What can I do to help birds?
Choose 1-3 suggestions from the list to start doing now.
- Contact us with any questions or recommendations for books and field guides: Anne Bloomfield [email protected] , Will Yandik [email protected]
- Make observations about the birds you see in your backyard or nearby. This doesn’t have to be complicated, simply commit to 5-10 minutes watching birds and see what you observe.
- Share Observations with friends, family, neighbors or on platforms such as ebird (https://ebird.org/home)
- Read books such as Common Birds and Their Songs by Lang Elliott and Marie Read, The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America by David Allen Sibley, Bird Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch and Eleanor Marks, Guía de campo Kaufman a las aves de Norteamérica by Kenn Kaufman (in Spanish), The Shorebird Guide by Michael O’Brien, Richard Crossley and Kevin Karlson, Sparrows of the United States and Canada by David Beadle and James Rising and Manuel del observador de aves by Patricia Manzano (in Spanish)
- For detailed species information, subscribe to Birds of The World (https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home)
- Learn how to identify birds by using the Merlin app (https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/) , finding mentors in local bird clubs, joining a Farm Hub public bird walk, using a good field guide, putting up a bird feeder and visiting online field guides such as All about Birds (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/) or the Audubon Guide to North American Birds (Available in Spanish https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide)
- Join our mailing lists to find out about upcoming events on this topic at: https://hvfarmhub.org/newsletters/ & https://hvfarmscape.org/join-our-email-list
- Contact your local NRCS office to schedule a visit to your property to discuss developing a conservation plan. Find your local office here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/new-york#contact
- Learn more about farming practices used to produce your food. Buy local, talk to farmers and listen and learn. For coffee, John Burroughs Natural History Society has partnered with Birds and Beans to form a coffee club. Birds & Beans sells coffees certified to meet the standards set by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center for Bird Friendly® coffee. Email [email protected] if you are interested in participating.
- Read about winter sparrow research on our blog here: https://hvfarmhub.org/farmscape-ecology-blog/winter-sparrows/
- Watch presentations by the research collaborative at a 2019 event here: https://hvfarmhub.org/perspectives-on-farming-with-nature/
- Encourage cavity-nesting birds with nest boxes and other techniques: https://hvfarmhub.org/encouraging-cavity-nesting-birds-on-your-farm/
- Prevent window collisions with proven methods such as using Acopian Bird Savers which can be purchased or made yourself https://www.birdsavers.com/make-your-own/
- Learn how to manage farmland to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds: https://www.wildfarmalliance.org/resources
- No rodenticides. Focus on use of snap traps. Rodenticides can kill raptors like kestrels
- Leave dead trees standing when possible. This provides nesting cavities
- Plant and/or encourage fruit-bearing plants, trees and shrubs such as staghorn sumac
- Limit mowing or infrequently mow a corner of your property
- Provide a larger buffer around streams and ponds
- Learn with others at John Burroughs Natural History Society (jbnhs.org), Alan Devoe Bird Club (http://www.alandevoebirdclub.org/), Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club (https://watermanbirdclub.org/), NYC Bird Alliance (Spanish resources available https://nycbirdalliance.org)
- Talk to your lawmakers, attend a local zoning board meeting, town or village meeting, write to your state lawmaker to let them know that you think wildlife conservation is important.
- Volunteer for bird conservations efforts like Mountain Birdwatch https://vtecostudies.org/projects/mountains/mountain-birdwatch/ , The Christmas Bird Count https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count , and The Breeding Bird Atlas https://ebird.org/atlasny/home