• Perry’s Journey Episode 5: To Farm or Not to Farm

    Perry’s Journey Episode 5: To Farm or Not to Farm
    By Science Outreach Intern Katrina McCollough
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    This week Perry encounters vast tracts of orchards and farmland. At first, he doesn’t understand what he’s seeing: acres upon acres of the same plants and men spraying the fields. These are common agricultural practices, monocultures and the use of pesticides, but what’s good for us humans is not so great for birds. There are ways to balance the needs of both though, as Perry discovered when he found a flooded field turned bird oasis.

    Click on “Read More” below to check out Episode Five and learn about the challenges Perry faces at the fifth leg of his journey and how you can help. Click here to read Episode 4.  Click here to read Episode 6.​

    Issue Spotlight – Monocultures and Pesticides

    Once again, human agricultural practices have a lot to do with habitat loss, but there are many more issues associated with our food production, the two main ones being     monocultures and pesticide use. There are ways to balance our needs and the needs of wildlife and it’s worth investing resources into promoting those types of projects. The two primary aspects of agriculture that affect birds go hand and hand usually: the practice of monoculture crops and pesticide/herbicidal use.      (photo left by Markus Winkler)​
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    A monoculture simply means an entire crop of the same plant, which is what we most commonly see in America. When farmers plant all of the same crops, it puts the crops at risk for multiple issues: pest problems, pesticide resistance, soil degradation, high use of fertilizers, and more. 

    A great article that goes more in depth can be found at     Pros and Cons of Monoculture Farming | Greentumble, and it’s not entirely one sided, as it goes into the pros as well as cons. Monocultures can affect birds in many ways but the greatest impact in general is on the biodiversity of that area. Biodiversity refers to the variety of plants and animals, and basically all the organisms within an area. When an ecosystem is low in biodiversity it can be more susceptible to disease and destruction. 

    ​Pesticides and herbicides are any substances used for destroying insects, unwanted plants (weeds), or other organisms harmful to cultivated plants or to animals. Pesticide use affects birds more directly by poisoning either the birds or their food supplies. One earthworm may only have a small amount of pesticide in it and do just fine, at least until it gets eaten by a bird. If the bird only ate one earthworm, it would probably be fine, but we know that the bird is going to eat hundreds, if not thousands of worms. And each one may have just a tiny bit of pesticide in it, but once eaten by the bird, they can add up and accumulate over time, leading to serious health and reproductive issues. And it really is a shame, because birds can be part of the solution. Farmers don’t like bugs, some birds love bugs, it’s a match made in heaven. Thankfully, some farmers have figured this out and are making use of birds and their appetites. (photo below by Cornelia Schutz)
    What We Can Do 

    Farmers can also be part of the solution, though. Perry found a rice farmer that participates in the BirdReturns program which “pairs birding and farmland management with innovations in big data, crowd-sourcing and online auctioneering.” It’s for programs like these that citizens and scientists collect data, and this is one reason why bird science matters so much. Without years of data from places like SFBBO, programs like these would not be possible. This is such a great example of human and bird needs coming together to do the best we can for both.

    What can we do personally? Support small farms that do healthy agricultural projects and farm organic! Sometimes the farmers market produce can be a little expensive, but here in California, at least in the Bay, we are super lucky to have hundreds of farmstands from Humboldt to Gilroy. Also, think about abandoning your use of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, all the -cides. There are multiple natural alternatives for all kinds of pests, some are as simple as a little dish soap or vinegar and water. Sometimes it might just be easiest to plant some sacrificial plants and let the aphids and slugs have those instead of your precious tomatoes.
    ​The Mission of Perry’s Journey – A Message from the Illustrator

    It’s important we understand that just because birds can fly over it all, doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by what’s going on down here on the ground. The population of North American birds has dropped by nearly 30% since the 1970s, that is a total of almost 3 billion birds. Gone.

    Birds are incredibly important to the balance of our ecosystems: they are essential as pollinators and for seed dispersal, particularly for native plants, and they feed on and help control a variety of critters we consider pests like insects and rodents. Bird studies teach us about climate and the environment, and the birds themselves are key indicators of environmental change. And, most simply, birds are beautiful, and they provide us with music and joy.

    The protagonist of this story, Perry, is doing his part as a bird, migrating to his northern breeding location to hopefully pass on his little brown bird genes. It’s all he can do. Perry’s Journey illustrates the important journey of birds like him across the globe, who are doing their parts to help.

    Migrating birds are disproportionately affected because they need not just one habitat, but multiple habitats that can serve as stopping points along their journeys. We call these migration corridors and it’s important that they are protected: for the birds’ sakes as well as our own. Birds like Perry can’t control what happens on the ground, or in the water and air, but we can. During Perry’s journey over the couse of ten posts, we will go into some of the main issues facing not just migrating birds, but all birds, and what you can do to help. To support SFBBO’s work to conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach, please make a donation to our Spring Appeal!
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    Katrina McCollough is from the Bay Area and is a science outreach intern with SFBBO and the creator of Perry’s Journey. Her interest in birds stemmed from an internship she had at SFBBO’s Coyote Creek Field Station where she got firsthand experience working with the banders and volunteers at the station. That was the first time she ever held or released a bird, and she’s fallen in love with them since, and her favorite bird is the Bushtit. Previously, her interests were directed toward the ground, instead of the sky, hunting for mushrooms or insects. Katrina is currently a college student with a major in Biological Sciences, and she hopes to continue her schooling in mycology and bioremediation. ​

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  • Perry’s Journey Episode 4: Bright Lights, Big Cities

    Perry’s Journey Episode 4: Bright Lights, Big Cities
    By Science Outreach Katrina McCollough
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    Not too much further into his migration, Perry hits his first big city. He was attracted by the lights, the city acting like a beacon in the night, but Perry found out quickly the city is a harsh place for a little brown bird. With cities becoming more common than open fields or forests, more birds are coming across challenges that they are not used to facing: smog, urban predators, lack of places to feed, noise and light pollution, and building collisions. 

