'Tis the Season to #GiveBackToBirds: 20+ Plus Ways to Help
Here at ABC, we are always thinking about ways to give back to birds (like this hummingbird, featured in our logo). And because December is the season of giving, we kicked off a month of suggesting ways–big and small–that enable everyone to participate in bird conservation. Scroll through to see ways you can #GiveBackToBirds!
There's nothing like a good cup of coffee. But the way it's grown can help, or hurt, the birds we care about. #GiveBackToBirds by choosing Bird Friendly coffee that helps maintain habitat for species like Yellow Warbler! One of our favorites is Bird & Beans.
Stories abound of birds like Red-tailed Hawk (pictured) becoming casualties of lead poisoning. We hope all bird-loving hunters and fishermen will #GiveBackToBirds this season by educating others on this issue (and of course, using non-lead shot and tackle)!
Learn more about the threats of lead and other toxins to birds.
Plastic trash may be "out of sight, out of mind" for a lot of us, but it's a huge problem for seabirds. Birds like these Laysan Albatross mistake it for food and pass it along to their young, with tragic results. #GiveBackToBirds by reducing use of plastic and by recycling!
Learn more about the threats of plastics to birds.
Glass is a major killer of birds, including Wood Thrush. Here's something you can do: #GiveBackToBirds by putting ABC BirdTape on your home windows. Most of us have at least one window that seems to cause collisions. Start there and see the results from this easy-to-use solution.
Lawn chemicals, rat poisons, insect-killing sprays … Many people think these products are safe because they're readily available, but they can be deadly to birds like Dickcissels (shown), other wildlife, and people. #GiveBackToBirds by avoiding pesticides in and around your home.
Here's another way to #GiveBackToBirds: If you have a free-roaming cat, work toward keeping him or her contained or indoors, for the well-being of birds like these Eastern Bluebirds. It's also healthier for your cat–and for your entire family. Find out how.
Looking for another way to #GiveBackToBirds? Check off a few items on your gift-giving list this holiday season (and year round) with these bird-friendly options.
Being an advocate for birds includes staying informed on bird conservation issues. #GiveBackToBirds by signing up for ABC's e-Newsletter list to receive our monthly eNews, action alerts, and other updates!
Stand up for a threatened bird species: It's another way to #GiveBackToBirds! Help us protect the western population of Yellow-billed Cuckoo with this action alert to U.S. Congress, asking for protection of more habitat.
A great way to #GiveBackToBirds is by purchasing a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal duck stamp. The money generated from these is put towards protecting birds (like this Wood Duck) for future generations.
Gardening with native species of plants is a great way to #GiveBackToBirds. Plants that evolved in your area are part of a food web that provides essential food to #birds and other wildlife. Learn more from expert Douglas Tallamy.
Conservation #birding is a great way to #GiveBackToBirds: at certain reserves, your visit directly benefits bird onservation. Seeing this Sunbittern at Colombia's El Paujil Bird Reserve, managed by ABC partner Fundación ProAves, is a perfect example.
Learn more about how you can "see it, save it."
Standing up for threats to birds and their habitat is a significant way to #GiveBackToBirds. Although wind energy development is a key element in alternative energy solutions, poorly-sited wind turbines in sensitive migratory areas pose great threats for many bird species (like this Short-eared Owl). Voice your concerns today about the additional turbines proposed for important bird habitat in Huron County, Michigan.
Surprising, but true: American Woodcock (shown) are a frequent victim of window collisions. If you're involved in home or other building design, you can #GiveBackToBirds by taking steps to make buildings bird-safe. Consult ABC's Bird-friendly Building Design guide and learn more.
Conservation starts with inspiration, so why not #GiveBackToBirds by inviting others to be inspired too? In our Bird of the Week email series, each new feature lets us take a moment to learn and appreciate a new species, reminding us why we are fighting to bring back the birds. You and your friends and family can sign up to receive the Bird of the Week in your inbox, or check out previous Birds of the Week.
An easy way to #GiveBackToBirds is simply to give back to your cat: Keeping cats indoors not only enables cats to live longer, healthier lives, resulting in fewer trips to the veterinarian and extending the years of mutual companionship, but also protects birds and other wildlife from a cat's instinctive predatory drive. Now take another step: take the pledge to keep cats indoors!
If you're a birder, patronize local businesses and let them know “a birder was here” and is helping to support them and will return as long as bird habitats are maintained. With the support of birdwatchers across the country, we can increase the conservation impact of people who care about birds!
Learn more about how you can #GiveBackToBirds and be a bird-savvy consumer.
Have any old birding equipment just lying around, never being used? You can #GiveBackToBirds and help our long-distance migrants and rare Latin American endemics by donating your old gear to biologists across the hemisphere through the Birders' Exchange program.
To be an advocate for birds, you first have to be aware of the threats they face. Did you know that Hawai'i is the bird extinction capital of the world, and that many species, like this Hawaiian Petrel, are at risk of extinction?#GiveBackToBirds and learn more.
The ABC blog is where we share updates, thoughts, and anecdotes on bird conservation–and thanks to all of you who share and comment on these posts, our blog has become a forum for a fruitful "conservation conversation." #GiveBackToBirds by checking out the ABC blog and taking part.
During your New Year's Eve celebrations, remember the birds and avoid balloons. Although they're festive, balloons often have unintended consequences, ending up entangling or being ingested by seabirds like these Black-footed Albatross.
Learn more about how ABC is working to protect seabirds.
Thanks for being a part of a season to #GiveBackToBirds – and remember, these are things you can do year-round!