Check out Bird Girl on YouTube!

Want to laugh, get outside, and bring attention to urban birds? Visit ourYouTube Beautiful Birds in Urban Places: What's the ugliest, most unusual, bizarre, and surprising place you've seen birds? We'll be giving away great prizes (digital camera, sound ID guides, and more) and of course we'll be sharing the best videos and photos on the Celebrate Urban Birds web site. We hope the videos/photos will capture a sense of fun and show how easy it is to watch birds. Get artsy, creative, silly, dramatic, or just keep it simple. Show how amazingly birds fit themselves into the human/urban environment: a House Sparrow nesting in a traffic light or a Pigeon sitting on your air conditioner. Nothing fancy is needed. Youth are also encouraged to send us their submissions. 

You can view the video on our website: www.celebrateurbanbirds.org or go to YouTube and search Celebrate Urban Birds.
Submit photos or  links to your  YouTube videos to urbanbirds@cornell.edu. Please don't forget to tell us in your email that you are entering the Ugly/Weird Places for Birds competition.

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Free Workshop at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
March 14th Celebrate Urban Birds Workshop at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Download PDF Announcement.

You'll go home with activities, resources, and practical ideas to use with your participants.

Some need-based travel scholarships are available. Learn More.

• Meet staff from the Lab of Ornithology
• Go for a guided bird walk and learn tips on how to guide others
• Explore useful resources at the Lab
• Learn how to conduct bird observations with or without groups useful to scientists
• Learn tips on leading groups in citizen science activities and holding Celebrations
• Explore bird sounds and learn fun activities that you can do with your participants/students using sound
• Learn about the 16 target species of urban birds (view skins, learn interesting facts, explore sounds)
• Participate in art activities that bring people closer to birds and learn how to integrate the arts into your celebration
• Get outreach ideas using children's books about birds and conservation
• Learn about gardening and the arts activities for groups
• Learn about gardening for the birds in containers
• Get tips on how to build community and get your participants/students involved in community building activities of all sizes

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Artist Search! (Deadline Extended to March 31, 2008)
Wild ideas are starting to arrive at the Lab. Take a chance, enter! Remember there are both adult and youth categories. Some organizations are challenging their participants/students to come up with ideas -- and sending us a combined entry.

We are looking for exciting out-of-the-box ideas to be considered for our Wild Idea competition in both adult and youth categories. Download PDF Announcement. Great Prizes! We are seeking ideas that reconnect urban residents with nature and raise awareness of urban birds and greening through the arts. Ideas might include activities, music, dance, installations, masks, garden art, exhibits, messages, etc. These Wild Ideas should be something that can be part of a Celebrate Urban Birds event; something that will help attract and engage the public to "Celebrate Urban Birds".  We'll share ideas with organizations planning their Celebrate Urban Birds events and post them on the Celebrate Urban Birds web site. 
Please help us spread the word by posting or forwarding the PDF announcement to people you know who are good at coming up with "Wild Ideas".

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PigeonWatch has New Website!
Check out the new PigeonWatch website: www.PigeonWatch.org. This fun web site will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about pigeons, PigeonWatching and more. We'll feature lots of photos, stories, and educational resources. Keep checking back as we continue to improve. In late spring PigeonWatch data entry will be easier, friendlier, and more fun. Expect great Google Maps, exciting data viewing, and more.

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Mini-Grants Available! (Deadline Extended to March 31, 2008)
Celebrate Urban Birds invites organizations and educators to apply for mini-grants to hold Celebrate Urban Bird events across the US. Download PDF announcement and application.
To qualify for a mini-grant applicants must:

*Hold a Celebrate Urban Birds Event in 2008

-introduce the public/students to birds (especially the sixteen focus species)

-collect Celebrate Urban Birds data/inspire others to collect data

-distribute Celebrate Urban Birds kits to participants/students

 -integrate the arts

 -get people outside