News Room
2025 News Releases
May 19, 2025Cornell Lab of Ornithology Launches BirdWise: A Revolutionary Bird Identification Learning ToolIthaca, N.Y.—The Cornell Lab of Ornithology today announced the launch of BirdWise, an innovative learning tool designed to transform how people learn to identify birds. This interactive quizzing tool covers more than 640 bird species from across the United States…
May 1, 2025Study Shows How Millions of Bird Sightings Unlock Precision ConservationA groundbreaking study published today in Science reveals that North American bird populations are declining most severely in areas where they should be thriving.
April 30, 2025For the First Time, All Avian Evolutionary Relationships RevealedColleagues at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology alongside Professor Emily Jane McTavish at the University of California, Merced have mapped the evolution of every known bird species.
April 24, 2025The Birds and the Bees: Including Bird Data Improves Estimates of Wild Bee Species, Study FindsA new study published today in the journal PLOS One reveals that combining bird observation data with land cover information provides more accurate predictions of numbers of wild bee species—a metric called richness—than using either dataset alone.
April 22, 2025Study Reveals Factors Driving Range Expansion in Lesser GoldfinchesNew research published in the journal Ornithology shows that Lesser Goldfinches, a small songbird traditionally found in the Southwest, are expanding their range northward through the Pacific Northwest at an unprecedented rate, providing insights into how species adapt to environmental change.
In The News
- Weather radar picks up over 1 million migrating birds , Yahoo! Newsat Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (one of the groups that runs BirdCast ). It can “inform people what
- ‘No one wants a building that kills birds’: why cities are turning off the lights , The Guardianthe intensity of nocturnal bird migration Composite: Adriaan Dokter, BirdCast, Cornell Lab of Ornithology A sort of silent spring has
- Help! I’m Obsessed With the Robin Throuple I Discovered on Facebook. , The Ringerbeing pretty territorial,” says Robyn Bailey, the project leader of the NestWatch program at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “They generally
- 6 Bird Baths with Solar Lights, Fountains, and Floral Designs—All Under $50 , Better Homes & Gardenspowered by the sun, and according to Holly Grant , project assistant for NestWatch at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, birds “love dripping water
- Your money questions, answered; how one comedian finds humour in his dyslexia; and why birding is ‘quietly radical’ , CBC Radio One – BC Todaythe last 50 years, according to a staggering report from Cornell University. Researcher Amanda Rodewald explains what’s happening, and why
- The Wrongest Bird in Movie History , Slatethe holy grail of many birders before, but Merlin, which was developed by the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology, really cracked it. I’d
- National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 324 | North American Bird Declines , National Parks Travelermore about this news, we’ve invited Dr. Amanda Rodewald from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Cornell University to join us today. 0:02
- Researchers Have Mapped the Evolution of Every Known Bird Species , SciTechDailyProfessor Emily Jane McTavish and her team at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have successfully mapped the evolutionary relationships of
- Bird Populations Are Declining Across North America , Mother Jonesscience data so far, scientists at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology used observations from eBird , a popular application used by birdwatchers
- All birds, one tree: Complete evolutionary map reveals hidden links , Earth.comwas led by Professor Emily Jane McTavish and her team at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology . They worked to gather and organize data on 9,239
- New research reveals where North American bird populations are crashing , The Times of Indialong time that bird populations are declining," lead author Alison Johnston, an ornithologist and ecological statistician at the University
- Advanced data tools reveal sharp bird declines in North American strongholds , MSN UKthe popular birding platform eBird to provide far more granular insight. The team of researchers, led by Alison Johnston of the University
- Birds on the Brain , Scholastic MATHare,â says David Bonter, co-director of the Center for Engagement in Science and Nature at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. While birding in
- Trump Is Harming National Parks for Future Generations, Former NPS Director Warns , Inside Climate NewsUsing a machine modeling system, the researchers analyzed the online eBird database, a collection of bird sightings from scientists and
- North American birds are plummeting in areas where they’re plentiful , Mongabay.com Newsone of the birds declining in areas where they’re abundant. Image courtesy of Blair Dudeck/Macaulay Library/Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- Birds are declining fastest where they were once common , Earth.comat the Cornell Lab of Ornithology , tracked 495 bird species between 2007 and 2021 using over 36 million observations submitted to the eBird
- Scientists Mapped the Evolution of 11,000 Bird Species to Build the Avian Tree of Life , MSN.comLuckily, scientists from the University of California Merced and Cornell Lab of Ornithology decided that challenge was one they wanted to
- North American bird populations suffering severe decline , Cornell UniversityAlison Johnston, lead author and ecological statistician who initiated this study as a research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- 75 percent of North America's bird species are in decline, study says , The Washington PostKen Rosenberg, a retired conservation scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology who was part of the team that designed and launched eBird
- New Research Reveals Where N. American Bird Populations Are Crashing , Barron'slong time that bird populations are declining," lead author Alison Johnston, an ornithologist and ecological statistician at the University
