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What You Can Do
 The inclusion of a link on this page does not constitute an endorsement by EPA of any organization's
policies or activities, or of any item for sale. EPA makes no guarantees regarding information, data or links contained on non-EPA
web sites. Please note that many of the following links will transport you off the EPA server.
There are many things that you can do in your private or professional life to further the conservation of birds and their
habitats. While any individual's contributions will vary with available time and money and with location, in the aggregate
our individual contributions can and do make a real difference. More than any other group of animals, birds have already
benefitted substantially from the actions of individual citizens through volunteer monitoring, habitat improvement,
participation in local and other larger conservation projects, and many other activities. Listed below are a few simple
actions that you can take to help out.
Familiarize yourself with contemporary bird conservation issues, which will provide a good background for
exploring the many opportunities potentially available to you. Some suggested sources of information are:
A comprehensive paper on bird conservation
issues prepared for EPA that includes information on the importance, needs, status, threats, conservation
actions, and other topics related to birds, including references and links to useful web sites. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's
fact sheet on Neotropical Migratory Bird Basics which discusses key conservation issues affecting migratory
birds. It includes a list of selected books that may be found in libraries. Strategies for Bird Conservation: the Partners
in Flight Planning Process
This site is the electronic proceedings of a 1995 international workshop which contains many scientific
papers on various aspects of bird conservation. Importance of Migratory Stopovers
This is a short paper on this critical aspect of bird conservation with a focus on shorebirds. A Guide to Bird Education Resources is an annotated
bibliography of materials oriented toward education in bird conservation, focusing on children. To learn which species of birds are of highest conservation priority in your state or the nation, check out the
Watch List compiled by
Partners in Flight.
Participate in volunteer monitoring activities that help to document the status and trends of bird
populations. There are many opportunities in this area, depending on your level of interest, ability
to commit time, and level of expertise in bird identification. Sources of further information include:
The American Birding Association's volunteer directory
provides a very comprehensive directory of projects at all geographic scales and for all levels of interest and
expertise. It is updated annually. Citizen Science Portal is the web page of a growing group of
volunteer monitoring projects, sponsored by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon
Society. Most of the individual projects provide for Internet-based reporting of data. - The Breeding Bird Survey is the United States' largest
and longest running survey of breeding birds, including a roadside survey of 4100 permanent active routes. Over
2500 skilled amateur birders and professional biologists participate in the program each year.
Take steps to enhance and maintain good bird habitat on your own property or through similar projects
with your employer. Even small, low cost improvements can help provide critical breeding, wintering, or
migratory stopover habitat while affording other environmental benefits such as lowered requirements for watering,
fertilizers, and pesticides; reduced air pollution from less grass mowing and from more trees that produce oxygen
and reduce carbon dioxide; and improved habitat for other animals such as butterflies and amphibians. Good sources
for further information include:
The National Wildlife Federation's Backyard
Wildlife Habitat Program. The Wildlife Habitat Council's program for corporations
and other large landowners. Backyard Conservation
a cooperative project of the National Association of Conservation Districts, the Wildlife
Habitat Council, and the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service. The Windstar Wildlife Institute
featuring information on attracting wildlife to your property. The The Point Reyes Bird Observatory website for
private home and land owners who want to improve their property for bird conservation.
Participate in a local or state bird conservation initiative. Sources of information to assist
you in identifying such opportunities include:
Partners in Flight contacts, especially those
listed under the state committee and state agency headers. State or local bird clubs or other conservation organizations active in bird conservation. Check out a
listing provided by the American Birding Association.
Promote bird conservation in other local conservation or environmental quality activities, such as watershed or
estuary management. Even though the principal focus of such efforts may be water quality or other environmental
issues, there may be significant opportunities to conserve or enhance habitat of importance to birds. To learn about such
activities in your area, check out:
Consider other personal or lifestyle actions that can benefit birds, such as the following:
Purchasing bird-friendly products. The most notable example is shade-grown coffee,
produced in a manner that conserves rain forest habitat in the tropics that is vital for both local and
migrating or wintering bird species. To learn more, check out the
Smithsonian
Migratory Bird Center's fact sheet on shade-grown coffee. Keeping your cat indoors. Studies have shown that free-roaming cats kill hundreds of
millions of birds (and other animals) every year in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, check out the
American Bird Conservancy's web site on cats. Donating your old binoculars and other equipment to
Birder's Exchange. They will be sent to
Latin America and the Caribbean to support bird monitoring and education projects that will benefit
both local birds and North American birds migrating through or wintering in those countries. Minimizing household pollution which affects birds and other animals as well as human
health. To learn more, check out EPA's At Home and in
the Garden web site.
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