Libraries across the nation are participating in "Celebrate Urban Birds!"

by hosting workshops, artsy celebrations,  family book readings, and much more.

in Santa Clara, CA, to see how they celebrated urban birds this spring.

Download our Children's Book Recommendations

1. Create a display

 Here are some wonderful books to feature

• Nature in the Neighborhood by Gordon Morrison -- This book is a beautiful guide to nature in the neighborhood. The author focuses on wildlife found in an ordinary neighborhood throughout the seasons.
• Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds by Miyoko Chu – learn about the lives of songbirds as they move from continent to continent with the seasons

• The Black & Brown Faces in America's Wild Places: African Americans Making Nature and the Environment a Part of Their Everyday Lives  by Dudley Edmonson -- Photographs and interviews with people of color who are deeply involved with our natural spaces. Insightful and inspiring.

• Birds of Central Park by Cal Vornberger --Vornberger captures the beauty of wild birds in the heart of New York City.
  

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  The Audubon Society Guide to Attracting Birds: Creating Natural Habitats for Properties Large and Small by Stephen W. Kress -- Includes a wonderful  variety of practical techniques and resources for habitat improvement.
  
  

• City Birding : True Tales of Birds and Birdwatching in Unexpected Places –  by Mark Allison, Curtis Badger, Mary Durant, Mark S. Garland, James Gorman, Paul A Johnsgard, John Nichols, Marienn Winn, Julie Zickefoose – You’ll be amazed at what species of birds can still be found in the ‘remaining pockets’ of habitat present in heavily urbanized areas.
  
  
• Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird - by Andrew D. Blechman
  Pigeons: you either love them or hate them! Are they just "rats with wings" or much more? Learn all about them in this wonderful, comprehensive, and very readable book.

• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder-by Richard Louv
   
  There is a growing disconnect between children and nature. Children's lives are out of balance, with little free time. They are spending most of their time in structured indoor activities and less and less time simply playing outdoors. People protect what they value, and they value what they know and appreciate. If children don't cherish the natural environment, there is a good chance that they won't grow up to be good stewards of the earth that sustains us.
 
• Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park by Marie Winn (1999) -- Highlights the saga of Pale Male a Red-tailed Hawk that takes residence in the heart of New York City.

 2. Distribute Celebrate Urban Bird Kits to the Public

Involve your community in a great project that gets people of all ages outdoors, teaches about birds and conservation in a fun and easy way, gets the families involved in the process of science, and encourages community action. Register for free and let us know how many kits you will distribute. We'll send them to you for free! Email us at urbanbirds@cornell.edu for more information or to obtain more kits.

3. Hold a book reading

Grandmother’s Pigeon - Louise Erdrich

Great read-aloud books include:

4. Host a movie night about birds and conservation

Here are some movies to consider:

Pale Male  a film by Frederic Lilien – Watch incredible footage of Pale Male a daring Red-tailed Hawk that takes residence in the heart of New York City

The Life of Birds by David Attenborough

5. Host a workshop

6. Celebrate the Arts!

• Hold an art or photography contest featuring urban nature and host a "gallery showing" 

  Highlight some of the wonderful work you receive by hosting a photo or art gallery. Make sure to include a youth section. Send the Lab of Ornithology some of your entries.

• Sponsor a "bird art" treasure hunt in your library or neighborhood
  Participants may have to find clues, artifacts, or components to solve a mystery or to create an original work of art! Pair up with local artists to make this event more meaningful.

• Create a story that requires that children find clues outside by looking at their neighborhood birds or habitat.

7.  Allow patrons to check out a "Celebrate Urban Birds!" kit, bird guide, and binoculars.

Please enclose a new data form each time a patron checks out a kit. You might even collect all the data forms and then send them along to the Lab of Ornithology. Encourage everyone to participate and contribute to science.

8. Other ideas