- Scientists issue urgent warning after alarming collapse of bird populations across the US: 'We have a full-on emergency' , MSN.comA report from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology shows that bird populations across every U.S. habitat are plummeting, with 229 species in
- ‘Chipmunks were obsessed with my mics’: the man who recorded a tree for a year , The Guardianintimidating editing task with the help of Holger Klinck, an expert in conservation bioacoustics at Cornell University, who showed him how
- The 4 Best Bird Baths Our Editors Love , Better Homes & Gardensbesides just looks. We spoke with Holly Grant , project assistant for NestWatch at Cornell Lab of Ornithology, to get more insight into why
- Spring bird migration in the Great Lakes , GreatLakesNowFeatured guests included: Alli Smith, project coordinator with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology ‘s Merlin Bird ID app Robyn Bailey, project
- The birds and the bees: Including bird data improves estimates of wild bee species , MSN.comCornell Lab of Ornithology. To fill in the data gaps of bee populations, the team turned to bird data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's
- Lesser Goldfinches Are Advancing Northwards in the US , Technology Networksrapidly colonize new environments,” said Jordan Boersma, co-author and research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “It’s not just
- Goldfinches are moving to new homes in unusual places , Earth.comrapidly colonize new environments ,” said Jordan Boersma, co-author and research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “It’s not
- Climate change is making the Lesser Goldfinch move from the US Southwest to the Pacific Northwest: Study , Down To Earthrapidly colonize new environments,” said Jordan Boersma, co-author and research associate at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “It’s not just
- How to Choose the Best Birdhouse to Attract Nesting Birds , MSN.com“It’s the ultimate standard of success,” says Robyn Bailey, project leader of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch program. “And it
- Hummingbirds are back in NY: See the interactive tracking map , MSN.combreed between April and October, said Andrew Farnsworth, a visiting scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and migration ecologist, in
- What the ‘trash heap’ penguins of Argentina are teaching us about survival , National Geographicfurther and further south,” says Gemma Clucas, a researcher with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The handful of Magellanic penguins that
- Why do birds sing so loudly in the morning in spring? It’s the ‘dawn chorus’ , National Geographicearly morning is still “an open question,” says Mike Webster, an ornithologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology . “There's a lot of debate,
- Baby birds back on beaches: What to do if you see a shorebird raising its young , USA Todaytime, according to Andrew Farnsworth, a migration ecologist at Cornell University. Cornell University's Bird lab hosts a BirdCast Migration
- Eclipse echoes: Study reveals surprising avian vocal patterns during solar eclipse , MSN.comHaikubox; and Stefan Kahl and Holger Klinck of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The
- Community Scientists and AI Team Up To Observe Bird Behavior During Total Solar Eclipse , Associated PressHaikubox; and Stefan Kahl and Holger Klinck of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- Birds Are Migrating! Here's How to Track Them in Real Time , MSN.comfact, that anyone with access to the internet can head to Cornell Lab of Ornithology's BirdCast and see a wide array of migration forecast
- State of the Birds report indicates about one-third of U.S. bird species at increased risk , Milwaukee Journal Sentinelsaid the report’s science committee chair Amanda Rodewald, faculty director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Center for Avian Population
- Midwest light pollution kills migrating birds, but scientists know how you can help , Nebraska Public Mediabirds see windows as solid surfaces. Andrew Farnsworth, a visiting scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, said the efficacy of these
- Spring bird migration is underway. Here's when and what you can expect to see in RI , MSN.comIsland. "The movements are massive," said Andrew Farnsworth, a migration ecologist at Cornell University who works with the university's
- Is springtime early or late in your area? Maps track flowers and birds. , MSN.com” said Andrew Farnsworth, a migration ecologist at Cornell University’s Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The university hosts the BirdCast
- Several Duck Species Included in ‘Tipping Point List’ as New Report Sounds Alarm Over U.S. Bird Declines , Outdoor Lifeand extreme weather events,” said Amanda Rodewald , faculty director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Center for Avian Population
- Counting whales by eavesdropping on their chatter, with help from machine learning , Mongabay.com Newsarea,” Marissa Garcia, lead author of the study and researcher at the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at the Cornell Lab
- UPDATE | 2025 State Of The Birds Report Documents Continued Declines In Species , National Parks Travelerhave been lost." At the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Center for Avian Population Studies, Dr. Amanda Rodewald, the faculty director, said
- Alarming Report Finds US Bird Populations Are Still Crashing , ForbesNigel Voaden, Cornell Lab of Ornithology / Macaulay Library) Nigel Voaden, Cornell Lab of Ornithology / Macaulay Library According to the
- State of America’s birds: Population declines continue , Cornell UniversityNABCI), with contributions from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Marc Devokaitis is an associate editor for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
- Grim New Bird Report Shows U.S. Duck Population Dwindling , Time MagazineThe latest report is a collaboration between several groups including Cornell University, Ducks Unlimited, American Bird Conservancy,
- Many US Bird Species Seen as Reaching Population 'Tipping Point' , U.S. News & World ReportThe report looked at 718 species using population data such as the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's eBird Status and Trends project, the U.S.
