Wilson's Warbler. Photo: David Liittschwager
Where birds thrive, people prosper. From urban centers to rural towns, each community can provide important habitat for native birds. In turn, birds offer us a richer, more beautiful, and healthful place to live.
Over the past century, urbanization has taken, fragmented, and transformed ecologically productive land with sterile lawns and exotic ornamental plants. We’ve introduced walls of glass, toxic pesticides, and domestic predators. The human-dominated landscape no longer supports functioning ecosystems or provides healthy places for birds.
Each community has a unique ecological and cultural story to tell. Creating Bird-Friendly Communities is Audubon’s commitment to the sustainability of our urban, suburban, and rural places. We can restore and reconnect these places. We can reestablish the ecological functions of our cities and towns. We can provide an essential, safe habitat for birds. With simple acts of hope, everyone can help make their community bird-friendly.
By simply choosing native plants for our yards and public spaces, we can restore vital habitat for birds in our communities and help them adapt and survive in the face of climate change. Audubon’s Plants for Birds program is designed to enable anyone to have a positive impact by planting for birds, right where they live. Visit the native plants database to create a customized list of plants native to your area, get connected to your local Audubon and native plant nurseries, and help us get 1 million plants in the ground for birds.
Glass and lights present major hazards to birds, killing hundreds of millions of birds each year. Birds hit buildings at all hours during the day and night. At night migrating birds can be distracted by bright lights in our cities. During the day the problem is reflection or other confusing aspects of glass. Audubon chapters, centers and programs across the country are working to make buildings safer for birds—both day and night. You can learn more about our Lights Out project here, and existing Lights Out programs here.
From Prothonotary Warblers and Chimney Swifts to Osprey and Burrowing Owls, many species of birds can be given a better chance to survive and thrive through a little assistance from structures we build—birdhouses, roosting towers, nest platforms, and artificial burrows. For some species, these structures tip the scales back in their favor, reducing declines in populations and restoring species to places they once inhabited.
Recreating natural habitat by planting native vegetation will help bird populations thrive
Purpose-built structures such as nest boxes, burrows, platforms, or roosting towers can help bird populations rebound
Audubon is pioneering innovative approaches to make buildings safer for birds
Artificial plants, string, and netting can harm birds. Here's how to make your decor safe for them—and, with a bit of effort, even welcoming.
Reflecting on the “gruesome and overwhelming” day, experts remain hopeful that the event will inspire action for bird-friendly communities.
Creating Opportunities for Collaboration
Birds face innumerable threats in our human built environment and our glass surfaces are one of the biggest.
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