Join The Christmas Bird Count

Join the Christmas Bird Count     Make your holiday season extra-special this year and do something important for bird conservation by participating in the Christmas Bird Count. Every year from December 14 through January 5 people around the world get outside and count the birds in their area or even just their yard.  When […]

Fall For Your Own Native Plant Meadow

  To ensure you attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife in Monarch Butterfly Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel abundance to your yard, there is no better choice than planting a meadow with native plants. Not only is a mature meadow a stunningly beautiful sight of waving flowers with butterflies and birds darting in and out, but it’s […]

What Do Birds Do In a Hurricane?

The iconic image and story of Harvey, the terrified juvenile Coopers Hawk who desperately fled the onslaught Harvey, the Coopers Hawk Photo Credit: William Bruso of hurricane Harvey by landing on the passenger seat of a Houston taxi cab was a welcome story of hope. Harvey was rescued by the driver, taken to Texas Wildlife […]

Keeping Hummingbirds Safe

Keeping Hummingbirds Safe     Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Everyone loves feeding hummingbirds!  It’s easy to do and they return the favor by returning repeatedly to your backyard.  There are some specific safety issues you should keep in mind when feeding hummingbirds. Our readers have asked us about two specifically which are common potentially fatal […]

Join Nestwatch and Help Nesting Birds

Join Nestwatch and Help Nesting Birds Nobody knows better than you what goes on in the nests in your backyard. If you are curious about the birds nesting in your yard and pay particular attention to Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila them, Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great project called Nestwatch that can use your […]

Purple Martins Are Coming Your Way!

Purple Martins are Coming – Be Ready! Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Purple Martins are on their way north and looking for nesting sites. With their enchanting song and effective insect removal efforts – especially when there are chicks in the summer – these birds are a delight to have around. And if you want to […]

Nestcams!

NESTCAMS! explore.org hummingbird nestcam New nests to watch! See updates on nests you saw last month and see some new nests we are watching now.  Have a favorite nest cam?  Let us know about it! Laysan Albatross, Hawaii – who can resist these beautiful birds and their chicks? Red-tailed Hawks, New York – watch them building […]

Family Fun: 3 Easy DIY Bird Feeders

Winter is a time when birds need a lot of help finding food – especially later in the season when the available Photo Credit: Heather Katsoulis native berries and seeds are long gone.  Keep your feeders up, but why not try some seriously simple new ways to feed birds in your yard? Take a look […]

Backyard Suet Feeders to Make or Buy

BACKYARD: Suet Feeders It’s time to break out the suet feeders! Suet provides lots of calories to keep some of your favorite birds like chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers warm.  There are lots of different suet feeders you can buy or make, but the best ones are those which are ergonomically correct for Tail-prop suet feeder […]

Your Fall Backyard Tuneup

Your Fall Backyard Tuneup In fall, birds’ needs start changing. The bird houses you set up in spring and which saw a lot of activity are now vacant. Pressure to secure food for hungry mouths in the nest has subsided, and now many birds are bulking up for migration. To create a friendly backyard for […]

A Day at the Beach

A Day at the Beach What could be more summer-like than a day at the beach? Who doesn’t love having fun in the water and on the sand? And the beach is a popular spot for wildlife as well. Terrapins cross busy streets to get from the marsh to Piping Plover chick the sandy shores […]

Your Summer Backyard

Your Summer Backyard Your backyard in summer is different from the rest of the year. In each season, birds have different needs, and summer can be extreme – both because of the heat and the additional pressure of feeding baby and juvenile birds. You may be providing a lot of food for birds – in […]

Birds Need Your Help to Get Through the Winter And, February is National Bird Feeding month — a time when winter food sources have been  seriously picked over and cold weather persists. Many birds like robins and mockingbirds are surviving off remaining berries.  And when its been a tough winter, those berries are now in […]

The Importance of Brush Piles

The Importance of Brush Piles During winter, many trees and bushes lose their leaves, leaving birds and animals with fewer places to hide. Wildlife can be attracted to your backyard by providing food, clean water, and cover. Creating a brush pile can provide a valuable safe spot for birds to use to escape predators and […]

Planting For Hummingbirds

Planting for Hummingbirds Who doesn’t love hummingbirds in their garden? You may already set up hummingbird feeders filled with sugar water, but feeders can require a lot of maintenance, as they must be kept cleaned and filled with fresh food.   A Bee Balm better option might be to plant native flowers to attract hummingbirds. As […]

Feeding Tips to Attract Birds To Your Backyard

Feeding Tips to Attract Birds to Your Backyard   If you want your backyard to attract as many birds as possible, you are going to need to provide a variety of  different food sources, fresh water and a safe spot to feed and live. It may sound like a tall order, but actually, it’s easier […]

Easy Ways To Make Your Backyard a Bird Hotspot

In winter birds need fresh open water and lots of calories. You can make your backyard a very popular spot in winter with the addition of a heated birdbath and food with high fat content. Nothing beats food with a lot of calories to keep a bird warm at night and there are plenty of […]

Family Fun: Join the Christmas Bird Count!

It’s that time of year again! Time to be part of the Christmas  Bird Count which is a really fun thing to do with the entire family! In its 115th year this year, from December 14 through January 5, National Audubon Society organizes groups of people across the entire US who spend one specific day […]

Winterizing Your Backyard For Birds

Cold weather is a reminder to make your backyard inviting for birds overwintering in your area.With some simple preparations you can have birds visiting throughout the winter and create a safe spot for them to eat, get water, and even bathe when its needed. In the summer there is plenty of natural food available for […]

Sharing the Beach With Nesting Shorebirds

Sharing the Beach With Nesting Shorebirds Who can resist the beach in the summer? It’s a fun place to enjoy the surf and sun and can also be a great Piping plover chick place to see birds. Many species of birds depend on beaches for survival, and lots of shorebirds have traveled many thousands of […]