    Click on “Read More” below to check out Episode Four and learn about the challenges Perry faces at the fourth leg of his journey and how you can help. Click here to read Episode 3. Click here to read Episode 5. ​

    Issue Spotlight – Building Collisions

    One major issue for birds that has been gaining more recognition recently is bird collisions. Up to 1 BILLION birds die each year in the US from building collisions, most of these collisions are in major cities and during migration. Big cities can be scary for all of us: the noise, the lights, the tall buildings, and the congestion of people and cars. But for Little Brown Birds like Perry, cities can be not just scary but deadly.

    Why do bird collisions happen? Sirena Lao, our own environmental education and outreach specialist here at SFBBO, has spent time studying bird collisions. Sirena summed up the issue of bird collisions really nicely, “The main reason for bird-building collisions is that buildings are covered with glass, and birds can fail to perceive glass as a barrier. Many birds migrate at night and are attracted to artificial light, so they are drawn to places with a lot of light pollution (like cities). There, they are likely to encounter hazards like urban predators, cars, and of course glass. Plus, by being diverted from their migration route, they burn up their precious energy reserves and often have fewer opportunities to refuel in urban areas.”
    What We Can Do

    The National Audubon Society has an amazing “Lights Out” campaign which partners with local Audubon chapters to promote individuals to turn off their lights from 11 p.m. to dawn during migration periods.  Are you a night owl? During migration try to keep your lights off after 11, maybe share the news with your neighbors. If we can make our cities a little darker for only a few weeks a year, we could potentially save millions of bird lives. Also, there’s a lot of information on making your windows bird safe. The American Bird Conservancy has an amazing page giving resources and more information about this issue.

    What to do if you find a bird that has been stunned by hitting a glass window? Let’s go with the expert on this, Sirena recommends: “If a stunned bird is found, bring it to your nearest wildlife rehabilitation center. A bird that survives a collision may seem to recover after a few minutes, but it may still have internal injuries, so it’s best for it to get examined by a rehab professional. People can also report sightings of bird collisions at Dbird.org, Birdmapper.org, or iNaturalist.org” If you live in the Bay Area, Rescue and Rehabilitation of San Francisco Bay Area Wildlife and South Bay Wildlife Rehab are both great resources. If you don’t live in the Bay, try Googling “[insert county name here] wildlife rehabilitation center” to find one near you.

    ​If you want to do a little further reading and watching you can check out Why Birds Hit Windows and How You Can Help Prevent It. And, while this video is very sad and shows birds who have died from hitting buildings, it’s very powerful and shows the problem better than words ever could. 
    The Mission of Perry’s Journey – A Message from the Illustrator

    It’s important we understand that just because birds can fly over it all, doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by what’s going on down here on the ground. The population of North American birds has dropped by nearly 30% since the 1970s, that is a total of almost 3 billion birds. Gone.

    Birds are incredibly important to the balance of our ecosystems: they are essential as pollinators and for seed dispersal, particularly for native plants, and they feed on and help control a variety of critters we consider pests like insects and rodents. Bird studies teach us about climate and the environment, and the birds themselves are key indicators of environmental change. And, most simply, birds are beautiful, and they provide us with music and joy.

    The protagonist of this story, Perry, is doing his part as a bird, migrating to his northern breeding location to hopefully pass on his little brown bird genes. It’s all he can do. Perry’s Journey illustrates the important journey of birds like him across the globe, who are doing their parts to help.

    Migrating birds are disproportionately affected because they need not just one habitat, but multiple habitats that can serve as stopping points along their journeys. We call these migration corridors and it’s important that they are protected: for the birds’ sakes as well as our own. Birds like Perry can’t control what happens on the ground, or in the water and air, but we can. During Perry’s journey over the couse of ten posts, we will go into some of the main issues facing not just migrating birds, but all birds, and what you can do to help. To support SFBBO’s work to conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach, please make a donation to our Spring Appeal!
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    Katrina McCollough is from the Bay Area and is a science outreach intern with SFBBO and the creator of Perry’s Journey. Her interest in birds stemmed from an internship she had at SFBBO’s Coyote Creek Field Station where she got firsthand experience working with the banders and volunteers at the station. That was the first time she ever held or released a bird, and she’s fallen in love with them since, and her favorite bird is the Bushtit. Previously, her interests were directed toward the ground, instead of the sky, hunting for mushrooms or insects. Katrina is currently a college student with a major in Biological Sciences, and she hopes to continue her schooling in mycology and bioremediation. ​

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  • Perry’s Journey Episode 3: I Speak for the Trees

    Perry’s Journey Episode 3: I Speak for the Trees
    By Science Outreach Intern Katrina McCollough
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    A week into his journey, Perry was flying over something incredibly shocking: miles and miles of tree stumps. What was once a thriving forest is now a lifeless desert. Perry was shocked and dismayed, where would he rest? The forest Perry runs into has been clearcut, which is a logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Why is deforestation such a major issue for birds like Perry?

