconsin!
WHY: Support American Kestrel populations in a time when they continue to lose nesting habitat.
The American Kestrel population in our region declined 41% between 1966 and 2014, partly due to loss of their natural nest sites in tree cavities. Our goal is to reverse that trend by providing nest boxes (which they readily take to), ensuring the boxes are clean and protected from predators, and monitoring and documenting their nesting progress from egg laying to fledging. Volunteers also get the opportunity to help band adults and chicks each summer.
Bald Eagle Nest Watch
WHAT: Monitoring Bald Eagle nests to determine productivity and success
WHEN: Weekly one-hour sessions through fledging, approx. February through June
WHERE: 40 counties throughout Wisconsin
WHY: To better understand how well Bald Eagles are reproducing in Wisconsin
Watch a family of Bald Eagles as the parents rear their young and shoo them from the nest. Volunteers adopt a nest and make weekly, hour-long visits to document nest activity starting in February through June. You'll get to know this family of baldies well, and learn a lot about the ecology and life history of our nation's bird.
CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT
WHAT: Early-winter bird census
WHEN: December-January (exact dates vary year to year)
WHERE: Southern Wisconsin (and nationwide)
WHY: Data on bird populations fuels smart bird conservation
National Audubon's Christmas Bird Count is the nation's longest-running citizen science bird project. Over a century's worth of data has been collected since the project began, and now its as much of a tradition for many friends and families as it is a massive scientific project. Data from the Christmas Bird Count has been used in countless important research discoveries, including National Audubon's landmark Birds and Climate Change study. SoWBA now coordinates the Madison-area count, and supports other counts in our service area. We encourage our members to get involved! Find out how to get started below.
OTHER CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAMS:
Eastern bluebirds are a thrill to find! Photo by Arlene Koziol
CLIMATE WATCH
WHAT: Eastern Bluebird survey
WHEN: You choose one day! -- Winter session: Jan. 15-Feb. 15 / Summer session: June 1-15
WHERE: Nationwide
WHY: Presence/absence data tell us whether climate change is impacting or will impact habitat for bluebirds
We know climate change will impact birds. National Audubon's landmark Birds and Climate Change study shows that. The Climate Watch citizen science program is documenting how that will play out. Volunteers conduct twelve 5-minute point-counts in traditionally good bluebird habitat and document all species observed, as well as weather conditions and other information. They submit those data online, and scientists apply them to climate and habitat models to determine if habitat for these species is increasing, decreasing, or staying the same.
SoWBA ran the local Climate Watch effort from 2016-2018. Beginning in January 2019, National Audubon is coordinating local volunteers.
This nuthatch might be one of the birds you spy during your Great Backyard Bird Count! Photo by Madison Audubon member Pat Ready
GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT
WHAT: Online-based late winter bird census
WHEN: Annually in February (check here for upcoming dates)
WHERE: Around the world!
WHY: Scientists use information from the Great Backyard Bird Count to get the “big picture” about what is happening to bird populations. The longer these data are collected, the more meaningful they become in helping scientists investigate far-reaching questions.
Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. Now, more than 160,000 people of all ages and walks of life worldwide join the four-day count each February to create an annual snapshot of the distribution and abundance of birds. It's very easy to participate! Simply tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. You can count from any location, anywhere in the world, for as long as you wish!
You can contribute important scientific data by simply recording what you see at your backyard bird feeders. Visit the FeederWatch website to find out more. Photo by Ron Dunnington, Creative Commons
Project FeederWatch
WHAT: Winter-long survey of backyard bird feeder visitors
WHEN: Annually, Nov.-April
WHERE: North America
WHY: FeederWatch scientists gain insight into the distribution and abundance of our winter birds
What sets the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's FeederWatch project apart from other monitoring programs is the detailed picture that FeederWatch data provide about weekly changes in bird distribution and abundance across the United States and Canada. Importantly, FeederWatch data tell us where birds are as well as where they are not. This crucial information enables scientists to piece together the most accurate population maps.
Monitoring the nests of birds in your area can help scientists understand their reproductive behaviors. Photo of red-winged blackbird nest by Carolyn Byers
NESTWATCH
WHAT: Nest monitoring survey
WHEN: Annually during breeding season
WHERE: Across the United States
WHY: To track the status and trends of the reproductive biology of birds
Participating in Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch program is easy and amazing. NestWatch is a nationwide monitoring program designed to track status and trends in the reproductive biology of birds, including when nesting occurs, number of eggs laid, how many eggs hatch, and how many hatchlings survive. The NestWatch database is intended to be used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals.
