The evening grosbeak, a large black-and-yellow finch found across the United States, has experienced steep population declines since 1970.
So researchers are tracking the birds to try and figure out why.
To find them, they’re asking northern Michigan residents to keep an eye out for flocks of evening grosbeaks at their backyard bird feeders.
Specifically, they want to find flocks of 20 birds or more coming to a feeder regularly, said David Yeany, an avian ecologist who is leading the project with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
Once flocks are identified, Yeany and his team plan to visit the feeders, then band and tag the evening grosbeaks from now until April.
Satellite transmitters attached to the birds will help researchers track migratory patterns and connectivity of different populations, hopefully giving them a clearer picture of factors like habitat change, diet and causes of death.
The team has tagged grosbeaks in New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Minnesota and Utah; now they want to gather data in northern Michigan, too, which Yeany said is at the southern end of evening grosbeak range.
For help identifying evening grosbeaks among similar bird species, use this tool.
To report regular flocks of evening grosbeaks at a backyard feeder in northern Michigan, contact wildlife biologist Phil Huber at miwildlifebio@gmail.com and avian ecologist David Yeany at dyeany@paconserve.org.