    Click on “Read More” below to check out Episode Three and learn about the challenges Perry faces at the third leg of his jounrney and how you can help. Click here to read Episode 2. Click Here to read Episode 4.​

    Issue Spotlight – Deforestation

    Deforestation, the act of clearing a wide area of trees, is a MAJOR problem for all birds, but (like everything else) it seems to have hit migrating birds especially hard. It’s not just the forests that are important to birds though, deforestation is only one small part of the larger issue of habitat loss. Habitat loss occurs when natural habitats are converted to human uses, this also includes agriculture (large-scale crops and ranches), urban development (our suburbs and cities), and infrastructure development (things like roads, dams, and power lines). 

    The US Fish & Wildlife Service summarizes the issue really well: “birds need essential resources for breeding, feeding, shelter, and survival, including access to food, water, and nesting sites.  The size and connectivity of habitat (whether it is large and intact vs. fragmented and isolated) can dictate whether or not the habitat will meet certain birds’ needs. During a bird’s annual life cycle, habitat use may vary.  For instance, many birds migrate south to other countries for the winter.  They may stop to refuel along the way to enable them to complete their long journey.  Others remain in a particular habitat during the entire year, or move only slightly north or south in elevation or longitude as the seasons change. Basically, migrating birds need almost a line of linked habitats from their starting to ending points, habitats that are good enough to stop, eat and drink, and rest temporarily in. These linked habitats are called migration corridors and are really important for multiple types of wildlife. Birds may be able to fly above it all, but that doesn’t mean they have it any easier than migrating herd animals. 
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    What We Can Do

    There are quite a few things we can all do to help. As far as deforestation goes, paper is a big part of our lives but there are ways to minimize our use. Go paperless any time you can: receipts, bills, statements, taking school notes, every little bit counts. When you can’t go paperless, look for alternative products made out of bamboo or hemp, or maybe even go without. And remember, always recycle! The real issue is with mass production, with big companies and corporations, but I think it’s important to try in any way you can because individuals can make differences!

    ​Another thing you can do is participate in local habitat restoration programs. With COVID, a lot of events were suspended, but things are starting to pick back up again. We at SFBBO have our own tidal marsh and plover and tern habitat restoration programs, and if you are in the Bay Area two other great organizations are Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, and the Peninsula Open Space Trust. There are dozens of others in our area, and if you are outside of the Bay Area start with your county and look for any environmental associations or agencies, they will most likely have some type of volunteer opportunities. Look out for ‘habitat restoration’ or ‘weeding or planting parties’ to start getting involved. You can invite your friends and family and make a day of it. It’s a great way to get fresh air, exercise, and to make a difference!
    ​The Mission of Perry’s Journey – A Message from the Illustrator

    It’s important we understand that just because birds can fly over it all, doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by what’s going on down here on the ground. The population of North American birds has dropped by nearly 30% since the 1970s, that is a total of almost 3 billion birds. Gone.

    Birds are incredibly important to the balance of our ecosystems: they are essential as pollinators and for seed dispersal, particularly for native plants, and they feed on and help control a variety of critters we consider pests like insects and rodents. Bird studies teach us about climate and the environment, and the birds themselves are key indicators of environmental change. And, most simply, birds are beautiful, and they provide us with music and joy.

    The protagonist of this story, Perry, is doing his part as a bird, migrating to his northern breeding location to hopefully pass on his little brown bird genes. It’s all he can do. Perry’s Journey illustrates the important journey of birds like him across the globe, who are doing their parts to help.

    Migrating birds are disproportionately affected because they need not just one habitat, but multiple habitats that can serve as stopping points along their journeys. We call these migration corridors and it’s important that they are protected: for the birds’ sakes as well as our own. Birds like Perry can’t control what happens on the ground, or in the water and air, but we can. During Perry’s journey over the couse of ten posts, we will go into some of the main issues facing not just migrating birds, but all birds, and what you can do to help. To support SFBBO’s work to conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach, please make a donation to our Spring Appeal!
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    Katrina McCollough is from the Bay Area and is a science outreach intern with SFBBO and the creator of Perry’s Journey. Her interest in birds stemmed from an internship she had at SFBBO’s Coyote Creek Field Station where she got firsthand experience working with the banders and volunteers at the station. That was the first time she ever held or released a bird, and she’s fallen in love with them since, and her favorite bird is the Bushtit. Previously, her interests were directed toward the ground, instead of the sky, hunting for mushrooms or insects. Katrina is currently a college student with a major in Biological Sciences, and she hopes to continue her schooling in mycology and bioremediation. ​

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  • Perry’s Journey Episode 2: Cats, Hawks, and Dogs, Oh My!

    Perry’s Journey Episode 2: Cats, Hawks, and Dogs, Oh My!
    Science Outreach Intern Katrina McCollough
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    It’s not been long since Perry left his home and he’s decided to make his first stop at a small town where he’s just hoping to stop and refresh himself. Instead, Perry has quite the adventure, meeting two dangerous predators and narrowly escaping with his life. A predator is any animal that naturally preys on others. Perry was lucky this time, but thousands of little birds run a similar ‘gauntlet’ every day.

