The year 2018 marks the Whooping Cranes Photo Credit: Stan Tekeila centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, nature lovers around the world are joining forces to celebrate the “Year of the Bird” and commit to protecting birds today and for […]
Blog Tag: bird conservation
Birding Resolutions for 2018
Birding Resolutions for 2018 It’s a new year and a great time for some birding resolutions. Cuban Tody Photo Credit: Deborah Rivel Need some help? We asked some friends to share their birding resolutions for 2018. They run from the simple to the challenging, so take a look and get your own inspiration! […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Mystery of the Migration Route
The Mystery of the Migration Route Do birds fly the same route on migration in spring and fall? Would it surprise you that many of them don’t? In fact, scientists are finding out that many birds, especially in spring, follow a path of new plant growth — what is called a “green wave” of migration […]
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 […]
Where To See Birds: California’s Central Valley
WHERE TO SEE BIRDS: California’s Central Valley The Central Valley of California is a great spot for overwintering waterfowl. It has also been making the Snow Geese – Gary Zahm, USFWS news a lot lately as the drought there has reached epic proportions, and it’s not just farmers who are affected. About 60 percent of […]
Watch Ospery Migration Live Online
Watch Osprey Migration Live Online! Compared to other birds of prey, Ospreys start their migration south early. Ospreys cannot tolerate cold weather and they start their trek to warmer climes in August before temperatures start to drop. In recent years scientists have been attaching transmitters to Ospreys, enabling them to track their movements in real […]
Snowy Owls and Airports
IN THE NEWS: Snowy Owls and Airports Snowy owls are coming into the US in record numbers this year, and are being seen as far south as South Carolina! If you enjoyed reading about the current irruption of Snowy owls last month in our newsletter, you might be interested in this news story. Snowy owls like […]
Safer Glass + Fewer Lights = Safer Migration
Safer Glass + Fewer Lights = Safer Migration Migration is pretty challenging to begin with. But there are some additional man-made risks that birds have to contend with and they are often deadly. courtesy Sara Sharf/FLAP Canada Colliding with glass poses a serious threat to birds. It is estimated that nearly 300 million to 1 […]
FAMILY PROJECT: Help Long Distance Migrators
Birds that migrate long distances need your help! There are fun and easy things anyone can do and they can make a big difference to wildlife. If you like taking a stand for the right thing – animals like the Red knot and horseshoe crabs need you to stand up for them to keep them from […]
Another Grey Bust
Another 1000 African Gray parrots were discovered earlier this month in crates about to leave the airport in Cameroon for transport to Bahrain and the Middle East. This is the second illegal shipment of these parrots intercepted in two months in Cameroon. The total number of birds discovered numbers over 1500 between the shipments – […]
Finch Fights
Apparently there are no animals too small be bet upon in forced fighting rings. The latest bust, this one in Massachusetts, of illegal immigrants who keep finches in intolerable conditions, get them worked up , sharpen their beaks and then get them fighting, is a sad testimony to what goes on. Who would have thought […]
A Cozy Warm Bed
Do you ever wonder where birds sleep? On a cold winter night, when the wind is blowing the snow sideways across the light of your street lamps, the chickadees that visited your feeder in the morning are huddling close together. Hopefully they have found a decent cavity to roost in. If your neighborhood is like […]
Where’s the Water?
Right now the northern states are blanketed in snow, and stepping outside can be hazardous. Winter temperatures can dip below zero degrees Farenheit, and the wind chill pushes far below that. We can throw on layers or stay inside, but what do the birds do? How can we help birds brave the winter onslaught of […]
Angel in New Jersey
You may not be happy about your neighbor feeding cats that roam through your yard and attack the resident bird population. Often this starts out as just someone feeling sorry for a kitten they see that needs a meal. The next thing you know, there is a colony of a dozen or more cats hanging […]
Will the Bird Friendly Shade Grown Coffee Please Stand Up?
My husband and I are coffee drinkers. In fact, recently I made the mistake of taking him along to help get a replacement when our old cappuccino machine died. We wound up with a machine so complicated I needed an advanced degree to make it work. But I digress. The reason for my writing about […]