In 2018, we marked the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, nature lovers around the world joined forces to celebrate "Year of the Bird" and committed to protecting birds today and for the next hundred years.
If you take care of birds, you take care of most of the environmental problems in the world.
Thomas Lovejoy
Biologist and Godfather of Biodiversity
Bird Your World
Thank you for helping to build a better world for birds this year.
Celebrating 2018 as the Year of the Bird brought together people from around the world committed to making a difference. We hope you’ll continue to #birdyourworld in 2019 and beyond.
You are what hope looks like to a bird.
Past Actions
January: Take the Pledge | February: Great Backyard Bird Count | March: Native Plants
April: Migratory Bird Treaty Act | May: Global Big Day | June: Planet or Plastic?
July: Take a Child Into Nature | August: Discover Your Parks | September: Three Ways You Can Help
October: Global Big Day | November: Capture the Beauty of Birds | December: Helping this Holiday Season
Birds of the Photo Ark
The National Geographic Photo Ark is using the power of photography to inspire people to help save species at risk before it’s too late. Take a look at some of the birds of the Photo Ark below and learn more about Photo Ark here.
Partners
Joined by more than 180 organizations that work to protect birds and their habitats.
Participating Organizations
A Rocha USA
Abilene Zoo
Alaska Geographic
Aldo Leopold Audubon Society
American Bird Conservancy
American Birding Association
American Littoral Society
American Prairie Reserve
Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Atlanta Audubon Society
Auburn Heights Preserve
Audubon of Martin County
Audubon Society of Central Maryland
Audubon Society of Greater Denver
Audubon Society of Northern Virginia
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania
Audubon South Carolina
Audubon' International Alliances Program
Aves Argentinas
Bandelier National Monument
Bergen County Audubon Society
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
BirdsCaribbean
BirdWatch Ireland
Bombay Natural History Society
Boreal Songbird Initiative
Brandywine Zoo
Brooklyn Bird Club
Burung Indonesia
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Canton Audubon Society
Capitol Reef National Park
Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
Central Sierra Audubon Society
Charles Paddock Zoo
Children & Nature Network
Cibolo Nature Center & Farm
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
City of Louisville, Open Space Division
Clearwater Audubon Society
Coeur d'Alene Audubon Society
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
CONABIO
Defenders of Wildlife
Desert Rivers Audubon
Detroit Audubon Society
Dinosaur National Monument
Ducks Unlimited
Eastside Audubon Society
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center
Environment for the Americas
Environmental Action Committee of West Marin
Evergreen Audubon
FLAP Canada
Fort McHenry National Monument
Fort Washington Park
Gateway NRA
Glacier Bay National Park
Glacier National Park
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Golden Eagle Audubon Society
Golden Gate Audubon Society
Great Falls Park
Greater Cleveland AAZK Chapter
Greater Lovell Land Trust
Hampton National Historic Site
Heron Observation Network of Maine
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Houston Audubon
Independence National Historical Park
Indiana Division of Fish & Wildlife
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Intermountain Bird Observatory
Intermountain West Joint Venture
IOCongress2018
Iowa Ornithologists' Union
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
John Ball Zoo
Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Klamath Bird Observatory
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lights Out Baltimore
Linnaean Society of New York
Los Angeles Zoo
Lowell National Historical Park
Madison Audubon Society
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Manomet Observatory
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
Minnesota Ornithologists' Union
Mississippi Headwaters Audubon Society
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
NABCI-Canada
National Aquarium
National Aviary
National Eagle Center
National Park Service
Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin
Nature's Best Photography
Nature Seychelles
Missouri National Recreational River
NC Birding Trail
New York City Audubon
New York Historical Society
Nez Perce National Historical Park
Ninety Six National Historic Site
Niobrara National Scenic River
Northeastern Wisconsin Audubon Society
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Oregon Caves National Monument & Preserve
Orleans Audubon Society
Pacific Birds Habitat Joint Venture
Padre Island National Seashore
Pheasants Forever
Playa Lakes Joint Venture
Point Blue Conservation Science
Prince William Forest Park
Quail Forever
Red Desert Audubon
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
Rocky Mountain National Park
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site
