Bird-Friendly Action
We inspire and support bird-friendly action at scale
The Center for Engagement in Science and Nature’s bird-friendly team focuses on understanding the most significant human-caused threats to birds and giving people the information and tools they need to help mitigate these threats. We use programming informed by social science research to find ways to minimize barriers and empower people from all backgrounds to take bird-friendly actions.
From a single native potted plant on a balcony to large-scale habitat restoration, from the flick of a single switch to city-wide light pollution reduction, every action that contributes to collective action for birds is important.
Our Initiatives
Birds in the modern world face myriad human-caused threats, and they need our help to survive them. If you are looking for effective strategies to help birds, we have the resources to help get you started! There are many easy and effective ways you can contribute to protecting birds, from cultivating native plants to making glass visible to birds in your home.
Garden for Birds
Support birds, make your yard bird-friendly. Just like us, birds rely on having safe, food-rich places to rest, raise families, and refuel. Our yards and gardens can provide valuable habitat and bridge the gaps between neighborhoods and the larger green spaces that birds rely on. Garden for Birds participants receive step-by-step guidance on how to gradually incorporate bird-friendly features into their yards and overcome common challenges associated with native gardening. We celebrate and share the small changes in yards that transform even tiny spaces into vibrant, safe havens for birds.
Resources
Bird-friendly Buildings
Dim lights by night, treat glass by day. More than 1 billion birds die in collisions with glass every year. There are several simple and effective ways to prevent these deaths, including turning down lights at night and adding visual deterrents to the outside of glass, many of which are DIY. We integrate cutting-edge science from BirdCast to predict high migration events, when light pollution is the biggest threat. We work with dozens of partners to evaluate and share proven bird-friendly solutions and support communities and people like you to make our built environment safer for birds.
Resources
Land Trusts
Land trusts are bird habitat. Land Trusts protect more than 60 million acres of land in the U.S., providing a powerful mechanism for stewarding privately owned ecosystems. We collaborate with the Lab’s Center for Avian Population Studies Land Trust Bird Conservation Initiative on grants and programs that increase biodiversity and limit bird declines on private lands. If you are looking for effective strategies to support bird habitat through land trusts, we have what you need to get started! Explore the many easy and effective ways you can support your local land trust to make a difference for birds.