A NOTE FROM OUR TEAM

As we conclude week 2 of data collection, I want to thank you all for volunteering with us! The time and energy that you put into Project Phoenix is what makes this project possible. We want to make it as easy as possible for all of our volunteers to participate, so we have created a variety of resources to help aid you in collecting data. If you are new to birding, we have tutorials on species identification, which have resources to help you identify birds, and tutorials on how to improve your birding skills. If you are new to using eBird, we have step-by-step instructions on how to use the eBird mobile app. You can also join us during our weekly virtual office hours, on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. PST to ask any questions you may have about Project Phoenix, eBird, species identification, and more! All of these resources and additional ones can be found underneath the “Resources” tab on our website.

Thank you again for volunteering with us. We wish you safe and happy birding!

Caitlin O’Neil | Communications Lead, Project Phoenix

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Sophia Kruspsha

Sophia is a naturalist who hails from the Atlantic region but now lives on the Pacific coast. She currently serves as the Secretary and Social Media Manager for the Washington Ornithological Society, where she volunteers her time to organize community outreach events, develop newsletters, and aid in recruitment. Sophia is actively involved in community science projects and participates in surveys for the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Lek Monitoring project, and pelagic surveys. Her interest in the lack of research on how birds respond to wildfires led her to join Project Phoenix. Sophia is passionate about addressing the impact of climate change on increasingly severe fire seasons and believes that collecting data is crucial for effective conservation efforts.

Thank you so much for your contributions to Project Phoenix, Sophia!

We love to hear from our volunteers! What motivated you to join Project Phoenix? Click here to share your story.

BIRD OF THE WEEK: Mourning Dove

by Caitlin O’Neil | Communications Lead, Project Phoenix

The gentle coos of the Mourning Dove have acted as the soundtrack to early mornings for centuries across the country. These soft brown and gray birds live nearly everywhere, perching on telephone wires or foraging on patches of open ground. And while these birds may be known for their calming call, they are also recognizable for the whistling noise that their wings make when they take flight. As air passes through a Mourning Dove’s wings, the tips of its flight feathers vibrate, creating a distinct whistling. This whistling is thought to potentially startle predators or warn flock mates of dangers.

IN THE NEWS: Wildfire Smoke Causes Health Declines in California Birds

In a recent UCLA study, Project Phoenix team members, Dr. Morgan Tingley and Dr. Olivia Sanderfoot, found that exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to a decline in bird activity and health. The study explored how PM2.5 - a main pollutant in wildfire smoke - impacted bird populations over two decades using bird banding data from the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. They found that short-term exposure led to decreased bird activity, while long-term exposure led to increased bird activity. Birds that were repeatedly exposed to PM2.5 were also found to have a decrease in their individual body mass. This loss of body mass and activity can be harmful to bird populations, especially during breeding and migration season. Their work highlights the need for more long-term monitoring of birds and their behaviors during massive smoke events, which all of you at Project Phoenix are helping to do!

FEATURE STORY: Monitoring Your Local Air Quality

by Caitlin O’Neil | Communications Lead, Project Phoenix

As fire season continues, you may receive an air quality alert. But, what do these air quality alerts mean? Air quality is determined by the concentration of pollutants present in the air at a specific location. Exposure to air pollution can negatively impact our health, causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Air quality alerts help our communities take action to protect ourselves from air pollution.

AirNow (airnow.gov) is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “one-stop shop” for air quality data. This website allows users to look up the official U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) for their ZIP code, city, or state. The AQI ranges from 0 to 500 – the higher the AQI value is, the greater the concentration of harmful air pollutants. The AQI is conveniently organized into categories that correspond to a level of risk, indicated by colors. Green indicates that air quality is healthy, whereas purple indicates that air pollution threatens the health and safety of all groups. AirNow also provides information on what steps to take at each AQI level to protect yourself and others, such as resting more or moving physical activity indoors. Maps of AQI are also available through the Apple weather app.

OpenAQ (openaq.org), a partner of Project Phoenix, is a non-profit that amalgamates air quality data from reference monitors and low-cost air sensors around the world into an interactive global map. Users can explore several different pollutants and specify which sources of data to display. The map is color-coded so that darker colors signal higher levels of the selected pollutant.

We always want Project Phoenix volunteers to be safe when conducting surveys. We urge our volunteers to take precautions when birding on smoky days and encourage wearing an N95 mask outdoors when air pollution is unhealthy. If you would like us to mail you N95 masks (free of charge) to use when conducting your surveys, please send us an email at projectphoenix.socal@gmail.com.

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.