This section provides information about outreach and education tools, as well as citizen science projects. Citizen science engages the public in collecting information about birds. Many bird citizen science projects already exist, allowing land trusts to easily tap into online monitoring tools, link to volunteers already collecting information, or even access useful data within their service areas.
MerlinMerlin is a free bird identification app for your smartphone, offering quick identification help for all levels of bird watchers to learn about North America and Europe’s common and rare birds.
- All About Birds
All About Birds is an online guide to birds and bird watching with information about 589 North American species – identify birds, learn about life history, listen to sounds, and watch videos of bird behavior.
- NestWatch
NestWatch is a nationwide nest-monitoring program used to study the current condition of breeding bird populations and how they may be changing over time as a result of climate change, habitat degradation and loss, expansion of urban areas, and the introduction of non-native plants and animals.
- BirdSleuth K-12
BirdSleuth K-12 provides innovative resources that build science skills while inspiring young people to connect to local habitats, explore biodiversity, and engage in citizen-science projects through inquiry-based science curriculum and activities.
- Celebrate Urban Birds
Celebrate Urban Birds is a citizen-science project developed to reach diverse urban audiences who do not already participate in science or scientific investigation. The project collects data from participants, providing valuable knowledge of how different environments influence birds in urban areas.
- Macaulay Library
The Macaulay Library provides access to the world’s largest archive of wildlife sounds and videos, and allows users to search recordings by species for birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, and even fishes. Additionally, digital audio guides are available for download.
- Birding Trails
Birding trails are scattered across North America like individual strings of pearls. These trails, covering expanses of roadway across many miles, offer birders, naturalists, and general eco-tourists grand opportunities to explore diverse habitats near home and in distant places.
