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Watch out for Observers and Pipepers of Doves: UCLA Ornithologists and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History are looking for volunteers for Project Phoenix, a perennial citizen science initiative to investigate birds’ responses to wildfires.
The team is recruiting volunteers from California, Oregon and Washington to collect data from July to November for an official West Coast fire season.
Volunteers should choose a comfortable and familiar place, such as a backyard, balcony or a favorite local park. Then enter your observations on the online platform eBird.
Bird knowledge or expertise is not required, according to program director Olivia Sanderfoot, who is an ornithologist at UCLA. In fact, beginners are especially welcome. Because they tend to notice common species and behaviors that long-time birdwatchers may overlook.
“Whether you’re a specialized birder who’s been birding for life or have never thought about birds, we’re welcome to join Project Phoenix,” Thunderfoot said. “I want to have access to this program.”
This was the third year in a row in the study, starting in 2023 with about 300 volunteers tracking bird behavior over three months.
The purpose of this study is to understand the effects of wildfire smoke on birds, an unstudied component of the ever-explored Western fire season. The more data volunteer observers gather, the better ornithologists will understand how fires affect these animals and what measures can be taken.
Participants can commit for the entire season or just a few weeks. Researchers cross-check volunteer notes on fire and smoke distribution data to find patterns of animal behavior. For those struggling to communicate bushtits from barn owls, the team can gather resources to help distinguish between common local species and answer individual questions via email. Volunteer notes will be reviewed by a team of specialized birders before being handed over to researchers. Researchers will follow up with further questions about extremely rare birds and behaviour.
What may feel like a casual observation of backyard birders is actually a valuable data point, Sanderfoot said.
From the first two years of project data, scientists have already noticed that the presence of Soot particles (a major component of wildfire smoke) changes the likelihood that certain bird species will be observed in certain areas, Sanderfoot said. The reason is not yet clear.
Are Scrub Jays appearing in parks where they are not normally found? They may have moved to avoid soot sky. Is the action in the backyard feeder surprisingly heated? It is possible that birds exacerbated by smoke are becoming more territorial. Scientists want to know if birds are actually flying to new locations when air quality drops, or if they are changing their behavior in ways that make it easier for human bird observers to spot.
“These are hypotheses we want to test with data we collected in 2025,” Sanderfoot said. “The more people we are engaged, the more likely we are to see where these impacts occur. It takes people’s strength.”
Sign up can be found at www.projectphoenix.study.
According to volunteers, bird watching is also fun.
“I enjoyed being able to slow down and observe for 10 minutes,” said Carrie Brown Cornenz, a Rothferris Ceramist and wildlife enthusiast who has volunteered to Project Phoenix since the start of the study. “Long staying in one place brings the bird to you. It’s a peaceful experience.”
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