    ​    Click on “Read More” below to check out Episode Two and learn about the challenges Perry faces at the second leg of his journey and how you can help. Click here to read Episode 1. Click here to read Episode 3.

    Issue Spotlight – Predators

    The adventure Perry just had is not an uncommon one for birds, they run a gauntlet of predators on a daily basis. Common predators of birds include larger birds of prey like hawks, domestic and feral cats, snakes, and surprisingly (although not as commonly) insects as well as deer!
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    ​Cats – Outdoor and feral cats especially love Little Brown Birds like Perry, anyone with an outdoor cat is probably familiar with the presents they bring you. The real issue is with feral cats, however. “In the United States alone, there are 60 million to 100 million free-ranging, unowned cats. These are non-native predators that, even using conservative estimates, kill 1.3–4 billion birds and 6.3–22.3 billion mammals each year in the U.S. alone.” An article posted by our partners at Cornell Lab of Ornithology does an amazing job explaining the issues surrounding feral cats. One thing that people may find incredibly surprising: a cat doesn’t have to bite a bird to kill it. Cat saliva, even if not introduced through puncture wounds, can be just as deadly as a bite or a broken wing. (photo by Nils Jocobi, Getty Images)

    ​Hawks – Now, when you think of hawks, you may not think of them as ‘city-dwellers,’ but given the lack of forests and open fields available to them, hawks are turning to cities to hunt. Habitat loss is affecting all animals, and it is hitting predators especially hard. Less predators can lead to increases in population and increases in resource competition, entire ecosystems are affected by these imbalances. It’s not surprising that hawks are moving to the cities, but what does this mean for the cities and what does it mean for the fields they left? Time will undoubtedly tell.

    ​​    It’s not the cats’ or the hawks’ fault, they are all part of the web of life and playing their parts. Humans are the ones who have pushed things out of balance, making more and more habitats that are good for us and any animals that can adapt with us. Can you think of any other animals that have adapted to human environments?
    What We Can Do

    There are quite a few things we can do to help with this predator imbalance. Keep your dogs (and cats if you walk them) on a leash. Some birds build their nests on the ground and even the friendliest dogs can scare a mom and dad away from their nest and eggs if disturbed too often. This means paying attention to leash laws whenever you go hiking or go to the beach, it’s not to spoil the dog’s fun, it’s to protect other plants and animals. Also, protected areas are protected for a reason!  And if you’re getting a cat, think about keeping them indoors, it not only lengthens their lifespan, but you could be saving lots of little lives: birds, lizards, and bugs alike. One last thing, and it’s something you may not think of in association with protecting birds: dispose of your trash properly. Areas where there is a lot of trash and human activity tend to attract corvids and gulls, which are a danger to young families with eggs and chicks. We already know how bad it is to litter, but I bet not many of you knew it could be dangerous too!
    ​The Mission of Perry’s Journey – A Message from the Illustrator

    It’s important we understand that just because birds can fly over it all, doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by what’s going on down here on the ground. The population of North American birds has dropped by nearly 30% since the 1970s, that is a total of almost 3 billion birds. Gone.

    Birds are incredibly important to the balance of our ecosystems: they are essential as pollinators and for seed dispersal, particularly for native plants, and they feed on and help control a variety of critters we consider pests like insects and rodents. Bird studies teach us about climate and the environment, and the birds themselves are key indicators of environmental change. And, most simply, birds are beautiful, and they provide us with music and joy.

    The protagonist of this story, Perry, is doing his part as a bird, migrating to his northern breeding location to hopefully pass on his little brown bird genes. It’s all he can do. Perry’s Journey illustrates the important journey of birds like him across the globe, who are doing their parts to help.

    Migrating birds are disproportionately affected because they need not just one habitat, but multiple habitats that can serve as stopping points along their journeys. We call these migration corridors and it’s important that they are protected: for the birds’ sakes as well as our own. Birds like Perry can’t control what happens on the ground, or in the water and air, but we can. During Perry’s journey over the couse of ten posts, we will go into some of the main issues facing not just migrating birds, but all birds, and what you can do to help. To support SFBBO’s work to conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach, please make a donation to our Spring Appeal!
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    Katrina McCollough is from the Bay Area and is a science outreach intern with SFBBO and the creator of Perry’s Journey. Her interest in birds stemmed from an internship she had at SFBBO’s Coyote Creek Field Station where she got firsthand experience working with the banders and volunteers at the station. That was the first time she ever held or released a bird, and she’s fallen in love with them since, and her favorite bird is the Bushtit. Previously, her interests were directed toward the ground, instead of the sky, hunting for mushrooms or insects. Katrina is currently a college student with a major in Biological Sciences, and she hopes to continue her schooling in mycology and bioremediation. ​

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  • On the Board-Walk: Meet Karan Gathani

    On the Board-Walk: Meet Karan Gathani
    By Guest Blogger & SFBBO Board Member Karan Gathani
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    ​My foray into volunteering with the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory was set into motion after attending a docent-led hike by Jan Hintermeister, who was Chair on the SFBBO Board at that time. We spotted a Pied-billed Grebe diving in one of the ponds, which triggered a discussion about identifying birds by their shapes. Long story short, Jan coaxed me to check out SFBBO as an organization I should volunteer with since it overlaps with my interest areas.
    While researching the volunteer programs, I was a bit overwhelmed at first, as I wasn’t expecting the diversity of programs one could volunteer with. So, I reached out to Jan to ask him which one I should prioritize since I felt like a kid in a candy shop and was stuck trying to pick a single option. Habitat restoration is a novel opportunity I should probably explore, he suggested. And he was right, habitat restoration is as exciting to me today as it was when I started volunteering four years ago, with new things I learn every day in the field. 

