Field Notes

Don't Extinguish the Firecrown: Island Conservation and Its Challenges

BibiBP — Mon, 11 May 2026 17:49:29 +0000

Don't Extinguish the Firecrown: Island Conservation and Its Challenges

This piece was researched and written by a team of University of Washington students: Kade Smiley, Brayden L Davis, Kyle Devilbiss, Steven Marking, and Eni Peters. Read on to learn more about the Juan Fernández Firecrown and how invasive species, habitat loss, and isolation threaten one of the world’s rarest hummingbirds.

Just two and a half hours by plane from the coast of Chile lies the small mountainous Robinson Crusoe Island – or as it’s known in Spanish, Isla Robinson Crusoe – the second largest of the Juan Fernández Islands. Although its total area is a mere 18.5 square miles, Robinson Crusoe Island is home to nearly 100 species of plants and animals that are found nowhere else in the world.

In the native forests of Robinson Crusoe Island, you might be able to catch a glimpse of one of these species whizzing by. A flash of fiery orange or deep blue jumping from one flower to the next, then for a moment, it stills. Wings a blur, body suspended in air, its crown catching the light like fire; this is the Juan Fernández Firecrown (Sephanoides fernandensis), a hummingbird found nowhere else on Earth.

At just under four and a half inches long, the Juan Fernandez Firecrown is one of the largest hummingbirds in the world. The males live up to their name, with vibrant, bright orange plumage and a fiery, iridescent yellow crown. The females boast a bright green head and back, a white chest and belly, and a dark blue crown. They spend their days zooming through the island’s native forests, catching insects in their long black beaks, and hanging on to flowers to drink the nectar they produce. The Firecrown is considered an ‘endemic’ species because of their restriction to a single isolated geographical area.

Unfortunately, these spectacular hummingbirds are critically endangered. The best estimates suggest that there are only 1,000-3,000 of these birds left on Robinson Crusoe Island, and their population is currently declining. Their decline reflects a broader global pattern of vulnerability and decline among endemic island species. The Earth’s islands are home to half of the world’s endangered species, including 41% of threatened bird species, and have been the sites of three-quarters of recorded extinctions. Several factors of island life put endemic island species like the Juan Fernandez Firecrown at higher risk of extinction than mainland species, and habitat loss and invasive species are some of the main drivers of the decline of endemic island species. And on Robinson Crusoe Island, more is at stake than the fate of the hummingbird. The Juan Fernandez Firecrown is the island's primary pollinator, tying its survival to the survival of the very forests it calls home.

Habitat loss is the leading cause of biodiversity decline globally, and it is no different on islands. Surrounded by oceans, islands are inherently limited in space. Because there is only so much habitat to go around, endemic island species often have small populations that are more vulnerable to extinction.

When habitat is already scarce, minor habitat loss or degradation can have major consequences. The driving factor behind habitat loss on Robinson Crusoe Island is deforestation of native forests. In the past, deforestation was primarily driven by human activity, like land clearing and woodcutting, but it is now primarily driven by invasive species. Invasive herbivores such as feral goats and European rabbits strip the island of native plants, allowing for fast-growing invasive plant species to infiltrate and take over the forest.

For the Juan Fernandez Firecrown, the decline of native forests presents a threat beyond habitat loss. Native plant species and the Firecrown have co-evolved, meaning that the species have evolved in response to each other. Native plants depend on the Firecrown to pollinate their flowers, and the Firecrown depends on native plants such as the cabbage tree and the Luma tree for food and nesting sites. A decrease in native forest means less food and fewer nesting sites, which causes the Firecrown population to shrink, causing further decline in native forests in a vicious cycle.

Another threat to endemic island species is the presence of invasive predators, including rats and domestic cats. The Juan Fernandez Firecrown faces threats from invasive rats which eat their eggs, and cats and coati which prey upon adult birds. This type of predator hits endemic island birds harder than their mainland counterparts because they do not have a shared evolutionary history. Unfortunately for the prey species in these relationships, this often means that they have a very limited ability to defend themselves against introduced predators or adapt to protect themselves.

As is the case for other island species around the globe, dedicated groups are working to secure the long-term survival of the Juan Fernandez Firecrown. One such group is Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge (OEK), a long-term, community-based conservation effort started in 2001. They provide volunteer opportunities, environmental education, and focus on involving local communities in the conservation of endangered species. On Robinson Crusoe Island, OEK is striving to restore the native forest habitat of the Firecrown by controlling invasive plants and eradicating rabbits from the island.

Unfortunately, these projects are expensive. The estimate for removing invasive mammals from the island was about $17 million in 2011, and as of 2022, efforts to eradicate invasive coati were started by the NGO Island Conservation. Efforts by organizations such as Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge and Island Conservation are not limited by willpower or skill, but by funding. The best way to support these conservation efforts is through direct financial contribution, whether by donating to trusted conservation organizations, sponsoring specific restoration projects, or supporting broader island conservation initiatives. Individuals can also help by spreading awareness, advocating for biodiversity funding, and supporting policies and programs that prioritize habitat protection and invasive species management. For more information, follow the links at the bottom of this page to find out more about how to help.

Even small contributions, combined across many people, can help critically endangered island species like the Juan Fernandez Firecrown have a fighting chance.

Resources

Photo Credits

Satellite image of Robinson Crusoe Island (top) and Santa Clara Island (bottom). Source: NASA’s Earth Observatory.

Female Juan Fernández Firecrown © María Jesús Martí

Male (left) and female (right) Juan Fernández Firecrown © Peter Hodum

Photo of Robinson Crusoe Island in 1860. Source: Getty Museum Collection

Male Juan Fernández Firecrown © Ken Logan

BibiBP Mon, 05/11/2026 - 10:49 Peter Hodum 0

Together on the Flyway: Black Volunteers in Bird Conservation

BibiBP — Fri, 01 May 2026 15:19:00 +0000

Together on the Flyway: Black Volunteers in Bird Conservation

Every bird has a journey, and so do the people who help protect them.

On May 26th, BirdNote and Black AF in STEM hosted a special conversation with passionate volunteers who shared what it looks like to show up for birds. From dimming city lights during migration to monitoring nests and tracking seasonal movements, these conservationists are making a real impact, and in this talk, they dived deep into how you can, too.

They explored these topics and shared more about how anyone can get involved, including efforts such as:

Lights Out Campaign – helping migratory birds navigate safely through city lights
Window collision monitoring or recovery – documenting or rescuing birds after building strikes
Nest Watch – tracking nesting success and fledgling rates
Project FeederWatch – counting winter birds at your backyard feeder
Migration tracking – monitoring the movements of birds during spring or fall migration

Hear their stories and walk away with real ways to take action and become part of something bigger!

