Many birds that migrate through our cities spend most of their lives in boreal forests or other wild places with little knowledge of the manmade structures they need to navigate around when they migrate at night. Adding to this, many buildings are brightly lit, sending confusing signals to migratory birds, and making an already dangerous […]
Climate Week NYC, in partnership with the UN General Assembly, is wrapping up. This past week, over 1,000 global leaders gathered to address climate challenges. Conservation organizations such as BirdLife International and National Audubon Society were advocating on behalf of birds. As birdwatchers, we witness the decline in bird populations firsthand, and we can help […]
Where will you be on October 12? No matter where you are, join the global celebration of World Migratory Bird Day by participating in October Big Day. By submitting eBird checklists from your location, you’ll be part of a worldwide effort to capture a snapshot of bird populations, their movements, and distributions. This initiative, held […]
What happens when we flush a resting flock of birds? During nesting season most people make an effort to not disturb birds nesting in trees, or on the ground or beach, as the consequences are obvious. But what about a flock just hanging out? How can chasing them, walking too close or having a dog […]
The Pacific Flyway, which runs along the Pacific coast of the Americas is a heavily used migratory pathway for shorebirds – some of which migrate many thousands of miles twice annually. These birds rely on stopover sites to rest and refuel during their long journeys. However, over the past 150 years, many of these […]
Grab those binos and get outside to find birds on May 11 for Global Big Day! Join thousands of birders around the world to send eBird reports of what they’ve seen in the same 24-hour period twice per year. A high volume of eBird lists on the same two days each year give scientists a data […]
Flaco, the huge Eurasian Eagle Owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo when vandals cut the wires of his cage in early 2023 is dead. After one year of learning to hunt, survive alone in an urban environment, and captivating audiences every day, he collided with a window on a westside building while flying and […]
Every year billions of birds migrate from their overwintering grounds, making a perilous journey at high speed to their breeding grounds which can be thousands of miles away. Many of these birds migrate under the cover of darkness – something which technically should provide them with safety from predators, lower winds, and the ability […]
Maple syrup is produced by tapping maple trees, but not all sugarbush forests are managed for wildlife. Over 50% of maple syrup is produced in Vermont and New York in winter. But in summer while the trees are growing, migrating birds return from their southern overwintering sites to nest in these same sugarbushes including, Barred Owls, […]
Next time you consider a dish with hearts of palm, check the source. Hearts of palm are the tiny edible portions of the palm tree just below the branches. It’s the “heart” of the tree and for culinary purposes comes from one of several edible palms. Some are harvested from US palmettos which are the domestic […]
In 1900, Frank Chapman and 26 other conservationists started the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) as a way of promoting conservation by counting, rather than hunting, birds on Christmas Day. You can participate in this historic bird count and help scientists see where birds are spending their time for the same period every year and […]
Want more birds in your yard year-round? There are a handful of things you can do to increase the attractiveness of your yard to birds in winter. With more than half the species of birds in decline, having the right food source and good habitat at every location birds visit is fundamental to maintaining their […]
Birds need you! October 14, join tens of thousands of other birdwatchers around the globe in a Global Big Day. Wherever you are in the world, go birding – even just for 15 minutes if you dont have much time. Then, record your sightings in ebird and voila – you have done something good for birds! All […]
Don’t clean up your yard or garden in the fall! Raking up and throwing out dried leaves, dead-heading flowers and cutting everything back makes your yard very tidy, but is a wasteland for wildlife. You will be removing the food and shelter you worked so hard to provide for birds and other wildlife in the […]
Piping Plovers are a beach bird so tiny, most people think the adult is the chick. They are an endangered species with 6000 birds left – half of whom nest on busy beaches in New Jersey. Here’s the stuff you need to know about them: Their nesting season starts with a taxing migration from the […]
Every spring and fall we offer suggestions about how to make your yard and community a place birds and other wildlife can flourish. By now we all know the basics – Keep it wild – but naturally so – without invasives! Use native plants that provide year-round food and shelter in layers Use […]
Puffins are small seabirds who spend their entire lives at sea — with the exception of the breeding season when parental duties keep both parents busy feeding and caring for their chick and taking turns at forays out to sea for food. With just one precious egg per nest, there must be precision in the timing […]
How about a relaxing cleanup this fall? Instead of raking up all those leaves and trimming off berries and old flowers during your fall clean-up, do yourself, birds, bees, and butterflies a big favor by doing less. With significant amounts of native habitat loss, our backyards and gardens have become essential habitats supporting all kinds […]
What can I do to make a difference in the face of climate change and environmental losses? If you’ve ever asked that question, you are already searching for solutions. There are many things we can do, but how about doing something which provides beauty and added value to your property while having a material […]
In many states, the invasive Spotted Lanternfly is becoming a serious problem to our trees and orchards, and people are being asked to eliminate them. Unfortunately one of the popular ways to do this is by using glue traps and sticky tapes which don’t target just this one insect but will also readily trap birds, […]
Who doesn’t love owls? Not only are they wonderful to see, but they also control the rodent population. And many owl species, like this Barred Owl, will use nest boxes. But they can be easily put in harm’s way if their welfare isn’t considered. This is the time of year to be getting nestboxes for owls out, […]
Helping Birds: What To Do After a Fire Kookaburra After Fire Photo Credit: Adam Stevenson/Reuters The dramatic images in the news of rampant bushfires in Australia are heartbreaking. Firefighters from Australia and around the world are working overtime to quench the flames in an attempt to save peoples homes and lives, and caringly rescue injured wildlife […]