What began as a tool for promoting the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Urban Bird Studies projects has turned into a multinational phenomenon. “Celebrate Urban Birds!” is now a year-round citizen-science project, adopted as the model for similar programs in Nepal, Chile, Jamaica, Argentina, Colombia, England, Bermuda, Mexico, and other countries. How did it happen? Credit the power of a simple idea, motivated organizers, and the Internet.

“Celebrate Urban Birds!” kicked off in North America May 10-13, 2007, with hundreds of groups sponsoring local activities. (See BirdScope, Spring 2007) Participants of all ages and experience collect data on 16 target species of city birds and sent that information to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Local events are going on year-round and the information is flowing in. The first analysis of the data will begin in the fall. The goal is to learn more about how birds use city habitats and what people can do to “green up” urban settings.

Students in Nepal take part in bird activities based on the Celebrate Urban Birds! model. Photo by Dev Ghimire

Meanwhile, something unexpected happened. As word of the project spread via list serves and emails, the idea caught on in other countries. “The funny thing is that none of the materials or the data entry we developed for “Celebrate Urban Birds!” were relevant to their species,” says Urban Bird Studies project leader Karen Purcell. “But they loved the idea. So they were motivated to create their own projects, create a list of their bird species, and adapt our model for their needs.”

Though the species and habitats differed, there were common themes, Purcell says. “One of the largest events was in Nepal and involved both schools and the community. They had a three-day event with an art competition, visits to gardens and temples for bird feeding, and bird walks. Eighty-five students from a dozen schools went bird watching and they sent me a list of 64 species!”

Even in Nepal, that list included the ubiquitous Barn Swallow and House Sparrow. But it also included birds with exotic and lyrical names such as the

Young birders in Chile. Photo by Cristián M. Muñoz

In Chile, Cristián M. Muñoz organized weekly data-gathering by students from remote mountainous areas of coastal scrub habitat, based on the “Celebrate Urban Birds!” format. He says, “Our aim is to discover the native species of the zone, study migratory birds, migratory altitude, occasional migratory birds, and resident birds.”Muñoz hopes to create a poster showing the principal species in the area and publish a book on studies by students on bird behavior. “We believe that this is the key to raising awareness about the protection of the environment,” he says. “Birds are very important in all the landscapes of our country, including the coastal scrubland.”

Budding birders in Chile. Photo by Cristián M. Muñoz

Purcell is impressed by the work in Chile. “They’re managing a full-blown citizen-science project and recruiting people to submit information to their database,” she says. “They’re basically replicating what we’ve done, in the same style, asking the same questions, but based completely on their birds. I think it’s exciting because it’s empowering. Each country is creating something of value to them.” It’s also a means of gathering baseline data on bird populations that scientists can then use to create conservation plans for species in trouble, Purcell says.

“Celebrate Urban Birds!” is funded by a three-year grant from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Purcell hopes it will continue beyond that, adding new species to the target list so participants can “graduate” to a higher level of birding as they continue their participation. “Celebrate Urban Birds!” is a “friendly” way for citizens to engage in science and enjoy the birds around them—anywhere in the world.