About our Panelists

Jayshaun Talbert

Jayshaun Talbert (He/him) is an undergraduate student studying Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University. He's been interested in animals before he could remember and fell into loving birds in his late teens. He's had the privilege of being a part of several avian projects ranging from seabirds, raptors, songbirds, sage-grouse and more! In fact, he's currently doing an undergraduate thesis studying Northern Saw-Whet Owl populations. His long-term career goal is to become a wildlife research biologist. When he's not doing anything wildlife-related, he enjoys adventuring with his friends, reading, watching tv shows, going to the gym, and dying hair.

Susanna Hermanns

Susanna is an educator, organizer, and bird lover. As an MA Candidate in Environmental Studies, her academic career focuses on the lives of the resident birds of southern Ontario and the effects of urban ecosystems on bird behaviour and distribution. Growing up working class and entering university through a non-traditional path, her first engagement with ornithology research came through citizen science. As a lifelong birder, she aims to share her journey and meanwhile help to overcome barriers to research for Black and working-class birders.

Nia Williams

Nia Williams is a D(M)V native, a writer, and an incoming veterinary student at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. Her work centers on the intersection between the wellbeing of animals, the environment, and marginalized humans -- particularly in cities. She is a former staff member and volunteer of NYC's only wildlife hospital, and is passionate about bringing more kin folk into the animal and conservation fields.

Nicole Jackson (moderator)

Nicole Jackson (she/her) is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Education. A nature enthusiast, park advocate, and birder, she loves spending time outside and has a passion for getting people from underserved communities connected to the wonders of the natural world. Nicole currently works as a nature connection coach and environmental education consultant, helping both individuals and organizations develop inclusive programs that teach youth and families how to cultivate a healthy relationship with nature. She is also a member of the Black AF in STEM Collective, an organizer for the Black Birders Week Planning Team, and the founder of Black in National Parks Week.

BibiBP Fri, 05/01/2026 - 08:19 0

BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest Winners

BibiBP — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:21:09 +0000

BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest Winners

Congratulations to all of the winners of BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest!

Check out the top three winning submissions in both the General Bird Photography and Conservation Actions categories below. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's contest!

General Bird Photography

First place: Jocelyn Anderson, Sandhill Crane

"I noticed a Sandhill Crane foraging along the shoreline of a lake during a Fall day when colors were at their peak. I positioned myself so the trees were behind the Crane, and lowered my camera so that it was just above the waterline to have the bird framed by the trees. The bright orange eyes, the red crown, and the few rusty feathers are a beautiful match with the Fall colors." —Jocelyn Anderson

Second place: Vincent Lee, Allen's Hummingbird

"I was walking through The Urban Forest in Huntington Central Park when a flash of orange stopped me in my tracks. An Allen’s Hummingbird sat proudly on his perch, surveying the world below like a tiny king. Behind him stood a farm and a row of parked cars, unmistakable signs of human development around him. Instead of shifting my angle to erase them, I leaned into the contrast. I framed him so the cars dissolved into soft bokeh, transforming hard edges into gentle light. In that moment, the scene became more than a portrait. It became a story about resilience. This brilliant little hummingbird thrived in a landscape shaped by humans. Wild doesn’t always mean remote. Sometimes, it’s perched quietly above a parking lot." —Vincent Lee

Third place: Charles Bergman, Emperor Penguins

"For several hours one afternoon, I watched this Emperor Penguin chick at the colony on Snow Hill Island. It interested me because it was alone, and these penguins are typically quite social, Emperor Penguin chicks are among the cutest animal babies in the world. They look for all the world like they’re wearing pajamas—a onesie. This chick would approach the adults returning to the colony. It would flap its penguin wings, toss its head back and call. These penguin calls announce the chick’s identity. It is saying, “This is me.” It is how parents and chicks find each other in big colonies. But the chick had no luck. The adults ignored it. Some even smacked the chick with a flipper. It endured a long afternoon of rejection. Emperor Penguins have to be tough since only about a third of them will survive to their first birthday. Then, surprisingly, the chick approached an adult, gave its call, and the adult called back. A parent and chick reunion. I expected the chick to be fed. Instead, the chick turned and sank into the adult’s golden, pillowed chest. A look of complete contentment came over the chick’s eyes. The parent inspected the chick with an incredible gentleness, so surprising in the fierce conditions in which they make their lives. The experience of Emperor Penguins is like that of no other creature I know: it’s an exhilarating combination of awe and affection, tenderness and the sublime." —Charles Bergman

Conservation Actions

First place: Janet Lewis, Downy Woodpecker and Pileated Woodpecker

"I have several suet feeders in my backyard - a traditional cage feeder, and the homemade log feeder you see in this image. It is a 18-20" long birch bark log (about 4" in diameter) that my husband has drilled four 1.75" diameter x 1.5" deep holes into the log. I stuff suet into the 4 holes and hang it next to the smaller cage feeder. The birds LOVE it. I get Downy, Hairy, Red bellied, and Pileated visiting on a regular basis (as well nuthatches, sparrows, blackbirds, starlings and grackles) at this feeder. This last August I was watching a Downy Woodpecker feeding and the male Pileated flew in. Normally the arrival of the loud, boisterous Pileated results in the other birds quickly retreating. But this little Downy held her ground (You Go Girl!). I literally ran for my camera... and couldn't believe they stayed in position while I did so. I fired off a few frames (shooting through my deck sliding door at that!) When I looked at the results I was so excited. They could not have lined up better, with the base of both of their tail feathers aligned perfectly. The image really illustrates the huge difference is size between North America's smallest and largest woodpeckers! It's a real Davida (since the Downy is a female!) and Goliath story!!!" —Janet Lewis

