Project Phoenix Weekly Newsletter

Weekly Newsletter

November 21, 2024

A NOTE FROM OUR TEAM

Dear Project Phoenix community,

As we wrap up data collection this year – our study period ends on Saturday, November 30th – we want to express our deepest gratitude to our 435 volunteers. Community science is powered by people, and our research would not be possible without each and every one of you. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to Project Phoenix 2024.

We also want to thank the UCLA La Kretz Center for California Conservation Science, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the 23 supporting organizations who joined our coalition. Thank you for supporting our research and programming and for helping us connect with and engage communities in California, Washington, and Oregon.

Next month, volunteers will receive an email from me with a link to a short survey. This questionnaire will ask you about your experience in Project Phoenix. Your feedback is essential in improving the reach and quality of our programming for Project Phoenix 2025.

In case you missed any newsletters, we’ve archived them here. And keep an eye out for our year-end report, which we hope to share early next year. (Check out the 2023 year-end report here.)

I am sincerely grateful for your generosity and commitment to birds. I wish you all peace and joy this holiday season and, as always, happy birding!

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

BIRD OF THE WEEK: Phainopepla

Male Phainopepla perched on a branch.

Female Phainopepla perched on a branch.

The Phainopepla is a glossy black bird with bright red eyes that often made an appearance during our bird walks this year! Its name is almost as attention-catching as the bird itself. “Phainopepla” comes from the Greek for “shining robe,” referring to the male’s shiny black feathers. Females, in contrast, are dark gray with white edges on their feathers, but they share those characteristic red eyes. This bird is found in California, the southwestern United States, and Mexico, often nestled among desert mistletoe. To snack on this festive plant, Phainopeplas have developed specialized digestive tracts. Mistletoe berries are very low in nutrients, so these birds will eat more than 1,000 berries each day just to meet their nutritional needs!. Phainopeplas also derive the majority of their water intake from these berries.

Male Phainopeplas will use mistletoe in their winter courtship rituals, enticing potential mates with the offer of berries or insects. Phainopeplas also use the mistletoe plant as a nesting site. Male Phainopeplas construct cup-shaped nests using twigs and plant fibers, which are held in place by spiderwebs. Sometimes, the female will help build the nest by adding hair or down to the lining. While Phainopeplas tend to be territorial, when there is an abundance of food (like mistletoe berries!) they can nest in colonies, with several nests in one tree.

2024 Event Recap

Say cheese! Group photo from the bird hike lead by Carrie Brown-Kornarens.

Group photo of our bird walk celebrating Urban Bird Day at Debs Park Audubon.

Action shot! Mid-birdwatching at White Point Preserve with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.

This year, we hosted a number of bird walks and seminars and met so many of our wonderful volunteers and community members! Thank you to everyone who joined us for these events, and a shout out to our partners who helped support these activities. We can’t wait to host more events and meet more members of the Project Phoenix community next year! For more information (and photos!) about past and upcoming events, check out our events page on our website.

FEATURED STORY: Staying Connected

As we conclude data collection for 2024, we want to make sure we stay in touch with the amazing community who made this project possible! Stay tuned for highlights from data collection in 2024, 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 2025 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! The 125th CBC will run from December 14, 2024, to January 5, 2025.

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! 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.