A NOTE FROM OUR TEAM

Dear Project Phoenix community,

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to Project Phoenix 2023. As we conclude data collection this year, we want to express our deepest gratitude to the 306 volunteers who helped us monitor birds during this year’s fire season. Community science is powered by people, and our research would not be possible without each and every one of you.

We also want to thank the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the 21 supporting organizations who joined our coalition. Thank you for supporting our research and programming and for helping us connect with and engage communities across California.

Later this fall, volunteers will receive an email from me with a link to a short survey. This questionnaire will ask you about any changes in your monitoring site that occurred during our study period (August – October, 2023) and your experience in Project Phoenix. Your feedback is essential in improving the reach and quality of our programming for Project Phoenix 2024.

In case you missed any newsletters, we’ve archived them here. You can also read more about all of our Birds of the Week on our website. And keep an eye on your inbox for our end-of-year report.

Thank you for your observations, stories, generosity, and commitment to birds. May birds bring you peace and joy this holiday season.

Most sincerely,

~ Olivia

Olivia V. Sanderfoot, Ph.D. | Program Director, Project Phoenix

BIRD OF THE WEEK: California Towhee

by Caitlin O’Neil | Communications Lead, Project Phoenix

The California Towhee is a large sparrow, and its plumage ranges from a light grayish brown to a dark brown, with rust-colored feathers on its face and under its tail. These birds are found in chaparrals in the foothills of Oregon and the coastline of California. They also frequently visit gardens and backyards in suburban areas.

If you catch a California Towhee staring at its reflection, it’s not being vain – it may actually think it’s seeing another bird! Due to this confusion, California Towhees will sometimes attack their own reflection, flying and knocking at windows or car mirrors.

This isn’t the only strange habit of California Towhees – they also build their nests in quite the uncomfortable shrub - poison oak! California Towhees also use poison oak as an all-you-can-eat buffet, feasting on its fruits, along with the berries from elderberry and coffeeberry plants, grass seeds, and insects. You can often see them foraging for their food by doing a “double-scratch” maneuver, jumping forward, and then quickly hopping backward to clear leaf litter from the floor.

FROM OUR PARTNERS: Upcoming Events

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: Día de los Muertos

Join the museum on Sunday, November 5th to remember and celebrate the Day of the Dead with live music, activities, and more! Get your tickets here.

Nature Nexus: Open Wetlands

Join Nature Nexus and the Los Angeles Audubon Society at the Ballona Wetlands Reserve on Saturday, November 4th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for their bimonthly Open Wetlands event. Binoculars will be available to borrow and volunteers will be available to help guide visitors through the reserve and explore all the wonderful wildlife that call the reserve home!

North East Trees: Ascot Hills Nursery

Join North East Trees at their Native Plant Nursery on Sunday, November 5th, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. to help plant native species and weed invasive species. Register here!

FEATURE STORY: Staying Connected

by Caitlin O’Neil | Communications Lead, Project Phoenix

As we conclude data collection for 2023, we want to make sure we stay in touch with the amazing community who made this project possible! We will continue to share updates about our program via our newsletters and on social media. Stay tuned for highlights from data collection in 2023, information on how to get involved next year, and cool events offered by our partners. These events will be a great way to stay connected until Project Phoenix 2024 kicks off next July!

In the meantime, we encourage our volunteers to get involved with community science projects run by our partner organizations, including Project FeederWatch (led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) and the Christmas Bird Count (led by the National Audubon Society). The CBC is the longest-running community science project in the nation and a great way to stay connected! CBC will run from December 14, 2023 to January 5, 2023.

Connecting with your local Audubon chapter is another wonderful way to stay involved in birding, as most chapters offer bird walks, support ongoing habitat restoration projects, host speakers, and much more! Members of the UCLA community may like to join the Bruin Birding Club, which hosts bird walks on campus and local field trips.

We also encourage you to explore our partners page to learn more about our supporting organizations and how to get involved. Click on the logos to learn more about each organization and all the incredible work they do for our communities!

Thank you for volunteering with Project Phoenix, we hope to see you next year!

Thank you to all our partners and supporting organizations!

Project Phoenix is grateful to our partners and all the supporting organizations who help our program soar. Visit our partners page to learn more about the incredible work of these non-profit organizations – from science to conservation to outdoor recreation, these orgs are dedicated to protecting our environment for people and the birds we love.