Whittier Area Audubon Society is encouraging all our members to participate in an important research project by counting and reporting the number of birds seen or heard, by species, for 10 minutes each week in a location convenient to them. Eventually this information will support our efforts to maintain or improve the abundance of birds in our area by clarifying the impacts of wildfires due to anthropogenic Climate Change.
Project Phoenix is a community science project supported by the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC). The goal is to engage communities in monitoring birds in their neighborhoods during Summer and Fall to learn more about how wildfire smoke and urban air pollution impact bird behavior and species distributions. This research will help identify the places and resources birds use when it is smoky to inform local conservation strategies and protect birds in the age of megafires. The program is open to birders of all ages and backgrounds including families and beginner birders. There is no cost to participate, and online training is available for folks new to birding. Volunteers sign up to conduct weekly, 10-minute, stationary point counts of birds at a monitoring site of their choosing – their backyard, favorite park, etc. They may contribute additional observations (e.g., from additional surveys or opportunistically) if they choose. Last year’s Project focused on monitoring birds in California for 3 months - August through October. In 2024, it is expanding to include communities in Washington and Oregon and collecting data for 5 months - July through November. Identification of species by sound may be determined using “TheCornellLab Merlin” app on your smartphone. Reporting of the data is via eBird.
Project Phoenix research goals:
Collect data on the presence and abundance of birds during the fire season.
Evaluate the impact of urban air pollution and wildfire smoke on bird distributions, and consider if these responses vary across habitats.
Propose local intervention strategies to help birds during acute smoke events
To participate, go to https://www.project-phoenix-investigating-bird-responses-to-smoke.org/