Second place: Spencer Andersen, California Condor

"Pinnacles National Park is, in my opinion, easily the most underrated of them all. It’s a place I’ve chosen to visit more than a dozen times. When I originally got my America The Beautiful Pass, all I hoped for was a shot like this: a full front-on view of a California Condor sunbathing in the morning light. On my most recent visit, I rounded a bend, coming face to face with four wild condors. All less than 30 feet away from me, perched on various cliff edges. My heart raced, my hands shook with excitement, and for the next 45 minutes I ran around like a rabbit, chasing every possible angle I could imagine. However, it wasn’t until I paused, set the camera down, and simply soaked it in, that the condors began to stretch their massive wings. The early sunlight kissed the edges of their wings as they slowly opened—spanning up to 10 feet from tip to tip. It seemed that this strange, magnificent bird was putting on a show just for me. This image portrays “Little Stinker,” a captive-hatched female California condor identified by her green #26 wing tags, at Pinnacles National Park. Driven to the brink of extinction primarily by lead poisoning from spent ammunition, the species declined to just 27 individuals in 1987. When the entire remaining population was brought into captivity. Intensive recovery efforts, including captive breeding at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, where Little Stinker was hatched on March 18, 2014, made reintroduction possible. Today, approximately 570 California condors exist today, with more than 360 flying free. The visible wing tags in this photograph symbolize both the species’ fragile recovery and its continued dependence on human intervention. Pinnacles supports one of the largest free-flying condor populations in the world, serving as a critical stronghold in the ongoing effort to ensure this species does not disappear once again." —Spencer Andersen

Third place: Pádraig Duignan, Dark-eyed Junco

"Over the past 10 plus years, my husband and I have transformed our tiny apartment back yard into a wildlife garden packed with nectar laden plants and several bathing and drinking stations. One is a tall pedestal fountain with nearby shrubs for post-pool party preening and sun bathing. As the only such "green space" in the immediate area we are daily visited by many birds representing up to 16 species - probably more as we are still learning some of the migrating warblers. Choosing one individual was actually very difficult. Should it be one of the iridescent Anna's hummingbirds? the mourning dove perched on Buddha's lap, the striking Townsend's warbler probing for bugs in the vireyas by the fountain, or the tiny ruby-crowned kinglet? Too many choices. In the end I opted for one of our regulars, a dark eyed junco who shows up like clockwork to bathe right around lunchtime. He loves his bath and just seems so happy splashing about and is that a smile on his beak? He gives us a sense of joy in these dark times for wildlife conservation in the US." —Pádraig Duignan

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Kowa Sporting Optics!

And, a special thank you to our supporting sponsors!

BibiBP Tue, 03/31/2026 - 11:21 0

2026 Photo Contest: Rules and Requirements

BibiBP — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 03:00:05 +0000

2026 Photo Contest: Rules and Requirements

BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest has closed. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's contest! Winners will be announced on Wednesday, April 8 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET, during our "Comics and Conservation" virtual event.

Entry Period

Submission for BirdNote’s 2026 Photo Contest, for both the General Bird Photography and Conservation Actions categories will run from Friday, February 6, 2026 at 9am PT/12pm ET through Friday, March 6, 2026 at 2pm PT/5pm ET.

After the submission period ends, BirdNote staff and guest judges will review all photo submissions and choose the top 20 photos in the General Bird Photography category for final voting via online public voting form, and BirdNote staff will choose the top 20 photos in the Conservation Actions category for judging by guest judges.

Public voting to choose the top three winners in the General Bird Photography category will open on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 9am PT/12pm ET and end on April 3rd, 2026 at 12pm PT/3pm ET.

Top three winners in the Conservation Actions category will be chosen by guest judges.

Winners will be announced on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at BirdNote’s Virtual Event, as well as on BirdNote’s social media and weekly email newsletter on Friday, April 10, 2026. Stay tuned for more details about the event!

Entry categories

There are two categories – a General Bird Photography category, and, to celebrate BirdNote's "From Love to Action" campaign to inspire one million people to take action to help birds, a Conservation Actionscategory.

Eligible Photographs

Only one submission is allowed per category per person. If more than one photograph in a single category is submitted per person, BirdNote staff will choose the best photo from that person to include in final voting.

General Bird Photography

Photos in this category will depict birds in any natural setting. All levels of photography are welcome, including amateur and professional. Photographs must depict at least one bird and may not depict any human. There are no requirements for style, date taken, location or action. No panoramas or watermarks on the photograph will be accepted. Participants must practice responsible bird photography and ensure no birds are harmed, stressed or harassed by the photographer.

AI-generated images are not eligible. Normal processing and photo editing to enhance the original file is acceptable, including cropping, adjustments to color, white balance, tone, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlights, saturation, contrast, sharpness, and moderate reduction of image noise.

Conservation Actions

Photos in this category will depict ways in which participants are helping birds. These could include but are not limited to:

Photos of bird-friendly spaces, such as bird feeders, bird baths, or nesting boxes, or individuals creating these spaces
People engaging in native plant gardening
People participating in or hosting bird walks or cleanups
People using eBird or contributing to citizen science
Participation in any action on BirdNote's "From Love to Action" survey

In this category, each photo must be accompanied by a story, which will be considered heavily in the judging process for the Conservation Actions category. We're looking for photos that tell a story of people actively making the world a better place for birds.

Photographs must be submitted by the sole author and owner of the photograph. For photos that include faces of humans, all depicted individuals must grant permission for the photo to be submitted into this contest.

Judging

Judging to choose the top 20 finalists in the General Bird Photography category will be conducted by BirdNote staff and guest judges. Photos will be judged on quality, originality/creativity, composition, the story behind the photo and how well it speaks to BirdNote's mission of telling stories about the joy and wonder of birds. The top 3 winners in the General Bird Photography category will be decided by public voting.

Judging to choose the top 20 finalists in the Conservation Actions category will be conducted by BirdNote staff. The top 3 winners the Conservation Actions category will be determined by guest judges, and photos in the Conservation Actions category will be judged heavily on the story behind the photo.

BirdNote maintains full discretion over the rules and process of BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest, to ensure fairness and integrity in the judging process.

Who may enter

Photos submitted under the General Bird Photography category must be taken and submitted by individuals 18 years and older.
Photos submitted under the Conservation Actions category can be taken and submitted by individuals 13 years of age or older, but participants ages 13-17 years old must have the permission of their parent/guardian to enter the Contest.

Participants in any physical location are encouraged to participate, although international shipping costs will be covered at BirdNote's sole discretion.

How to enter

It is free to participate in BirdNote’s 2026 Photo Contest. BirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production organization that relies on listener support to produce vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face - to inspire people around the world to care about birds and take steps to protect them. An optional donation will support BirdNote's ability to continue providing events and activities like the photo contest. No contribution is required to participate or win.

Acceptable file types

Participants may submit a jpg, jpeg, or png file. The maximum file size is 16mb.

How to vote

Public voting to choose the top three winners in the General Bird Photography category will open on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 9am PT/12pm ET and end on Friday, April 3, 2026 at 12pm PT/3pm ET. Anyone will be able to vote for their favorite photo in the General Bird Photography category through the voting link during the public voting period.