    ​The     tidal marsh restoration program at SFBBO is part of the larger South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. This project focuses on restoring an area about three-fifths as big as Disney World in the San Francisco Delta region, which was previously covered in man-made salt ponds, back to tidal marsh habitat. This project aims to increase tidal marsh habitat as well as the fish and wildlife that depend on it.
    Being part of such an ambitious goal is challenging, but also inspiring. Having observed first-hand all the agencies coordinating to make this end goal possible reminds me how crucial it is to educate the public about the impacts of our past, the amendments in the present, and ultimately the hope for the future.

    If playing an active role in leaving this planet in a better shape for future generations is something that appeals to you or if you are just curious about what the restored habitats look like, I recommend you join us at one of our upcoming events. If you would like do even more to support SFBBO’s mission to conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach, please visit our website or make a donation today. We hope to see you at an SFBBO activity soon!

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  • Perry’s Journey Episode One: Leaving the Nest

    Perry’s Journey Episode One: Leaving the Nest
    By Science Outreach Intern Katrina McCollough
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    Today, Perry’s journey begins. Perry isn’t a specific kind of bird, he’s one of a kind, he represents all migrating birds toughing it out on their long journeys. This year we are catching him on his migration north, from his winter home in South America to his breeding ground in Canada. This seems like quite a long flight, and it is, but most birds do it not just once, but twice a year.

    Click on “Read More” below to check out Episode One and learn about the challenges Perry faces at the start of his journey and how you can help, plus see some groovy dance moves that may help Perry meet a mate! Click here to read Episode 2.

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    Fun Fact – Birds Dance!

    Since this is Perry’s spring migration, he is going north to hopefully breed and pass on his Little Brown Bird genes. A big part of breeding for some birds are the courtship behaviors that they practice, including courtship dances.

    ​Birds don’t actually ‘dance’ the way we think of, but some birds have extremely elaborate courtship dances with some amazing moves. BBC and Planet Earth and Netflix Our Plant have the most beautiful footage of the Bird of Paradise and the Blue Carousel mating dances. 

    ​Perry’s dance is closer to something like Michigan J Frog! ​

    Issue Spotlight – No Place to Rest

    There are SO many houses in the suburbs, taking a flight you can get a bird’s eye view and see the miles and miles of houses, with small squares of green every so often. These parks are often few and far between, which isn’t good news for birds like Perry, who need places to stop and rest. Birds need trees, grass, shrubs, they need areas of plant diversity with supplies of food and water nearby. This can be severely lacking in some suburbs, which look like sprawling oceans of gray and this is where you come in! (Photo by Mark Turner). 
    ​What We Can Do

    Perry starts his journey from a homemade birdhouse, meaning anyone with a backyard can be part of a bird’s migration every year. Birds need a LOT of energy to migrate. Take a glance back at the comic above, if you notice the backyard Perry’s leaving from it’s a true bird oasis. There are trees, plenty of flowers, and all the amenities a bird could want. By having birdhouses, birdfeeders (fruit, seed, and nectar), or birdbaths in the backyard you too can help start their journey or be an important stop along the way. If you have a bit of a green thumb and love to garden, you can also help by planting native plants that attract and feed birds.
    ​Below are some tips about ways you can help birds like Perry! (photo by Bryan Hanson)
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    ​Bird Friendly Gardens – Fill your gardens with native plants! Check out this article by Jennifer Meyer in The Orange County Register to get tips on the best plants to support some of the more than 600 bird species that live in California. See also this SFBBO Birdy Hour with birder Barbara Coll who gives a tour of her bird-friendly backyard.

    ​    Common Problems – Learn about some of the most common problems for birds and people trying to live together by watching this SFBBO Birdy Hour “How to Help Birds on the Homefront” by bird expert Lisa Myes of the Los Gatos Birdwatcher. 

    Feeding Birds –  Visit the Audubon website to get tips on feeding backyard birds. ​

    Nest Support – Watch SFBBO’s Birdy Hours series One and Two by Lee Pauser on supporting birds with nest boxes, check out Audubon’s website for more information on this topic, and see an article by Rachel Maidl in Bird and Bloom to learn about safe materials you can provide for birds to use for nests. 

    Support Conservation – You can support work to study and conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach by becoming a volunteer and making a donation to SFBBO.
    ​The Mission of Perry’s Journey – A Message from the Illustrator

    It’s important we understand that just because birds can fly over it all, doesn’t mean they aren’t affected by what’s going on down here on the ground. The population of North American birds has dropped by nearly 30% since the 1970s, that is a total of almost 3 billion birds. Gone.

    Birds are incredibly important to the balance of our ecosystems: they are essential as pollinators and for seed dispersal, particularly for native plants, and they feed on and help control a variety of critters we consider pests like insects and rodents. Bird studies teach us about climate and the environment, and the birds themselves are key indicators of environmental change. And, most simply, birds are beautiful, and they provide us with music and joy.

