Project FeederWatch

Counting birds at your feeder this winter is an easy, flexible opportunity - open to all skill levels and a great way to learn bird identification.

A Red-bellied woodpecker sits on a tree stump where seeds have been strewn. — ©Red-bellied WoodpeckerPhoto: Sandra Hawkins

Across Canada

Join Project FeederWatch

Every time a bird lands in your yard, it’s a moment of connection – a flash of movement, colour and life, right outside your window. With Project FeederWatch, those moments become part of something bigger: a shared effort across North America to understand and protect the birds we love.

When you join Project FeederWatch, you help track how bird populations are changing in real time. Your observations become part of a long-term record that paints a detailed picture of where birds are, and where they are not, during the winter months. Alongside thousands of other participants, your contributions help scientists:

Understand weekly changes in bird distribution and abundance
Detect and explain gradual changes in the wintering ranges of many species
Track the spread of diseases and emerging threats
Inform conservation action that protects birds where they live

FeederWatch runs from November to April and invites you to share observations of birds visiting your backyard and community space. While many people watch birds at feeders, you don’t need one to take part—just a place where you enjoy watching birds. The program is flexible and designed to fit your routine. You choose where to participate, when to take part, and how much time to spend, whether that’s every week or just once over the winter.

Project FeederWatch

Getting involved is easy!

1. Join Project FeederWatch

A donation of any amount covers participation all season.

Join now

2. Watch birds

Record the birds that visit your count site as, often as once a week or once all season (November 1 – April 30).

Read detailed instructions

3. Submit your observations

Submit your observations at feederwatch.org or download the Project FeederWatch mobile app.

Submit now

A White-breasted Nuthatch grips the side of a bird feeder filled with seeds. — ©White-breasted NuthatchPhoto: Danielle Dixon

If you live in the United States, please sign up through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

United States Registration

Anyone can join Project FeederWatch, and you don’t need a feeder to participate!

Project FeederWatch brings people across North America together to observe and learn about birds, and we aim to make it accessible and welcoming to everyone. We welcome people of all ages and experience levels take part. Often people join on their own, however you can also participate as part of a club or community group. Have a question or feedback about participation? We welcome you to contact us.

Email for general enquiries Contact us for Media and Press requests

40 Years of Contributing Data

History of Project FeederWatch

In 1976, through Birds Canada’s Long Point Bird Observatory, Erica Dunn established the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey. What started as a regional effort quickly proved its value. With more than 500 participants contributing observations from their homes, it became clear that people were eager to take part, and that their data could uncover meaningful patterns in bird movements.

But birds don’t follow borders. To truly understand how populations shift across seasons and landscapes, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology became an important partner in supporting program reach across the United States.

Project FeederWatch is now powered by tens of thousands of participants and grounded in the same idea that started it all: that small, consistent actions at home can drive big advances in bird conservation.

Join Project FeederWatch