How your photograph will be used

By submitting your photo, participants grant BirdNote a non-exclusive worldwide royalty-free license and agree to allow BirdNote to use their photo(s) in perpetuity in BirdNote correspondences and promotional materials, including but not limited to: BirdNote website, email communications, social media, annual report, printed or digital calendars, physical mailings and other materials. For photos that include faces of humans, all individuals photographed agree to allow BirdNote to use their photo and likeness of all individuals depicted in the photo in all BirdNote materials and communications on a royalty-free basis and in perpetuity.

Prizes

Winners will be announced on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at BirdNote’s Virtual Event, as well as on BirdNote’s social media and weekly email newsletter on Friday, April 10, 2026. Stay tuned for more details about the event!

The winners will be contacted via email after the event to coordinate delivery of their prize.

General Bird Photography Category

First Place

Kowa Prominar TSN-55A Spotting Scope Bundle and Carbon Fiber Tripod
BirdNote Merch Bundle
Free BirdNote+ membership (one year)
Feature on BirdNote's website

Second Place

Kowa 8x32 SV II binoculars
BirdNote Merch Bundle
Free BirdNote+ membership (one year)
Feature on BirdNote's website

Third Place

Trailkeeper's Clothing Co. $100 Gift Card
Better with Birds $75 Gift Card
Bird Academy "Gull ID" Course
BirdNote Merch Bundle
Free BirdNote+ membership (one year)
Feature on BirdNote's website

Conservation Actions Category

First Place

Kowa 8x32 SV II binoculars
BirdNote Merch Bundle
Free BirdNote+ membership (one year)
Feature on BirdNote's website

Second Place

Haikubox + 1-year subscription
BirdNote Merch Bundle
Free BirdNote+ membership (one year)
Feature on BirdNote's website

Third Place

Trailkeeper's Clothing Co. $100 Gift Card
Better with Birds $50 Gift Card
Bird Academy "Painting Birds" Course
BirdNote Merch Bundle
Free BirdNote+ membership (one year)
Feature on BirdNote's website

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Kowa Sporting Optics!

And, a special thank you to our supporting sponsors!

Meet our Guest Judges!

Melissa Groo is a conservation photographer and writer. Passionate about conveying the marvels of the natural world to diverse audiences, she sees photography as a powerful vehicle for storytelling. By capturing and sharing stories about individual wild animals, she hopes to raise awareness and change minds about not only the extrinsic beauty of animals, but also their intrinsic worth. She considers herself a “wildlife biographer” as much as a wildlife photographer.
A Sony Artisan of Imagery, Melissa is a Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, advisor to the Audubon Society on photography content and ethics, and an assignment photographer for Audubon and Smithsonian magazines, covering wildlife conservation stories. She helped create the Audubon Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography.

Tara Lemezis is an award-winning wildlife photographer based in Portland, Oregon whose work has appeared in numerous books and publications celebrating birds and the natural world. She serves as the Assistant Director of Adult Education at Bird Alliance of Oregon, where she has built a career around connecting people to birds. When she’s not behind the camera, you’ll find her on a dog walk, geeking out about native plants, reading with her book club, or birding somewhere in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

^{Photo credit: Mallard Duck © Christopher Baker}

BibiBP Fri, 03/20/2026 - 20:00 0

Watch Now: Comics and Conservation

BibiBP — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 19:00:48 +0000

Watch Now: Comics and Conservation

WATCH THE RECORDING

How can humor, art, and storytelling inspire people to care about birds and the natural world?

In this special live virtual event on Wednesday, April 8th at 12pm PT / 3pm ET, author and illustrator Rosemary Mosco shared how her popular science-based comics bring bird behavior, ecology, and conservation to life, and make complex ideas engaging, accessible, and memorable. Known for blending science with humor in her Bird and Moon comics, Mosco talked about how visual storytelling can break down complex topics, spark curiosity, and motivate people to protect birds and their habitats.

The event concluded with the announcement of the winners of BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest, celebrating the photographers who captured powerful and beautiful moments of birds and the bird lovers who are making a difference for birds through actionable steps.

As an independent nonprofit organization, BirdNote relies on listener support to continue producing inspiring stories. To support more events like these, please consider giving a gift.

About Rosemary Mosco

Rosemary is an author, illustrator, and speaker whose work connects people with the natural world.

She’s written and drawn for The New York Times, Audubon, Rewiring America, the PBS Kids show Elinor Wonders Why, and more, and makes a regular comic strip in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Living Bird magazine. She creates award-winning science books for kids and adults, including the national bestseller A Pocket Guide to Pigeon Watching, which was featured on Real Housewives of NYC. Her nature comic Bird and Moon won the National Cartoonists Society’s award for Best Online Short Form Comic and was the subject of an award-winning museum exhibit. Her climate change comics were exhibited at AAAS headquarters and the Peabody Essex Museum. She gives engaging talks and workshops to groups of all ages.

Rosemary is a graduate of the Field Naturalist Program. She judged a bird tattoo contest (twice!) and co-founded an event celebrating invertebrate butts.

Photo credit: Adrianne Mathiowetz

BibiBP Sat, 03/14/2026 - 12:00 0

From Love to Action: Gardening for Birds

BibiBP — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:03:43 +0000

From Love to Action: Gardening for Birds

The rain proclaims these trees,
the trees tell of the sun.
Let birds, let birds.

—Linda Gregg, “Let Birds”

This Field Notes article by Melissa Ozawa at the Perfect Earth Project — a nonprofit championing toxic-free, ecological land care — explores how to create a garden that truly supports birds and the broader natural world. Read on for practical insights and inspiration to help your landscape thrive as a healthy, bird-friendly habitat.

Every spring the garden is boisterous with birds. The robins kick off their pre-dawn chorus. The warblers trill and the phoebes exclaim their name. In the distance, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker rat-a-tat-tats, while the Eastern Towhee, perched in a birch tree, urges me to “Drink your tea.” A new study reveals that birdsong uplifts spirits and reduces stress. I can attest to the joy that comes from a yard full of birds. But birds bring us more than joy—they are vital to our ecosystem. And they need our help. Birds are suffering a massive decline due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. We’ve lost nearly three billion since 1970, but birders and gardeners can do something to help stem the tide. At Perfect Earth Project, a nonprofit dedicated to toxic-free, ecological land care, we encourage everyone to start with three simple things to make our landscapes ecological havens and welcome the birds back to our yards.