    The protagonist of this story, Perry, is doing his part as a bird, migrating to his northern breeding location to hopefully pass on his little brown bird genes. It’s all he can do. Perry’s Journey illustrates the important journey of birds like him across the globe, who are doing their parts to help.

    Migrating birds are disproportionately affected because they need not just one habitat, but multiple habitats that can serve as stopping points along their journeys. We call these migration corridors and it’s important that they are protected: for the birds’ sakes as well as our own. Birds like Perry can’t control what happens on the ground, or in the water and air, but we can. During Perry’s journey over the couse of ten posts, we will go into some of the main issues facing not just migrating birds, but all birds, and what you can do to help. To support SFBBO’s work to conserve birds and their habitats through science and outreach, please make a donation to our Spring Appeal!
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    Katrina McCollough is from the Bay Area and is a science outreach intern with SFBBO and the creator of Perry’s Journey. Her interest in birds stemmed from an internship she had at SFBBO’s Coyote Creek Field Station where she got firsthand experience working with the banders and volunteers at the station. That was the first time she ever held or released a bird, and she’s fallen in love with them since, and her favorite bird is the Bushtit. Previously, her interests were directed toward the ground, instead of the sky, hunting for mushrooms or insects. Katrina is currently a college student with a major in Biological Sciences, and she hopes to continue her schooling in mycology and bioremediation. 

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  • Busking for Birds – A Young Musician Makes a Difference

    Busking for Birds – A Young Musician Makes a Difference
    By Guest Blogger Allison Cheng
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    ​As bustling crowds rush from store to store and family and friends chatter away at their dinner tables, I set up my music stand, pick up my instrument, and introduce a new sound to the cacophony of Castro Street, Mountain View: the sound of my viola. 

    ​A few months ago, I began “Busking for Birds”—playing my viola on the street for donations that I raise for environmental nonprofits, including SFBBO. I’ve been playing violin for 9 years and viola for 5 years, and on the street, I play a …​

    variety of music, from classical music to Elvis Presley and Disney medleys, by myself, with friends, or in a quartet. Through my music, I have met families, small children, and listeners of all ages, including fellow birders. This has been a very rewarding experience and I’m so grateful to be able to share my love for music and birds with the rest of the world. 

    I began to learn about birds by competing on my school Science Olympiad team, in which I studied ornithology. In my preparation for ornithology tests, I learned not only about weird bird behavior and their unique adaptations but also about threats to birds and bird conservation. Habitat loss and invasive species, I’ve learned, remain some of the biggest threats to birds today. Unfortunately, as a high schooler, my options to help save bird populations seem limited—I can’t write laws regarding climate change or easily acquire environmental conservation jobs. I can, however, fundraise and donate, so that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.
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    ​Although I only started birding about a year ago, this past year has been the most exciting year of my life. Since picking up birding, I have begun to be completely enraptured by birds, wildlife photography, and ecology. Conservation has been important to me ever since I was a young child and learned about endangered sea otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. From fundraising for otter conservation by selling origami in elementary school, selling chocolate chip cookies for Australian wildfire relief in middle school, and now raising money for birds in high school, I’ve found that this is a great way to combine two of my passions—music and wildlife—to do good. I hope to continue “Busking for Birds” and kickstart a more tasty conservation venture: “Baking for Birds.” And who knows? Maybe I can inspire someone else to begin their own adventures. 

    To join Allison in supporting bird conservation, please make a donation to our 2022 Spring Appeal, or hold your own busking activity for birds!
    Allison Cheng is a high school student, musician, wildlife photographer, science olypiad competitor, and birder who raises money for environmental causes, incuding SFBBO. In the photo above she is busking as a violin-viola duo on Castro Street in Mountain View with her friend and fellow SFBBO volunteer Valerie Wong. 

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  • The Golden-crowned Sparrow Project

    The Golden-crowned Sparrow Project
    By Guest Blogger Sierra Glassman
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    ​In late Fall, weary flocks of Golden-crowned Sparrows start to arrive at their wintering grounds across California. One location where the sparrows settle down for the cold months is the University of Santa Cruz Arboretum. This 135-acre garden is brimming with exotic plants, as well as California flora, from Australian cotton-candy-coned Woolly Banksia to native sticky-leaved monkeyflowers.

    Professor Bruce Lyon and his graduate students have been banding Golden-crowned Sparrows at the arboretum for over 18 years. Through banding, they attribute behavior and DNA to individuals. The lab has published many studies on sparrow social behavior in conjunction with former graduate students Dai Shizuka, Theadora Block, and Alexis Chaine.

    ​Though Golden-crowned Sparrows are territorial on breeding grounds, they become social on the wintering grounds, recognizing and foraging with flockmates from the previous winter, and even meeting new sparrows. Flockmates aren’t defined by kin or nearby breeding sites; they meet and hang out entirely on the wintering grounds, as far as we know. Sometimes unfamiliar sparrows form temporary flocks. This creates a fission-fusion dynamic that the Lyon Lab has studied since the foundation of the Golden-crowned Sparrow Project.
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    The Internship Process

    After emailing over a dozen professors for internship opportunities, I got a definite response from the UCSC Lyon Lab last fall. When prompted to complete an application, I sent a reference in the birding community, a CV, as well as a cover letter highlighting how my interests and birding experience aligned with the Golden-crowned Sparrow Project’s objectives. I was lucky enough to be selected.

