You can hold a Celebrate Urban Birds event even if you have no previous experience or knowledge of birds...just jump right in.

Remember,  we are here to support you. Call us at 607-254-2123 or email us at urbanbirds@cornell.edu

Ask for help, more materials, ideas, or resources, or just brainstorm some of your ideas with us.

Materials:

Materials include educational kits, power point presentations, Celebration certificates of appreciation, feeders (very limited supply), posters, and more. To arrange a teleconference between  your classroom/group and the Celebrate Urban Birds staff please email us at urbanbirds@cornell.edu. Let us know if you want bilingual materials (Spanish and English) or just English. 

 Social Media:
We would like to feature you on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celebrate-Urban-Birds/71397573269

and Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/celebratebirds

Collecting Data

• Tips on how to work the Celebrate Urban Birds observation into your event: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/community/minigrants/mini-grants-2011/2011/observe/
• English language data sheet needed to record observations while collecting  Celebrate Urban Birds data.
• Spanish language data sheet needed to record observations while collecting  Celebrate Urban Birds data.
• Easy data entry sheet with photos of focal species (please transfer data to scannable data entry sheets provided in your kit or above)

Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

Explore the world of birds and biodiversity: http://youtu.be/2rqi8W00mUA

Featured scientific illustrator Pedro Fernandes: http://youtu.be/WJWkxS0zNRk

Focal bird species 

• Bird Guide for the 16 focal species: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/celebration/birds/bird-guide/celebrate-urban-birds-bird-guide
• Download this powerpoint to learn more about the 16 kinds of birds you will watch for when you do the 10-minute bird observation.  You can use this to teach others how to recognize the birds, too!  Photos and a few fun facts! 
• Focal species videos:
  American Robin (in English): http://youtu.be/GFL8Ug9LUtA
  American Robin (in Spanish): http://youtu.be/YJPm5om8up0
  Mourning Dove (in English): http://youtu.be/qL90yeIISqQ
  Mourning Dove (in Spanish): http://youtu.be/5ybdsvfL_eA

Birding

• Inside birding Videos – Learn how to identify birds
• Comprehensive online Bird guide: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search

Science

• The science behind Celebrate Urban Birds: (videos): Explore the science behind the celebration

Youth

• Explore activities for schools and youth groups
• See videos of ornithologists and other staff at The Cornell Lab talking about how they first got hooked on science and birds: Explore careers in science/nature.

Explore the Arts:

• Art activities: Arts activities to connect you with nature
• Learn more about Garden-based Arts

Explore Sound

• Lesson plans about bird sounds.
• Learn about the Urban Bird Sounds Project. This project led by students from Codman Academy Charter Public School (Boston, MA) is a model example of how to integrate technology with nature. It inspires youth and adults alike. Youth researched urban birds and created podcasts focused on the songs and calls of city birds. Podcasts and CDs by youth are available for free.
• Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds: http://macaulaylibrary.org/index.do

Greening/Habitat Improvement
Keep it simple, plant bird friendly plants in containers, put up bird feeders, put up nestboxes, set up a bird bath, make a brush pile...

• 10 ways to landscape your yard for birds
• Things you can do to help birds
• Learn how to garden for the birds in urban locations
• If you don't have an area where you can make a garden -- Learn about planting bird friendly plants in containers
• Learn how to attract birds with bird feeders, bird houses, and more

Attracting and helping birds

• How to attract birds to your yard: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1138
• Teach others about attracting birds
• Teach others about threats to birds
• Teach others about watching birds with a purpose

• Recommended books

Best practices for approaching nests, building or buying nestboxes, and monitoring nests.

• If you want to help birds by providing places for them to nest you can get nestbox plans: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/nestinginfo/nestboxref/construct
• Other great information from NestWatch: How you can help nesting birds: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/nestinginfo/downloads/Howtohelp_nesting_birds_04_08.pdf
• Features of a good nestbox: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/nestinginfo/downloads/Birdhouse_features.pdf

Make sure nestboxes have proper ventilation, no perches by the entrance hole, sloped roof, drainage holes, thick walls, and a tight fitting roof that does not permit water to enter the box.

NestCams

• See nesting birds captured on video- live: http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/camera/index

NestWatch

• Monitor nesting birds for science: http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nest/home/index
• NestWatch Student projects: http://www.nestwatch.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=89