Use no chemicals

96% percent of North American terrestrial birds feed their young insects.
One chickadee family, for instance, feeds its young 350 to 570 caterpillars a day! When you use pesticides, even those labeled organic, you’re killing insects—all of them—and destroying the food necessary for birds to survive.

Let insects eat and rejoice when they do—you’re supporting the ecosystem! But if you haven’t fully embraced the beauty of nibbled leaves, follow entomologist Doug Tallamy’s 10 step plan. When you spot caterpillar eaten leaves, simply take 10 steps back and those tiny holes will fade from sight.

When a Spongy Moth breakout came through a few years ago, we didn’t spray (which would have been harmful and ineffectual), but opted to let nature take its course. Yes, the oaks were defoliated for a couple of years, but they have rebounded beautifully. And we got to see Yellow-billed Cuckoos, who we hadn’t seen before, come and eat the spongy moth caterpillars.

Grow native plants—2/3 for the birds!

Native plants are a win-win for any yard. They’re beautiful, no fuss (when grown in their appropriate spots – think “right plant, right place”), provide vital habitat, and are beloved by birds. Native plants evolved naturally with the wildlife that depend on them. Take native oak trees, for example. They support more than 500 species of moths and butterflies, which means more food for birds, while the nonnative Ginko tree supports only five. For every three plants you buy for your property, make sure two are native to your region. Research by Tallamy and Desiree Narango at the University of Delaware discovered that if a property has at least 70% native plants, or roughly two-thirds, it should provide enough habitat for healthy populations of birds, bees, and insects.

Many birds, such as thrushes and tanagers, also eat the fruit of native shrubs and trees. In the fall, they’ll stock up on fat-rich berries of plants like native Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), which have evolved to fruit just as they are starting to migrate south. Hummingbirds, on the other hand, have evolved along with the Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) and Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Their long tongues are perfectly suited to reach the nectar in the bright, tubular flowers. Want to see them in your yard? Plant those species or try beebalm, penstemon, or scarlet gilia, and see who shows up.

You don’t need to get rid of the non-native plants in your yard, unless they are invasive. Simply incorporate native plants into your existing garden, just aim for 70% or ⅔ for the birds. Look at the areas in your lawn that you really don’t use to gather, play, or walk. Reduce it by creating new planting beds or enlarging existing ones and filling them with a mix of native plants—grasses, perennials, shrubs, trees. The more diverse your plantings are, the more pollinators and birds will frequent your yard.

When grown in the right conditions, native plants are pretty self-sufficient once they’re established. They don’t require fertilizers or extra water to thrive, which means less work for you and more time to simply enjoy them. We compiled a list of sources to find native plants in your region here.

Note: When buying plants at the nursery, be sure to ask if the plants were treated with neonicotinoids, systematic pesticides that render the entire plant poisonous. If they were treated with them, don’t buy them. Those pesticides will kill the very pollinators you’re trying to support.

Close the Loop—nothing out or in—except more plants!

Follow nature’s lead. Leave the leaves in the fall. They provide crucial habitat for overwintering insects, like fireflies, bumblebees, butterflies, and moths, which means crucial food for birds in spring when those insects wake up. Gather excess leaves beneath planting beds and trees or weave a basket out of fallen branches and place them inside.

Don’t put the garden to bed in fall. Leave perennial stems intact so birds can dine on seeds and insects can nest inside the stems’ cavities.

Skip trucking in mulch, which is expensive and overused (avoid the dreaded and deadly tree volcano!), grow a living mulch or soft landing instead. A soft landing is a group of native groundcovers growing beneath the dripline of a native tree. It’s beneficial, cost-effective, and beautiful.

Keep dead wood, like snags (dead trees) on your property for woodpeckers and other birds. Phoebes and flycatchers will be easy to spot when they fly out to hunt from them. Trim away any branches that may fall on paths or structures and save the wood to make habitat stacks. The wood and plant debris will eventually decompose and feed the soil.

And don’t stop there. Keep cultivating bird-friendly habitat. When you grow native plants, you’re providing two key elements of habitat: food and shelter. But birds also need to drink and bathe. Add a water source to your yard with a pond or bird bath. Keep the water fresh and clean and wait for the birds to appear.

Set mood lighting. Don’t flood your yard with light, which disrupts nocturnal insects, birds, and wildlife. Follow DarkSky International guidelines and keep lights to a minimum.

Birders often travel to great lengths to seek out birds. But when you make these simple changes in your yard, you won’t have to travel far to catch a glimpse of, say, a Northern Yellow Warbler swooping to catch an insect midflight or to spot a Cedar Waxwing munching on juneberries. If you create the right habitat for your locale, the birds will come to you.

About Perfect Earth Project

Founded in 2013 by Edwina von Gal, Perfect Earth Project is a nonprofit dedicated to educating, engaging, and inspiring individuals, land care professionals, and decision-makers to adopt toxic-free, ecological, and climate-responsible land care for a healthier, more sustainable—and beautiful—environment for all.

Photo credits:

^{Cedar Waxwings & American Robin © Eric Ozawa}

^{Tall Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana), Canadian anemone (A. candensis) and tall Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) © Perfect Earth Project}

^{American Goldfinch at bird bath in native plant garden © Perfect Earth Project}

^{Fallen branches © Perfect Earth Project}

BibiBP Wed, 02/18/2026 - 11:03 0

Discovering America’s Arctic and the Birds Who Call It Home: Reflections from Lynda Mapes

BibiBP — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Discovering America’s Arctic and the Birds Who Call It Home: Reflections from Lynda Mapes

Seattle-based journalist and author Lynda Mapes grew up far from the Pacific Northwest – her childhood unfolded in New York on acres of trees, swinging on vines, digging holes and lighting fires. Birds were her earliest companions: cardinals brightening winter and Blue Jays calling from the branches. Her love of nature is what carried her to Alaska this year, to tell the story of “America’s Arctic” and the birds who call it home.

Below are her reflections from a recent trip to the Western Arctic, one of the most critical regions for the survival of wildlife.

Credit: Gerrit Vyn/Cornell Lab of Ornithology

For most Americans living in the lower 48, the Alaskan Arctic is a vast unknown. Much of this region is managed as public land, like the renowned Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on the state’s eastern edge. But journalist Lynda Mapes and photographer Gerrit Vyn traveled west — to nearly 23 million acres of federal land known as the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPR-A). Despite its name, the region has remained “mostly untouched except by the hooves of caribou, the touch of bird feet, the wind, the kiss of the Arctic ocean,” Mapes said.

According to Mapes, the NPR-A has survived every type of political season since the 1900s. It was set aside as a petroleum reserve by President Harding in the 1930s, but only a few spots in the far southeastern edge have been developed since.