    As I looked at the goals and requirements for the internship, I was a bit intimidated. I had lots of classes in the fall, and the project required data entry and proofing on top of five hours a week of surveying at the arboretum. I decided that sacrificing some free time was worth gaining experience in the field.

    There were three training sessions before interns could go out on solo surveys. On my first session I was handed survey sheets and a clipboard with a coordinate map of the arboretum taped to the back of it. Angela Brierly, the Field Project Manager who trained new interns, found the first flock of sparrows within a few minutes. They hopped and darted around on the grass, pecking at invisible seeds. I squinted through the binoculars, trying to discern the colors of their leg bands. They flew or jumped right at the moment I thought I registered one of the colors.

    But eventually, I became fluent in holding the binoculars and clipboard at the same time while reading and remembering the band colors. I learned to discern auburn-striped juvenile White-crowned Sparrows from dull-crowned Golden-crowns in low light. I watched the sparrows stuff their faces with banksia nectar and hop around grevillea bushes.

    Each Golden-crowned has different sized black stripes and yellow crowns or “badges.” This interspecies variation of crowns is another focal point of study by the Lyon lab. In groups of unfamiliar sparrows, dominance is determined by badge size: a bird with a larger yellow badge would chase away a smaller badged bird from a food source. However in groups of familiar individuals, crown size does not determine dominance.

    Surveying is important because it adds data to a social network program that maps out the sparrow flocks. Besides suveying flocks, I noted singing and “tethering” behavior. Professor Lyon and his research team hypothesized that singing occurs as a sort of greeting or bonding ritual on the wintering grounds. The sparrows sing much more often in the beginning of the season when new birds are arriving. Tethering is a behavior where two sparrows seem to be best friends, foraging together, which also seems to coincide with one singing and alarm chipping to the other.
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    Banding

    After a month of surveying, I was offered the opportunity to help band sparrows. Disarmed traps are baited with seed and usually set out a day before banding, letting the sparrows get used to the location. Before setting the traps the next morning, we set up a banding station on a table or bench in the arboretum. Banding birds is a huge responsibility; birds are delicate, and whether you remember to check a trap could mean life-or-death. So, we are extremely careful, writing down whether the traps are armed, disarmed, or checked. On a tree next to the banding station, we hang a clothesline with clips. And, when ready to check the traps we bring along small cloth bags.

    Usually, a more experienced intern removes the bird from the trap and places it into the bag. The bag must be inside out so that the sparrows won’t catch their claws in the frayed fabric. We text the trap number, bag number, and if applicable, band colors and numbers to Angela. If a banded bird is caught, we check a list of birds we’ve caught this winter. If it is on the list and doesn’t need another measurement or sample, we release it, but if it is missing information or is not on the list, we take it to the banding station and hang the bag on the clothesline.

    We take the birds out of the bags in chronological order in order to minimize their time in the bags. An intern notes the measurements that Angela takes in an app, such as weight, wing chord length, tarsus length, and culmen length. Angela also checks for fat deposits and pin feathers. She takes the two outer tail feathers and collects blood samples by pricking a vein in the bird’s wing (homologous to the one we get our blood drawn from). This blood is used for hormone studies and DNA samples. After, a Q-tip is pressed to the wing to stop the bleeding. Then we photograph the bird’s crown next to a ruler so those in the lab can find the pixel length for the studies. Then, Angela transfers the bird into a bag so an intern can practice releasing it.
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    Up Close

    I reached into the cloth bag, forming a “V” with my index and middle finger. Finding the sparrow’s neck, I gently closed it within the V and held the rest of the bird’s body in my palm. I slowly drew it out of the bag, careful not to bend its rigid tail feathers. I looked into its shining brown eyes, rimmed with delicate white bristles. It had been raised in a nest in the north, and had seen the gaping mouths of its siblings and herds of caribou traversing the freezing landscape. As it migrated south, it had viewed the patchwork of taiga and deciduous forests passing below its small wings. A few mustard yellow feathers running past the bold black
    forehead stripes formed an eyebrow-like marking. This bird had experienced so much. The golden badge on the crown brightly contrasted the black, marking its high status among unfamiliars. It wriggled in my hand. I looked at its grass-smeared beak, then relinquished my grip. The wild creature’s wingtips brushed my fingers as it fled into the bush. “Goodbye!” I whispered to it, hoping it would return to the Arboretum next year.

    Throughout the internship, I’ve learned so much about ornithology – how to survey birds, how to band birds, and the sheer amount of information that scientists can gather from just one population. I’ve become much more attuned to bird behavior as well. If you are a fellow teen hoping to study ornithology, I suggest reaching out to professors through their email which is usually posted on their college’s website. The worst that could happen is that they won’t respond. Be prepared to sacrifice some free time, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If there are other new interns they probably have similar questions. By interning you will contribute scientific knowledge and gain valuable skills you can apply to your own bird research in the
    future.

    Sierra Glassman is a 16-year-old high school student who says she has been obsessed with birds for her whole life. She plans to study bird behavior and evolution in college.

