Volunteer bird lovers all over North America are collecting data in their own backyards

Researchers need to know how many birds and what species people are seeing at their backyard bird feeders, so they're turning volunteers into citizen scientists.

Project FeederWatch is hosted by Birds Canada jointly with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in the U.S.

It started in Canada 36 years ago, running November to April annually.

"Collecting long-term data on birds is so important," said Jody Allair, director of community engagement at Birds Canada.

"Birds are one of the most important indicators of environmental change on our planet and so watching birds and keeping track of birds tells us a lot about how our environment is changing."

Allair says tens of thousands of people have signed up for the program all over North America.

He says Project FeederWatch is made simple with online tools and a smartphone app to help people keep track of the birds in their yards.

"The beauty of this program is that it's sort of like a win-win for birds and conservation," he said.

"You don't have to have any experience with birds. It's such a great entry-level program. We give you all the tools you need to identify birds, so no fear … people learn about the birds in their yards and they become connected with the subject matter – they become connected with nature."

Jim McCabe has volunteered with the program for 18 years from his home in Nacmine, Alta., a community just west of Drumheller.

He's an avid bird watcher and wildlife photographer and he's recorded 120 species of birds in a year with 16 during the winter months.

McCabe has 10 feeders on his property.

Some are right by the kitchen window while others have been spread out.

"I've got a suet feeder that the woodpeckers really like, shelled peanut feeders, black oil sunflower seed," he said.

"Which is probably the best one if you want to have just one bird food, I would say black oil sunflower seeds. I've got Nyger seed and a corn mix that I spread along the riverbank for the pheasants."

McCabe is invested in birds and wants to know how the population is changing, so he's a fan of the program.

Birds Canada researchers are discovering some changing population trends in the bird population.

With the help of volunteer data, they're finding increases of more southerly birds moving north.

Anna’s hummingbirds are overwintering more throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland area, while in places like Ontario and Quebec, more red-bellied woodpeckers are moving north.

Right across the country, they're seeing more American robins through the winter.

"We are also seeing negative population trends with birds," Allair said.

"One good example is the evening grosbeak, which is a bird that you can find nesting in the boreal forests and in the the foothills in the mountains. This is a bird that used to be a lot more common right across Canada and used to be a very common feeder bird all the way through Eastern Canada and now their populations have just plummeted."

Learn more about Project FeederWatch at birdscanada.org.