No roads cross this land. The only tracks belong to caribou, wolves, and wolverines. The only sounds belong to wind, water, and birds. “For me, going there was life changing. I had never seen anything like what I saw up there,” Mapes said.

Credit: Gerrit Vyn/Cornell Lab of Ornithology

From the air, the landscape appears shattered into mirrors — millions of ponds, streams, rivers, and wetlands. It is more water than land, which is what makes the NPR-A one of the most important breeding bird habitats in the entire Alaskan Arctic.

Birds from every corner of the world raise their young here. Many species people think of as “local” — sparrows, shorebirds, ducks, geese — were born in these wetlands. They return generation after generation, flying astonishing distances to and from this region.

Protecting this public land means protecting the world’s birds, which is precisely why Mapes decided to make the trip out there. “I went to Alaska because like all of us, I've been hearing a lot about this stepped up, pressure to drill for oil and gas up in Alaska,” Mapes recalled, “and the idea of this wild, pristine place that's all public land…the stakes are so high, I just wanted to go see it for myself.”

Late last summer, she boarded a tiny three-seat bush plane — a craft small enough to fit inside a garage — and flew deep into the Western Arctic. There Mapes met up with wildlife photographer Gerrit Vyn of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, who had already spent months documenting its birds and its beauty.

Credit: Gerrit Vyn/Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Mapes camped for nearly a week, hiking across the tundra where the only sound was the wind and the quiet conversations of birds. Most of her time was spent in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, an expansive wetland habitat within the NPR-A where the landscape is a mosaic of water, aquatic plants, and soft earth. Birds in this region have an endless supply of insects, relatively few predators, and they all have their strategies for survival. It’s “a perfect place to raise their young, fatten them up, get them strong, [and] ready for their journey,” Mapes added.

For decades, the Teshekpuk Lake Special Area was conserved for its essential importance to wildlife and Alaska’s native peoples. In 2024, the Biden administration reaffirmed these protections, shielding the wetlands from drilling after years of public outcry.

Standing there, Mapes said the reason was obvious: “You walk across this tundra landscape and you hear nothing but the voices of animals, everything from the call of the loon to the soft calls of the goose far overhead, the wind itself.”

The soundscape, especially the haunting call of the loon, imprinted itself onto Mapes. Like many nature lovers, Mapes has always associated the call of a loon with true wilderness. She had only heard them a handful of times. But in this region is a nursery for all five species of loons.

Credit: Gerrit Vyn/Cornell Lab of Ornithology

One afternoon, Vyn invited Mapes to see a family of Red-throated Loons. They walked toward a small, round pond, lavender and grey in the reflected sky. There, floating in the center, Mapes spotted two attentive parents and two fluffy chicks.

Mapes and Vyn watched as the parents tended to their young. As the father flew off, the chicks explored their surroundings under their mother’s cautious eye. Then — sudden motion. The male returned with a perfect silver fish, offering it gently to a chick.

The chick dropped it. The fish sank. The chick dove, returning empty-billed. Mapes recalled how the tenderness of that scene — the effort, the vulnerability, the tiny dramas that define a family — quietly rearranged something inside her.

While Vyn returned to camp, Mapes stayed by the pond a little while longer (with a can of bear spray for good measure). Lying down in the mattress-soft tundra, listening to the soft conversations of this family of loons, a stillness settled over her.

The loons murmured on their still pond. Insects buzzed through the air. The wind whispered, and the water moved gently. Mapes felt surrounded by life — powerful, fragile, and wholly dependent on the protection of this place.
Now, the protections that safeguard the Teshekpuk wetlands from fossil fuel extraction are on the chopping block.

She asked, “Will they be here next year? Will they survive the migration? Will they come back next year to the same pond? Will any of this still be here?”

These questions lingered in the Arctic silence.

The Arctic is warming nearly three times faster than the rest of the planet, and Alaskan ecosystems are already suffering the consequences, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Climate change is thawing permafrost, melting sea ice and glaciers, warming oceans, and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, among many other threats to wildlife and people. As fossil fuel consumption continues to drive global warming, the extraction required to obtain those fuels risks inflicting even more damage on these sensitive landscapes.

And yet — against all odds — the Western Arctic remains one of the most vital bird habitats in the entire world.

Credit: Gerrit Vyn/Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Why? As Mapes puts it, “birds are emphatically creatures of place, and this has been the birth house [and] the nesting grounds for millions upon millions of birds since the ice melted.” White-fronted Geese from Texas, Brant from California, Tundra Swan from Maryland, Snow Geese from Kansas, Whimbrel from Panama, American Golden-Plover from Argentina, Sabine’s Gull from Ecuador — researchers have traced all of them back to the NPR-A. “This is where they are born and this is where they must come back to raise the next generation because it has everything they need,” Mapes said.

As Mapes reminds us, everyone is connected to birds in : “whatever happens in the Arctic is going to affect the entire world. We’re connected by the miraculous threads of the paths, the flight lines of these tiny birds that make their way all the way there.”

As an environmental reporter, Mapes has covered countless stories of loss — ecosystems damaged, species declining, habitats fragmented. Through this trip to the Alaskan Arctic, though, one lasting belief stands for her: we are the last generation with the power to decide whether it stays that way.

If the songs of these birds could be translated, Mapes believes they might simply say: “There's no plan B, there's no other planet. This is our home. Protect it.”

Resources

About Lynda Mapes

Lynda V. Mapes specializes in coverage of the environment and Indigenous cultures and governments. Over the course of her 27-year career as a reporter at The Seattle Times she earned numerous awards, including twice winning the international 2019 and 2012 Kavli gold award for science journalism from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest professional science association. She and a team of journalists at the Seattle Times were finalists for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting.

She has written seven books, including most recently The Trees are Speaking, Dispatches from the Salmon Forests published by the University of Washington Press. She is the winner of the 2021 National Outdoor Book Award, and 2021 Washington State Book Award for non-fiction. She is an associate of the Harvard Forest, and lives in Seattle.

BibiBP Fri, 12/05/2025 - 08:00 Gerrit Vyn/Cornell Lab of Ornithology 0

BirdNote Daily Found to Inspire Millions to Act for Birds

BibiBP — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:07:47 +0000

BirdNote Daily Found to Inspire Millions to Act for Birds

BirdNote is thrilled to announce that we have far exceeded our ambitious goal of inspiring one million people to take action to help birds thrive, through BirdNote Daily.