- US bird populations continue alarming decline, new report finds , MSN.comextreme weather events," said Dr. Amanda Rodewald, faculty director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Center for Avian Population Studies.
- Ducks were once a conservation bright spot. Now they're declining in the US, new report shows , MSN.comfound. The latest report is a collaboration between several groups including Cornell University, Ducks Unlimited, American Bird Conservancy,
- Birds Are in Trouble across the U.S. But It’s Not Too Late to Protect Them , Scientific Americanurgent conservation attention,” says report co-author Amanda Rodewald, an ecologist at Cornell University. This is bad news for humans, too
- Every bird song can help scientists make smarter forest decisions , Earth.comthe future of these forests. Capturing bird sounds Researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Popular Owl Camera Launches for Second Season , Associated Presslens on what we can become.” About the Cornell Lab of Ornithology The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a membership institution dedicated to
- 9 Nesting Materials That Are Safe to Leave Out for Birds (and 3 That Aren't) , MSN.comright materials can be confusing. Holly Grant, a project assistant for NestWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, offers expert advice on
- Underwater Mics and Machine Learning Help Aid Whale Conservation , Technology Networkswhale populations isn’t new,” said lead author Marissa Garcia of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation
- Underwater mics and machine learning aid right whale conservation , MSN.comwhale populations isn't new," said lead author Marissa Garcia of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation
- Advancements in Underwater Microphone Technology and Machine Learning Enhance Conservation Efforts for Right Whales , Scienmag Science MagazineIn a groundbreaking study originating from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, researchers have unveiled an innovative methodology for
- More and more kids are taking up bird watching , NPRlike this are on the rise. Mya Thompson is in charge of youth programming at Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York.
- The Macaulay Library picks its favorite bird sounds for 2025. See who made the cut , NPRsounds from around the world. And the Macaulay Library archive at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the premier scientific archive of bird
- Some birds use snake skins in their nests to deter predators , Earth.comand small mammals,” explained lead author Vanya Rohwer, a senior research associate at Cornell University. “We think that an evolutionary
- 7 Ways to Keep Your Bird Bath from Freezing in Winter, According to Experts , MSN.comof birds than seed feeders, says Becca Rodomsky-Bish, project leader at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Access to water is important for
- Fear of Snakes Exploited by Birds To Protect Nests , Newsweekdeath. This is the conclusion of researchers from New York's Cornell University , who found birds that line their nests with snakeskin are
- Create the Ultimate Backyard Bird Habitat , Birds & Bloomson bird habitat is in our yards,” says Emma Greig, project leader of FeederWatch at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “By creating a bird-
Experts at the Cornell Lab
To request an interview or find additional experts, contact Kathi Borgmann, 607-254-2137, birdnews@cornell.edu.
Robyn BaileyProject LeaderNesting Biology • Nest and Egg Identification • Nest Boxes • Participatory Science
Jessie BarryProgram Manager
David BonterCo-Director, Center for Engagement in Science and NatureCitizen Science • Avian Ecology • Foraging Ecology
Kathi BorgmannCommunications ManagerScience Communication • Bird Identification • Breeding Biology • Avian Conservation • Bird Song • Wildlife Restoration Ecology
Charles EldermireProject Leader
Andrew FarnsworthVisiting ScientistBird Migration • Aeroecology • Bioacoustics • Radar Ornithology • Climate Change
John FitzpatrickDirector EmeritusAdministrative Oversight • Fundraising • Board Relations • Conservation Science • External Communication
Wesley HochachkaSenior Research AssociatePopulation Ecology • Citizen Science • Ecological Informatics • Disease Ecology
Marshall J. IliffProject LeadereBird • Status and Trends • Migration • Species Distribution • Taxonomy
Holger KlinckJohn W. Fitzpatrick Director, K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics
Irby LovetteDirector, Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program and Director, Center for Biodiversity Studies and Higher Education
Kevin J. McGowanSenior Course Developer and InstructorCrows • Behavioral Ecology • Ornithological Trivia • Bird Identification • Translating Science to General Audiences
Tina PhillipsAssistant Director, Engagement in Science and NatureCitizen Science • Evaluation • Learning • Social Science
Aaron RicePrincipal EcologistBioacoustics • Conservation Biology • Fish Biology • Marine Ecology • Animal Behavior
Amanda RodewaldGarvin Professor and Senior Director, Center for Avian Population Studies
Viviana Ruiz GutierrezAssistant Director, Center for Avian Population Studies • Program Leader, Conservation ScienceApplied Population Ecology • Conservation Science • Quantitative Ecology • Tropical Ecology and Conservation
Edwin ScholesProject LeaderBirds-of-Paradise • Audiovisual Media • New Guinea Ornithology • Evolutionary Biology
Mya ThompsonCo-Director, Engagement in Science and NatureOnline Learning • Instructional Design • Media Production • Environmental Education • Animal Communication • Science Communication
Mike WebsterDirector, Macaulay LibraryAnimal Behavior • Animal Communication • Evolution • Bird Song • Breeding Biology