UPDATE: We are no longer accepting new participants. We have left the Web site up so that people that have entered data can still view it. We encourage one to join iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) to enter bird sightings. The Florida Bird Monitoring Program was developed by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation's Wildlife Extension office. The objective of the Florida Bird Monitoring Program is to maintain a Web site where people can enter and view collected bird survey data. Homeowners and participants from various natural resource, Cooperative Extension, and state education programs are encouraged to participate. Which types of birds are visiting a yard or neighborhood? Through this Web site, people can track which birds occur in their yards and communities over time. For property owners that are landscaping for wildlife, which landscaping strategies and management techniques worked best in attracting certain bird species? For example, the University of Florida's Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Florida Yards & Neighborhoods programs teach people ways to improve the ecological design and maintenance of their yards. How have these techniques affected birds? By participating in this program, one can monitor the quantity and types of birds that visit an area from month to month and year to year. Most importantly, people can compare survey results. Where and what types of birds are occurring in different areas? Are certain birds favoring one property over another? Why is this so? By comparing surveys, people can discuss ideas, pose questions, and develop suggestions about how to improve their neighborhoods for birds. Such data comparisons eventually lead to the development of alternative strategies, and solutions. Surveys can be conducted anywhere. Small lots and yards, neighborhoods, city parks and reserves, agricultural land and large properties, lakes and ponds, and schoolyards are all potential areas to survey birds.
UPDATE: We are no longer accepting new participants. We have left the Web site up so that people that have entered data can still view it. We encourage one to join iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) to enter bird sightings.
The Florida Bird Monitoring Program was developed by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation's Wildlife Extension office. The objective of the Florida Bird Monitoring Program is to maintain a Web site where people can enter and view collected bird survey data. Homeowners and participants from various natural resource, Cooperative Extension, and state education programs are encouraged to participate.
Which types of birds are visiting a yard or neighborhood? Through this Web site, people can track which birds occur in their yards and communities over time. For property owners that are landscaping for wildlife, which landscaping strategies and management techniques worked best in attracting certain bird species? For example, the University of Florida's Backyard Wildlife Habitat and Florida Yards & Neighborhoods programs teach people ways to improve the ecological design and maintenance of their yards. How have these techniques affected birds? By participating in this program, one can monitor the quantity and types of birds that visit an area from month to month and year to year.
Most importantly, people can compare survey results. Where and what types of birds are occurring in different areas? Are certain birds favoring one property over another? Why is this so? By comparing surveys, people can discuss ideas, pose questions, and develop suggestions about how to improve their neighborhoods for birds. Such data comparisons eventually lead to the development of alternative strategies, and solutions.
Surveys can be conducted anywhere. Small lots and yards, neighborhoods, city parks and reserves, agricultural land and large properties, lakes and ponds, and schoolyards are all potential areas to survey birds.
Click on the cardinal to the left to view survey results throughout the state of Florida. You can view results of stationary point count surveys (usually these surveys are located in individual yards but can be on large properties such as parks) or view results of walked transect surveys (usually these surveys are located in neighborhoods or sometimes on large properties).
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in conjunction with the Florida Department of Health has established a a wild bird mortality database. Your help is needed to help researchers monitor and determine the cause of bird die-offs in Florida and to aid in monitoring for West Nile Virus (WNV).
Please visit the FWC Bird Mortality Data web page for more information or to assist.