A national impact survey conducted by SurveyUSA revealed that BirdNote’s daily 2-minute show has inspired between 9.25 million and 12.75 million listeners to take action for birds, with 4.9 to 6.4 million people acting during just the first half of BirdNote’s three-year “From Love to Action” campaign.

The survey, conducted among nearly 3,000 radio listeners across the country, revealed BirdNote’s deep and lasting influence on listeners as a direct result of its powerful storytelling:

84% say BirdNote inspired them to care more about birds and the natural world.
97% say the program has helped them feel more connected to nature and to others who love it.
75% of parents reported that their kids were also inspired by BirdNote to act for birds.

“BirdNote is one of the many great ways public radio makes our communities more curious and connected, whether deepening our connection with our immediate ecosystem, or helping introduce us to the extraordinary natural world we might not otherwise encounter,” NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher said.

Listeners reported taking a wide range of actions, from planting native plants and installing nest boxes to turning off lights during migration season and making windows bird-friendly. On average, when BirdNote inspires someone to act, they take more than four different actions to help birds.

Michael J. Parr, President of American Bird Conservancy, said, “BirdNote is making a huge difference in getting the message out that everyone can play a part in conserving and restoring America’s birds. We commend BirdNote on these impressive statistics, which reflect the power of BirdNote's storytelling and the natural instinct so many of us have to care about birds.”

According to the 2025 State of the Birds report, bird populations continue to decline. The inaugural report five years ago revealed a net loss of 3 billion birds in North America in the past 50 years.

As BirdNote marks its 20th anniversary in 2025, these findings offer hope that these trends can be reversed through the enduring power of storytelling and that public media can forge connections that ripple outward into measurable change.

To support BirdNote's inspiring storytelling, please consider giving a gift of any amount today. Or, visit this page to learn about the different ways to support BirdNote.

About BirdNote
BirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production organization dedicated to inspiring people to take action to protect birds. Heard daily on more than 350 radio stations and available as a podcast, BirdNote shares vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the natural world. BirdNote also produces stories about birds in Spanish and the popular podcast Bring Birds Back. To support our storytelling, visit this page to give a gift today.

About “From Love to Action”
BirdNote’s “From Love to Action” (FLTA) campaign is a three-year initiative to move people from appreciation of birds into concrete conservation behavior and to inspire one million people to take meaningful action to protect birds and their habitats between 2024-2027. BirdNote’s stories often highlight practical, accessible steps individuals can take to make a difference.

About SurveyUSA
For more than 30 years, SurveyUSA has been conducting custom research on the national, statewide, and local level for media outlets, universities, nonprofit organizations, and other entities. Independent, apolitical and non-partisan, SurveyUSA conducts more research of cities, counties, MSAs, DMAs, congressional districts, states and the entire United States than any other research firm.

BibiBP Wed, 11/05/2025 - 07:07 0

Painting the Wall of Birds: Reflections from Artist Jane Kim

BibiBP — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 19:56:46 +0000

Painting the Wall of Birds: Reflections from Artist Jane Kim

When visitors walk into the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Visitor Center, they’re greeted not just by birdsong, but by an extraordinary work of art: the Wall of Birds. Stretching across a towering wall, this mural by artist Jane Kim, founder of Ink Dwell Studio, celebrates the diversity and evolutionary history of birds through life-sized portraits of a representative from all the modern families of birds that were described in 2015, as well as their extinct relatives.

This massive mural turns 10 this year, and Kim recently spent time with BirdNote reflecting on what it meant to bring the project to life — and how it continues to resonate a decade later.

Marvelous Spatuletail Hummingbird

At first glance, the Wall of Birds looks like a world map dotted with feathers and wings, but dive deeper and discover intricate details and depth. There are 270 portraits of birds, their ancestors, and their relatives featured, and each is painted to scale and placed precisely in its natural range, with the living birds painted in color and extinct species are represented in grayscale.

The tiny Marvelous Spatuletail hummingbird flutters near the Andes as the smallest bird depicted, while the Yutyrannus hauli, a dinosaur known as the “beautiful feathered tyrant”, stretches 30 feet from head to tail tip, and the Bermuda Petrel flies across the Atlantic Ocean.

For Jane Kim, the artist who took on the massive project, the Wall of Birds is more than just a map. It’s what Kim calls “one giant scientific illustration,” that takes the viewer on a journey – a project where art and science intertwine and where people are able to ask themselves where they fit in on the map.

Each posture, placement, and delicate detail was vetted for accuracy by scientific advisors at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. And yet Kim was determined to go beyond field guide precision. She wanted to bring the birds to life, which meant rethinking how she posed them. “They should really be in a posture that is true to their behavior,” she said.

Red-faced Mousebird and Brown Creeper

For instance, the Red-faced Mousebird and Brown Creeper look like they’re clinging to a branch or trunk of a tree, and waterfowl are depicted as swimming, so they're “floating with their legs in postures that would make them feel like they're in an environment,” according to Kim. The mural brims with movement, its subjects caught in moments of action rather than pinned down like specimens.

Chiming Wedgebill

Even the so-called “little brown jobs” – like sparrows and wrens that often fade into the background – were treated with care. “They already have a reputation of being dull brown birds,” Kim said, “so I really wanted to give them a lot of love.” In her hands, even the most overlooked birds carry their own quiet charisma, like the Chiming Wedgebill in Australia. She describes the bird as “really sandy,” but “if you look closely, there are these hints of colors that you wouldn't normally expect – ultramarine, blues, oranges and pinks.”

Some of the mural’s most enchanting qualities can’t be seen at all. Thanks to an interactive feature created by the Lab, visitors can listen to the sounds of many species on the wall, including the haunting call of the Common Loon and the virtuoso vocals of the Superb Lyrebird. For Kim, painting birds best known for their voices was especially rewarding. She wanted the image itself to feel like a song. “I really hope the call looks like you can hear it,” she said of the Three-wattled Bellbird, famous for a metallic “bonk” that is as startling as their plumage.

Common Loon and Three-wattled Bellbird

The Cornell Lab’s visitor center is nestled in the heart of Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary, and the soundtrack of the forest was always with Kim as she painted. Late nights brought “a chorus of not just birds, but the insects and the wildlife, the calls of the water splashing, it just made me feel very connected to the natural world, " she recalled. “That’s how alive the world is if you stop and listen – even in the dead of night.” For her, those nocturnal soundscapes became part of the creative process, as integral as each brushstroke.

