Greetings Birders -  (No sighting)By now most folks are familiar with eBird. Here is a special project that Cornell is runningto help get a grip on the fragile Rusty Blackbird population. Since many Ohio birders have already seen, recorded and reported a pretty fair number of Rustys this spring (Funk/Killbuck area, Ottawa/Magee especially), we could potentially help bigtime in providing vital information on this species. Please, if you're interested, the following information was found on a New York rare bird listserv: 'Rusty Blackbirds have experienced a dramatic decrease in numbers in thepast several decades, with population declines estimated at 88% to 98%since the Breeding Bird Survey began in the 1960s.  Scientists areworking to understand why this blackbird has plummeted in numbers, butthey need your help.  Birders are asked to submit their observations ofRusty Blackbirds throughout spring migration to eBird, and areespecially urged to participate in a special Rusty Blackbird projectfrom April 1 to 7.  During that time period, researchers are askingbirders to submit information about habitat use, blackbird behavior, andflock size as part of their eBird reports, so that bird conservationistscan gain a better understanding of preferred migratory habitats and howmigratory habitat loss might be contributing to population declines.To learn more about Rusty Blackbirds and this special eBird trackingproject, visit the eBird web site:http://ebird.org/content/ebird/index.htmlFor those of you who haven't used eBird in a while, I'd encourage you totry it again during this Rusty Blackbird survey period.  The process forentering data is quick and easy, and there are all kinds of greatfeatures designed specifically for birders. ' Best of birding - Jen [log in to unmask] Canton, OH
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