"We provide training, equipment, and resources to help document the diversity of life with sound and video. Through workshops and informal training sessions, we teach field techniques and share technical knowledge to help meet the challenges of recording birds and other animals in the wild."
Help to build the bird database by clicking through the images:
"We'll show you a photo of a bird and ask a series of questions. You'll sharpen your observation skills. And, your answers will train Merlin to identify birds in photos! "
"A tiny hawk that appears in a blur of motion—and often disappears in a flurry of feathers. That’s the Sharp-shinned Hawk, the smallest hawk in North America and a daring, acrobatic flier. These raptors have distinctive proportions: long legs, short wings, and very long tails, which they use for navigating their deep-woods homes at top speed in pursuit of songbirds and mice."
"Scientists working in Haiti have obtained the first-ever photos of an endangered Black-capped Petrel chick—a little ball of gray fluff that was discovered at its nest inside a mountaintop cave. The finding helps answer questions about this secretive species’ life cycle."
Snowy Owls lead nomadic lives and travel vast distances from year to year searching for productive feeding areas. Some years, most recently in the winter of 2011/2012, conditions cause them to come south in great numbers.
Get an intimate look at these white owls from the north through video and photographs captured by the Cornell Lab's, Gerrit Vyn.
Learn about the 2012 Great Backyard Bird Count:
"Bird enthusiasts across the U.S. and Canada are gearing up for the Great Backyard Bird Count. It’s not too late to participate in the February 17-20 event. It’s free to participate, and everything is available online. The GBBC is open to anyone, including novice bird-watchers and students. Participants don’t need to be able to identify every bird, and the online submission process helps check their accuracy and prevent errors. Out of excuses yet?"
Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a 14,000 acre preserve located near Naples, Florida in the heart of the Western Everglades. It is home to the largest remaining stand of old growth Bald Cypress forest in North America. A 2.25 mile boardwalk trail, which winds its way through 4 native habitats, is open to the public 365 days a year.
"It was quite a moment. Audubon’s national board approved our new roadmap. Forty staff members rose to applaud the board, and then the board rose to applaud the staff. People hugged. A few tears were shed. Gratitude wasn’t on the agenda, but it flowed freely."
"Birds can tell us a lot about the environment in which we live. Because they are sensitive to environmental stressors and occupy virtually all terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, knowing where birds are and what habitats they use can help us assess ecosystem health. The Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas is a five-year project to determine the distribution and abundance of all bird species breeding in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Since 2006, over 1,000 volunteers have spent 45,000 hours combing the Maritimes in search of breeding birds, and now it is time to put that data to use!"
"Stretching in a thin arc from Anguilla to Grenada, the Lesser Antilles are the final frontier between the Caribbean Sea and the vast expanses of the Atlantic Ocean. A full seabird census had previously never been undertaken in the region, with many existing records based on anecdotal notes from the early 19th century.
Over an eleven month study period, between 2009 and 2010, EPIC’s partners Katharine and David Lowrie, sailed 3,162 nautical miles, surveying by land and/or sea 200 islands above the high-tide level capable of supporting seabirds, surveying each island in the winter breeding season and again during the summer."
The University of British Columbia, and the city of Vancouver will host the 5th North American Ornithological Conference in beautiful British Columbia, 14 to 18 August 2012. Vancouver, with its magnificent setting on the Pacific Ocean, offers a wealth of marine, coastal and terrestrial biodiversity, scientific resources and entertainment.
"Binoculars are a very important, if not essential, part of birding. Aside from our own eyes and ears, they are the primary tool by which we can differentiate between birds at a distance. There are many brands and models to choose from, and picking a pair that is well suited to your needs is key. Here we hope to provide you with some pointers on choosing, using, and caring for your binoculars."
"The count period for the 112th Christmas Bird Count, from December 14, 2011 through January 5, 2012, has concluded. Stay tuned to find out how the counts went."
"Download the 2012 PowerPoint presentation explaining how to take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, why participation is needed, and what we can learn from the count. It also features the top 10 birds reported during the last count."
"Anyone can participate in this free event and no registration is needed. Watch and count birds for at least 15 minutes on any day of the count, February 17-20, 2012. Enter your results at www.birdcount.org, where you can watch as the tallies grow across the continent. The four-day count typically records more than 10 million observations."
Video of sand cranes and snow geese-click below:
Sand Cranes, Snow Geese and Bird Watchers at Bosque del Apache
Video of sand cranes and snow geese-click below:
Sand Cranes, Snow Geese and Bird Watchers at Bosque del Apache
Ornithologists arrived from far and wide to take part in the event and watch the birds in migration.
Ornithologists arrived from far and wide to take part in the event and watch the birds in migration.
A great grey owl, rarely seen south of Lake Superior, has been spotted in one of the southernmost communities in Canada.
Take an evergreen bough—such as a trimming from a Christmas tree, wreath or garland—and use twine to secure it above the bird feeder, tying it either to the branch or hook that holds the bird feeder or the bird feeder itself.
A rare duck normally only seen in Asia has somehow turned up in California, drawing excited bird watchers from all over the U.S. and Canada to a wildlife refuge in the state's Central Valley.Rare Asian duck draws bird watchers to Calif.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2012/01/rare-asian-duck-draws-birders-central-calif/2072156#ixzz1j0r9z1aT
According to a report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more people feed birds than hunt or fish combined. In fact, 60 million people in the United States alone feed wild birds. The type of feed offered and the location of feeders will determine the species of birds that come to your back yard.
Paul set up the camera, and the "gee whiz" moment occurred. They were American goldfinches, and they were landing next to, grabbing onto, and sometimes hanging upside down from sweetgum-balls on the trees, busily extracting tiny seeds, one at a time.
A greenfinch asserts his dominance at the table. Others eat only if he allows.
From your friends at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, here is an inspiring video as we start a new year. Happy 2012.
Susan is demonstrating to Kathryn a simple bird feeder for apples, can also be used with cheese or bread. Apples are important for feeding blackbirds and blackcaps in the garden in winter. This feeder will help to bring them to your garden.
Short clip of sparrows eating and swinging on a bird feeder. At the end, they see a cat...