Help collect data on Wisconsin's eastern bluebird populations. Photo by Arlene Koziol
BLUEBIRD RESTORATION ASSOCIATION OF WISCONSIN
WHAT: Eastern bluebird nest box monitoring projects
WHERE: Throughout Wisconsin
WHEN: Annually, spring-summer
The Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin (BRAW) is SoWBA members' go-to resource for starting and monitoring bluebird nest box trails. When BRAW was organized in 1986, it was estimated that the Eastern Bluebird population in its historic range had declined by 90% during the preceding 50 years. BRAW works to bring to light the efforts of Wisconsin citizens who had been helping bluebirds in the past and those who have recently joined their ranks.
A northern flicker is a wonderful sight to see. Photo by Monica Hall
WHAT: Millions of citizen scientist observations of bird sightings
WHERE: Worldwide
WHEN: 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day
A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds, and has proven to be an incredibly valuable tool for ornithologists. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.
A monarch caterpillar climbs up a milkweed. Photo by Arlene Koziol
Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program
WHAT: Choose from 1 of 4 monarch-related activities (plant surveys, egg and larva surveys, adult surveys, survival and parasitism study) to better understand what helps monarchs flourish or set them back.
WHEN: Summer, frequency depends on activity you choose
WHERE: Across Wisconsin, a site selected through the IMMP, your own 1+ acre site, or go out to our sanctuaries!
WHY: Monarchs are in decline, and you can help scientists understand the most effective ways to protect them.
This project is heavy on fun, science, and customization. You can choose which activity sounds like the most fun and best fits your schedule, and then hit the field to do those surveys. Whether you’re looking for eggs, adults, milkweeds, or parasites, you are contributing to much-needed research on what helps monarchs flourish and what sets them back. To get involved, (1) decide which activity(ies) interest you, (2) determine your preference for an IMMP site (see map) or select your own, then (3) attend an in-person or online training, and go!
Our organization’s members have been tagging monarch butterflies at Goose Pond Sanctuary for several years to assist with MonarchWatch data collection on the iconic migrating insect. Photo by Arlene Koziol
MONARCH WATCH
WHAT: Tagging migrating monarch butterflies
WHEN: Annually, Aug.-Sep.
WHERE: Across the United States (tagging events are hosted at SoWBA's Goose Pond Sanctuary each year)
WHY: Recent declines in monarch butterfly populations prompted investigation to learn more about these incredible migrating insects
In all the world, no butterflies migrate like the monarchs of North America. Migrating populations travel up to three thousand miles! They are the only butterflies to make such a long, two-way migration each year. Scientists are eager to learn more about monarch migration, in order to best understand the species conservation needs. Populations of this once abundant butterfly have sharply declined, and it is urgent to understand why to forge new and effective conservation efforts.
Wisconsin Frog & Toad Survey
Eastern gray tree frog. Photo by USFWS.
WHAT: A citizen-based monitoring program coordinated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP)
WHERE: Across the state of Wisconsin
WHEN: Early spring, late spring, and summer
WHY: The primary purpose of the Wisconsin Frog & Toad Survey (WFTS) is to determine the status, distribution, and long-term population trends of Wisconsin's twelve frog and toad species
The WFTS was initiated in 1981 in response to known and suspected declines in several Wisconsin species, particularly northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens), Blanchard's cricket frogs (Acris crepitans), pickerel frogs (Lithobates palustris), and bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). The WFTS began annual statewide surveys in 1984 and is now one of the longest running amphibian monitoring projects in North America. Phenology surveys have also recently been added to help monitor frog breeding seasons in relation to fluctuating spring weather conditions.
Great Spangled Fritillary on Purple Cone Flower. Photo by Arlene Koziol.
North American Butterfly Count
WHAT: Butterfly census conducted each summer
WHERE: In 15-mile diameter circles across the state
WHEN: Summer
WHY: To monitor butterfly populations across North America
There are four North American Butterfly Counts conducted in SoWBA's service area. They include counts in Avoca, Baraboo, Madison, and Mud Lake/Poynette. The Poynette count includes SoWBA's Goose Pond Sanctuary. Get involved with a butterfly count in your region, or join us at Goose Pond!
Trail camera photos give Wisconsin scientists a better idea of wildlife populations in the state (like the presence of this rare white deer in Sauk County). As a result, the WI DNR gains data for management purposes. Photo by Arlene Koziol
SNAPSHOT WISCONSIN
WHAT: Wildlife monitoring using trail cameras
WHERE: Throughout Wisconsin
WHEN: Year-round
WHY: Trail camera monitoring provide Wisconsin DNR scientists with easy and affordable access to wildlife population data
Snapshot Wisconsin is a statewide wildlife monitoring program that relies on volunteers to host trail cameras throughout the year. Trail cameras are mounted to trees or posts and take photos when triggered by the heat and movement of a passing animal. Once the photos are uploaded and classified by the Zooniverse community, they become data that can be used to understand patterns of animal occurrence for many different species.
Have a citizen science project for us to add to this page? Just send us an email at info@swibirds.org
Banner photo by Matt Reetz
