That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Established in 2003 by Birdlife International, the WorldBirds Birdwatcher’s Data Base now has 16,000 regular users and over 3 million recorded observations.  Unlike many professionally-organized efforts, WorldBirds is open to ornithologists and casual and serious birders alike. It is an excellent, enjoyable way to contribute to worldwide conservation projects and communicate with others who share your passion.

Your Observations Count

Research fund availability and the sheer scope of what needs to be done places severe limits on conservationists…paid professionals can not handle everything. Even when I worked for the Bronx Zoo and other well-funded organizations, I relied heavily upon volunteers.  Much of the data that later found its way into professional publications was generated by them, not I.  Read More »

US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently released the 2011 State of the Birds Report.  For the first time, the report focused on the role that publicly owned lands (i.e. federal parks) play in the natural history and conservation of native birds.  The report was spurred by the US North American Bird Conservation Initiative, and represents the efforts of numerous groups, including the National Audubon Society, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Both “citizen scientists” (please see article below) and professional biologists played important role in data collection. Read More »