WHO: Birders throughout the Rusty Blackbird's (RUBL) wintering range

WHAT: A 17 day blitz to locate RUBL hotspots

WHERE: 20 Midwestern and Southeastern states

WHY: To increase understanding of RUBL distribution and find important local concentrations

WHEN: January 30- February 15th, 2010

HOW: Visit locations where RUBL have been previously sighted or one would expect to encounter RUBLs and  submit ALL observations via e-Bird

It’s that time of year again! Rusty Blackbirds are migrating through and settling in for the winter.  Last year, birders scoured the countryside for wintering Rusty Blackbirds to increase understanding of their distribution and find important local concentrations (hotspots).  Much was learned from last year’s Blitz.  Already, the information gained is being used to implement research and conservation efforts!  View the results. But there is much more to learn.  The Rusty Blackbird Hotspot Blitz will be repeated for several years to locate more hotspots and determine how stable known hotspots are from year to year.

The Rusty Blackbird has been steeply declining with estimates of an 85-99% population drop over the past 40 years.  The cause for this alarming decline is not known and the increasingly sparse and patchy winter distribution of the Rusty Blackbird makes it challenging to learn more about distribution, abundance, and ecology as a basis for conservation efforts.  Collaborating with Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's and National Audubon Society’s e-Bird project, the Rusty Blackbird Technical Working Group (RBTWG) needs your help to find local, but predictable wintering concentrations of Rusty Blackbirds by participating in the Rusty Blackbird Hotspot Blitz, January 30- February 15th, 2010.

The Rusty Blackbird Hotspot Blitz will occur throughout the Rusty Blackbird winter range in over 20 Midwestern and Southeastern states.  Participants will simply be asked to visit locations where they have previously sighted or would expect to encounter Rusty Blackbirds and submit their observations via e-Bird.  If you are unfamiliar with areas which may support Rusty Blackbirds in your region, contact your state Blitz Coordinator for ideas.

If you don't use eBird regularly, please consider entering all your observations of Rusty Blackbirds (even outside the Blitz period).  All observations will be used by researchers currently studying their steep long-term population decline.

Instructions and information on identification, habitat preferences, etc., are posted on the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's Rusty Blackbird website. Information will also be available on Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's e-Bird site.

Be sure to mark your calendar:  January 30-February 15, 2010! With your help, the return of the Rusty Blackbird Hotspot Blitz will be bigger and better than the original.  Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the Blitz and please feel free to contact the Florida Blitz Coordinator at Elena.Sachs@MyFWC.com with questions.