A NOTE FROM OUR TEAM

Hello!

Thank you for joining Project Phoenix: Investigating Bird Responses to Smoke! My name is Dr. Olivia Sanderfoot, and I am the Program Director for Project Phoenix. Welcome to our team!

Our goal is to engage communities across California in monitoring birds during the 2023 fire season to learn more about how smoke and other air pollutants impact bird behavior and species distributions. Our research will inform conservation right here in our state by helping us identify the places and resources birds use during and after hazardous smoke.

By observing birds for just 10 minutes a week, you will help us collect critical data to protect birds in the age of megafires. Our research would not be possible without you!

We want to emphasize that Project Phoenix is open to all birders regardless of previous birding experience. We welcome and encourage beginner birders to participate. Please share this community science opportunity with all the bird enthusiasts you know! We look forward to sharing our love of birds with the Project Phoenix community.

Thank you again for joining us. If you ever have any questions about Project Phoenix or ideas for expanding access to and inclusion in our program, please get in touch.

Happy Birding!

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

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: Mason Avelar

Mason Avelar is a birder, artist, and recent graduate pursuing further studies in conservation biology. Born and raised in Southern California, he witnessed the devastating effects of the 2017 Thomas fire firsthand, including the months of smoke and poor air quality that followed. He understands the importance of community science projects for monitoring our changing world and hopes that Project Phoenix will contribute to a better understanding of bird conservation in areas affected by smoke.

Mason is the superstar volunteer who designed our incredible logo for Project Phoenix! Check out more of Mason’s art and photography on Twitter and iNaturalist. Thank you so much, Mason, for your wonderful contribution to our project!

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

BIRD OF THE WEEK: Western Tanager

by Caitlin O’Neil | Communications Lead, Project Phoenix

Our first Bird of the Week is one you might recognize from our gorgeous logo (designed by Mason Avelar) – the Western Tanager! This fiery little songbird resides in evergreen forests along the western coast of the United States, including here in Southern California. 

Males of this species, like the one pictured above, have a gorgeous red pigment brushed across their faces. This red coloration is common within the Cardinalidae family. Usually, birds obtain this red color by consuming plant material containing carotenoids. However, the Western Tanager gets its color from a rare pigment called rhodoxanthin! Rhodoxanthin is found in conifer buds, and Western Tanagers ingest it when consuming insects that feed on these conifers.

While Western Tanagers may enjoy the sunny SoCal coast year round, these birds do quite a bit of traveling, migrating farther north than any other tanager species, up to 60° in latitude along Canada’s west coast! (That’s all the way up by the Gulf of Alaska!)