Saint Louis Zoo
Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
San Juan Island National Historical Park
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society
SAVE Brasil
Saving Birds Thru Habitat
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Seattle Audubon Society
SeaWorld Orlando
Sedgwick County Zoo
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
Shenandoah National Park
Shukavana Bird Rehabilitation Center
Sierra Foothills Audubon Society
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
Sonoran Joint Venture
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Southwestern New Mexico Audubon
Sullivan County Audubon Society
Sutton Avian Research Center
Tahoma Audubon Society
Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
Te Ipukarea Society
The Dallas Zoo Lacerte Family Children's Zoo
The Institute for Bird Populations
The Wilds
The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
Tracy Aviary
Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research
Tropical Audubon Society
Tucson Audubon Society
U.S. Department of State
Umpqua Valley Audubon Society
Upper Mississippi River/Great Lakes Region Joint Venture
US Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Program
US Forest Service Tahoe NF
Uzbekistan Society for the Protection of Birds
VA Breeding Bird Atlas
Valley Forge National Historical Park
Vermont Center for Ecostudies
Vermont Institute of Natural Science
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Virginia Master Naturalists
Virginia Zoo
Wendell Gilley Museum
Western Cuyahoga Audubon
Wild Bird Fund
Wild Bird Trust
Wild Birds Unlimited
Winnebago Audubon Society
Wisconsin Audubon Council
Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative
Wisconsin DNR
Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society
Wyncote Audubon Society
World Pheasant Association
Yosemite National Park
Zoo Atlanta
February
Join the Great Backyard Bird Count
In February, we helped scientists create a real-time snapshot of the world's birds by counting the birds and sharing our observations. If you missed this year's Great Backyard Bird Count, you can still count birds and submit your observations throughout the year.
January
Take the Pledge
In January, we committed to helping build a better world for birds by taking a simple but meaningful action each month. Sign the pledge to find out the monthly actions and share your actions using #BirdYourWorld to increase your impact.
March
Native Plants
Landscaped with native species, your yard, garden, patio, or balcony becomes a vital recharging station for birds passing through and a sanctuary for nesting birds.
April
Learn More About the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Don’t know what the MBTA even is? Here’s your comprehensive guide to the Act—including why it's at risk.
May
Join Global Big Day!
On May 5, we broke a record and counted 6,925 bird species around the world in 24 hours. If you missed this May's Global Big Day, you can still count birds and submit your observations throughout the year.
June
Planet or Plastic?
In June, we committed to reducing single-use plastic by saying no to plastic bags, straws, and bottles, and recycling to save seabirds and other wildlife from ingesting the trash that pollutes our oceans.
July
Take a child into nature
In July, we helped build children’s love for wild animals and landscapes. A single encounter can spark a lifelong passion.
August
Discover Your Parks
In August, we found birding hotspots by exploring recreational trails, city parks, state parks, national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests, seashores and other sanctuaries, and helped protect these havens for both people and birds.
September
Three Ways You Can Help Migrating Birds This Fall
Migrants heading south face myriad man-made obstacles. In September, we took actions to save their lives.
October
Make "Your" Birds a Part of the Next Global Big Day
Migrating birds are flooding through northern skies, while spring is just awakening in the Southern Hemisphere. This October 6, we invited the whole world to go bird watching and capture this unique seasonal moment. Get tips, resources, and full details here.
November
Capture the Beauty of Birds on Camera
Go on an assignment with National Geographic Your Shot, a storytelling community where photographers can take part in photo assignments, get expert feedback, be published, and more. Share your photography to tell the story of the birds in your world.
December
Share Your Love of Birds This Holiday Season
During 2018 hundreds of thousands of you have taken action as part of the Year of the Bird – planting native plants, avoiding plastic, participating in community science, making your home bird friendly. Together, it all adds up. So, for the December holiday season we wanted to celebrate by sharing our love of birds. There is no better gift to give.
TOP PHOTO: DAVID MORGAN/AUDUBON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS; FEATURED POSTS: PHOTO BY CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY, MIKE BELLEME, ROBERT ROYSE/MINDEN PICTURES AND BJORN OLESEN