A NOTE FROM OUR TEAM

Who can believe October is right around the corner? I, for one, cannot believe how fast September went and how we only have two months left in our data collection for 2024!

Thank you all for volunteering with us, no matter when you joined our project, you are helping us gather valuable data to help protect our feathered friends. Our research would not be possible without your dedication and hard work. I also want to emphasize that one of the best ways to help support our work here is to share about it and encourage others to join. We still have two months left to collect data and we accept volunteers at any time! Share us with your family, friends, neighbors, and community members. Maybe have someone join you during your weekly survey. The more people we have, the more data we can collect!

As always, please reach out to us at projectphoenix.socal@gmail.com with any questions, concerns, or ideas. We’d love to hear from you!

Wishing you all safe and happy birding!

The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is one of the most common birds found in North America. These small, migratory sparrows span across the entire continent and vary widely in color. Their color variations come in five palettes: gray-headed, pink-sided, slate-colored, white-winged, and Oregon – the color variation we’re most used to seeing along the West Coast. (Scroll down to see some examples of these variations!)

Dark-eyed Juncos love to feast on seeds of plants like chickweed, buckwheat, and sorrel year round. When they forage, juncos hop along the ground, sifting through the soil and pecking at leaf litter. During their breeding season, Dark-eyed Juncos expand their diet to include insects like flies, caterpillars, moths, and beetles. They can be seen agilely darting up from the ground to catch insects along tree trunks.

Male Dark-eyed Juncos court females by fanning open their wings and tail feathers to show off the bright white plumage in their tails. Females build nests using various plant materials in their environment, including ferns, twigs, and rootlets.

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

by Caitlin O’Neil | Communications Lead, Project Phoenix

In our last newsletter, we mentioned that fall migration would be underway along the Pacific Flyway for the next few weeks. But what exactly do we mean when we talk about the Pacific Flyway? 

When birds migrate across the country, they tend to navigate along regular routes. These routes will usually feature plentiful rest stops and be fairly efficient. Over the North American Continent, the airways are divided into four different Flyways - the Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and Pacific. The Pacific Flyway encompasses the Pacific Coast from Patagonia and all the way up to Alaska. In the continental United States, it is bound by the Rockies in the East and by the Pacific Ocean to the West. 

Songbirds, like our mascot, the Western Tanager, the Spotted Towhee, and the Yellow Warbler utilize the Pacific Flyway. Rufous Hummingbirds navigate the Flyway to make their 3,000-mile journey from British Columbia to Mexico for the winter. Shorebirds that use the flyway will make stopovers in the Great Salt Lake in Utah and Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in Washington. To learn more about the birds that travel along the Pacific Flyway, and which species are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, check out this resource by the National Audubon Society.  

However, not all birds follow the Flyway routes. One notable example is the American Golden-Plover, which has an incredibly long migration journey from the North of Alaska and Canada to Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. Their migration journey spans thousands of miles and can take them through the Pacific, Mississippi, or Atlantic Flyways.

FROM OUR PARTNERS: October Events

Bolsa Chica Conservancy:

• DIY - Bee and Bug Hotel: October 20th

Bruin Birding Club/Los Angeles Audubon:

• Bird walk at UCLA Botanical Garden: Friday, October 4th and October 25th (8:00 am - 9:30 am)

Los Angeles Audubon & Nature Nexus Institute:

• Open Wetlands at Ballona Salt Marsh: October 5th, 13th - 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Los Angeles Birders:

• Webinars: Tuesday October 8th, 15th at 7:00 pm PST

North East Trees:

• Transplanting and Seed processing: October 5th (9:00 am - 12:00 pm)

Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy:

• First Wednesday Bird Walk: October 2nd

• Guided Nature Walk: October 5th, 12th, 19th

• Outdoor Volunteer Day: October 5th, 12th, 19th, 20th

Pomona Valley Audubon:

• Field Trips: October 5th, 6th, 12th 

• Bonelli Bird Walk: Sunday, October 27th (8:00 am)

Mendocino Coast Audubon Society:

• Bird Walks: October 5th, 16th

Morro Coast Audubon Society:

• Field Trips: October 5th, 6th, 12th, 14th, 15th

UCLA Stunt Ranch: 

• Bird Walk with Project Phoenix: Sunday, October 13th (9:00 am - 12:00 pm) RSVP here!

• Wild & Batty: Saturday, October 19th (5:30 pm - 7:30 pm)

UCLA Botanical Garden: 

• Botony Workshop: Plantober! (Saturday, October 5th)

• Fall Fest (Saturday, October 19th)

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.