While the sights and sounds of each bird are important, Kim reflected that the mural captures an essential truth that is easy to forget: birds pay no attention to the borders humans draw on maps. “We didn’t choose to put the lines of the countries on the map,” she explained. “It’s just a massive land, and the birds are moving about without the human constructs of boundaries.” In that way, the mural doesn’t just show where birds live — it reminds us that the natural world flows free of the walls and divisions created by humans.

Though the Wall of Birds was completed in 2015, its life has only expanded. It inspired a book, educational programs, notecards, even a playful blue-footed booby shoe. The artwork has become both a lasting piece of cultural heritage and a reflection of science’s constant evolution. “The information is now somewhat outdated – 2015 was a long time ago, and we know more now,” Kim explained. “This mural was a timestamp, but that timestamp should hopefully remind us that that is the nature of science and that it's always evolving.”

Looking back, Kim still marvels at the scale of the project she took on so early in her career. Many artists before her had turned it down, calling it too big, too daunting. But she said yes. “I was hungry for it,” she explained. “Now I think – wow, if someone asked me today, it would require a very different way of doing it. But I’m still incredibly proud that I did.”

That one “yes” created a legacy. Today, the Wall of Birds continues to stop visitors in their tracks, connecting them not only to the beauty of individual species but also to the bigger story of our shared planet. For Kim, the mural is a reminder that the world is alive, always changing, and that we, like the birds, belong to it together. “It does give a sense of how no matter where you are, we're so connected by an explosion of different diversity of these species,” she recalled.

About Jane Kim

Jane is a visual artist, science illustrator, and the founder of Ink Dwell. Her art career started when she was a little girl obsessively painting flowers and bears on the walls of her bedroom. She received more formal training with a BFA in Printmaking from RISD and then attended California State University Monterey Bay, where she received a master’s certificate in science illustration. She has created large-scale public art across the country, including the Wall of Birds at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and produced works for the National Aquarium, the de Young Museum, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, and more. She is the creator of the Migrating Mural campaign, a series of public installations that highlight wildlife along migration corridors it shares with people. She still enjoys painting flowers and bears, though nowadays she doesn’t get in trouble for painting on the walls.

BibiBP Thu, 10/30/2025 - 12:56 0

Watch Reasons to Celebrate: A Joy-filled Auction & Conversation with J. Drew Lanham

BibiBP — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Watch Reasons to Celebrate: A Joy-filled Auction & Conversation with J. Drew Lanham

Thank you to everyone who attended BirdNote's 2025 year-end event, featuring ornithologist, poet, and MacArthur Fellow J. Drew Lanham, PhD, CWB (Certified Wildlife Biologist).

Together, we reflected on BirdNote’s impact over 20 years, shared stories of radical joy, and celebrated the power of storytelling to inspire action for birds. We also revealed the results of our From Love to Action survey — including the incredible milestone that BirdNote has inspired over 1 million actions for birds! Read more here. And, a special thank you to musician Jocelyn Mackenzie for her special musical performance!

If you missed the event or would like to relive the hour, you can watch the recording and be inspired by the power of storytelling. All proceeds from this event support BirdNote's mission to inspire people to take action for birds and our shared environment. To support BirdNote's storytelling, visit this link to give a gift.

About our Guests

Dr. J. Drew Lanham received a BA (1988), an MS (1990), and a PhD (1997) from Clemson University, where he is currently Alumni Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Master Teacher in the Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department.

Lanham is also a 2022 MacArthur Fellow, an inaugural fellow of the Audubon-Toyota Together Green Initiative and is an Advisory Council member of the North American Association for Environmental Education. He is also an emeritus member of BirdNote’s Board of Directors.

He's most recently authored the book of poetry, Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves. Lanham is the poet laureate of Edgefield, South Carolina, and the author ofother books such asThe Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature and Sparrow Envy, which received the Reed Award from the Southern Environmental Law Center and the Southern Book Prize, and was a finalist for the John Burroughs Medal.

He's also written Sparrow Envy: Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts (2021) and has published in a variety of leading journals and media platforms, including Audubon, Orion, Vanity Fair, Forest Ecology and Management, Oxford American, Flycatcher, and Wilderness. And he's featured in several anthologies, including The Colors of Nature, State of the Heart, Bartram’s Living Legacy, and Carolina Writers at Home.

^{Photo Credit: Dudley Edmundson}

Jocelyn Mackenzie is a Brooklyn-based musician, maker, and medium who creates intimate pop songs for a generation of seekers. A "hyper-creative" according to Broadway World, her diverse yet integrated skills inherently inform one another and are inextricably intermingled in her creative process. Mackenzie released her debut full length solo album PUSH on Ani DiFranco's label Righteous Babe Records in 2021, which Under the Radar described as "triumphant, spirited, powerful, and jubilant." She now has several releases on Righteous Babe, including latest live record “COME ON” released in 2024. Joined on stage by her husband, bandmate, and collaborator Harry Bolles, their shape-shifting sound is at once personal and universal. At her core, Mackenzie's extra-sensory skills inform her songwriting and visual art, integrating media and meaning to create work that is both sensual and personal.

BibiBP Wed, 10/29/2025 - 08:00 Dudley Edmundson 0

Thank you to our generous sponsors for making this event possible!

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

Field Notes

Don't Extinguish the Firecrown: Island Conservation and Its Challenges

Together on the Flyway: Black Volunteers in Bird Conservation

About our Panelists

BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest Winners

Congratulations to all of the winners of BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest!

General Bird Photography

Conservation Actions

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Kowa Sporting Optics!

And, a special thank you to our supporting sponsors!

2026 Photo Contest: Rules and Requirements

Entry Period

Entry categories

Eligible Photographs

Judging

Who may enter

How to enter

Acceptable file types

How to vote

How your photograph will be used

Prizes

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Kowa Sporting Optics!

And, a special thank you to our supporting sponsors!

Meet our Guest Judges!

Watch Now: Comics and Conservation

From Love to Action: Gardening for Birds

The rain proclaims these trees,the trees tell of the sun.Let birds, let birds.

—Linda Gregg, “Let Birds”

Use no chemicals

Grow native plants—2/3 for the birds!

Close the Loop—nothing out or in—except more plants!

Discovering America’s Arctic and the Birds Who Call It Home: Reflections from Lynda Mapes

BirdNote Daily Found to Inspire Millions to Act for Birds

Painting the Wall of Birds: Reflections from Artist Jane Kim

Watch Reasons to Celebrate: A Joy-filled Auction & Conversation with J. Drew Lanham

Thank you to our generous sponsors for making this event possible!

The rain proclaims these trees,
the trees tell of the sun.
Let birds, let birds.