Book Review

101 Ways to Help Birds
By Laura Erickson, Stackpole Books, 264 pages, $19.95.

Birds need our help, but where to begin? The threats to birds are manifold, and the statistics mind-numbing: radar data show that major bird migrations over the Gulf of Mexico have diminished by half in just two decades, and one-quarter of American bird species are declining significantly. Reversing losses of this magnitude may be an overwhelming task, but a new book by Laura Erickson shows 101 ways to take action, starting at home.

Erickson, radio show host of "For the Birds," has written a practical, inspiring, and wonderfully readable book. In 101 Ways to Help Birds, she raises consciousness about how even simple choices can affect birds, and provides ideas for making change.

Erickson's suggestions range widely, including tips for preventing hazards such as window strikes, improving backyard habitats, keeping a life list, participating in citizen-science projects, taking political action, fostering a culture of conservation through volunteer work, and supporting conservation organizations.

In some cases, saving birds requires little effort. In #5, "Recycle plastic six-pack rings, aluminum cans, and plastic bags," Erickson describes an Anhinga she saw with a plastic six-pack ring around its throat, unable to swallow its catch of fish. She explains how the easy step of recycling can prevent bird injuries or deaths. Other solutions require more investment, such as #8, "Build or choose a home with the least impact on the natural world."

Many examples show that our daily lifestyle choices have consequences for birds. In #2, "Eat lower on the food chain, and especially eat less beef," Erickson explains how overgrazing in the American West has destroyed valuable habitat and caused population crashes among sage-grouse and other species. She notes that the production of livestock feed requires agricultural areas that take up more land than in all of California.

Erickson, a wildlife rehabilitator, often recounts personal experiences along with statistics. In #32, "Use weed killers and fungicides only as a last resort," she recalls the aftermath of a lawn spraying: a woman brought in two robin nestlings with neurological damage; they died a few hours later. The adult robins and two other nestlings had already died in the woman's yard. Erickson notes that household lawn pesticides kill more than 7 million birds each year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Audubon Society. She recommends replacing lawn with native plants, using corn gluten meal to prevent weed germination, adding organic mulch, or spot spraying only as necessary.

Erickson is a tireless advocate for birds. She hasn't just written about how to help birds and the environment; she lives by it. She carries a bird emergency kit in the car of her trunk (#62, "Know what to do if you encounter an injured bird on the highway"). She stops for dead skunks so she can toss them off the road, where Turkey Vultures can eat them without being hit by cars (#61, "Remove dead animals from roadways if it's safe to do so, and help turtles cross the road"). Her book is another example of how she has followed her own advice, #101: "Think about the many ways that birds have enriched your life, and share them with others."

If you want to help birds, read what Laura Erickson has to share. Rate how well your choices are helping the birds, and see if you can do even better. Saving all our birds won't happen overnight, but choice by choice, we can all turn the tide in their favor.

—Miyoko Chu

For permission to reprint all or part of this article, please contact Laura Erickson, editor, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. Phone: (607) 254-1114. email: lle24@cornell.edu