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  • Bird Photography Workshop Takes Birding to the Next Level

    Bird Photography Workshop Takes Birding to the Next Level
    By Guest Blogger Alex Cho
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    ​I have been birding for about nine years and quickly realized how important photography was for me as a birder. Shortly after I began actively birding, I would get home and want to look at the birds I had seen in closer detail or note certain details. However, I often found that I had a hard time recalling so many different details, and there were also instances where I wanted to capture a particular bird or scene.  That is when I realized how valuable photography was going to be for me.    

    My parents kindly bought me a camera and off I went. As I photographed more and more, I learned that photography is not easy; especially, bird photography! Nine years later, I am still learning and have so much more to learn. That is why I was so excited to see that SFBBO was offering the Bird Photography Workshop with Sebastian Kennerknecht. The four-part series covered the most basic and important areas that would help any photographer improve their photography skills. Sebastian is so talented, and I had seen his work before, which is amazing. He has been featured in so many publications, and what I really appreciate about Sebastian is his commitment to conservation and respect for wildlife.   
     
    The Focus session was very helpful going over camera settings, and Sebastian gave suggestions as to what possible focus settings could be used in different situations. In the Composition session, he went over various ways to nicely frame a subject. He also spoke about lighting and how that could be used for a more pleasing photo. Instead of having your subject front and center, he showed us how there are ways to move your subject around to create a more interesting picture. Finally, the Critique session was incredibly valuable to me. Having a professional look at your photographs and give you constructive feedback was something that will help me forever. Sebastian took very good looks at the provided photographs and offered great recommendations. Some of these were making little adjustments in post-processing that made a huge difference for a better picture. All the while, he was very supportive and encouraging for the participants to continue practicing and to just enjoy photographing birds and wildlife.   
     
    Finally, I am especially grateful to the generous donors who made it possible for me to attend this series.  Thank you, again, as I have learned so much! 

    Alex Cho is a sixteen-year-old avid birder living in the Bay Area. He has been birding for over eight years and is an active member of several organizations including Los Angeles Birders, Western Field Ornithologists, North American Nature Photography Association in addition to several local Audubon societies. Although birding is his passion, he is very interested in conservation as well.  To this end, he has participated in several bird surveys, conservation work involving California Condors and Western Bluebirds, and has presented on various topics related to birds. Alex hopes to study ornithology and use his knowledge to help birds in our rapidly changing world. Aside from birds and conservation, he is a fervent pianist, which he has been doing for over a decade.

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  • Kids Bird Book Recommendation – Crow Not Crow

    Kids Bird Book Recommendation – Crow Not Crow
    By Guest Blogger Dudley Carlson
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    ​With the Great Backyard Bird Count almost upon us, there’s no better time to think about bringing the younger members of the family and the community into the community of birders. The way to start, of course, is to get them out of doors, or to put up a feeder where they’ll see it every day. But sometimes that’s not enough. Sometimes a book can help.

    Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple, in Crow Not Crow (illustrated by Elizabeth Dulemba, Cornell Publishing Group, 2018), begins with a girl who says, “My brothers all love to go out birding with Dad. ​They don’t have any trouble telling one bird from another. But to me, birds look pretty much the same – wings, beak, and legs.” Her dad knows better.  

    Handing her a pair of binoculars, he asks what kinds of bugs she sees (ants), what animal is up in a tree (squirrel), and then in the meadow, the sky and the trees beyond them. “Birds?” she answers, and he says, “It all begins with Crow Not Crow.”
     
    First, they locate a crow on a branch, and dad shows her how to find it in her binoculars and watch it quietly. Then he asks her to describe it, which she does – wings, legs, beak – all black.  It flies, cawing, and “’Crow.’ I named it. Owned it.”

    ​Their next bird is black, but with a red-and-yellow shoulder band. It’s black like the crow, but different, she says. “Not crow,” is her father’s response. As they work their way through a series of birds – black with white “stars” on their feathers, black with a brown head, black but smaller than Crow, with a different eye – all of them are Not Crow. As their walk progresses, she becomes more confident in her guesses until once more she spots a large, black-all-over bird that says “Caw!” And she names him – “Crow.” By the time they reach home, this youngster realizes that she can learn to be as good a birder as her brothers, “maybe better.” And she’s on her way.
    After the story, there are two pages with brief information about the birds in the book, as well as QR codes that can be scanned with Cornell’s “Bird QR” app or Merlin to produce the birds’ sounds.
     
    Like many other books in Cornell’s series for young readers, Crow Not Crow is in picture-book format, and roughly the same shape and size as the “Let’s Read And Find Out” series of science books from Harper. Poet Jane Yolen and artist Bob Marstall have created three of these, and one of the newest is Mya Thompson’s Ruby’s Birds (illustrated by Claudia Dávila, Cornell, 2019). Here, a lively young girl who loves to sing creates so much song in her New York City apartment that Eva, a downstairs neighbor, leans out the window and offers, “Ruby! Wanna go to the park?” Delighted, Ruby agrees, but she’s puzzled as they pass her favorite spots and even, when they reach Central Park, enter an area where she’s never been. 

    ​Eva is obviously looking for birds as Ruby notices other things, until Eva freezes. Watching her, Ruby recognizes her excitement and begins to sing again, scaring away the bird, to Eva’s dismay. But she explains, “It’s a bird I’ve only ever seen back home in Costa Rica…He’s just stopping through on his way north because this is the best patch of woods for miles around. He’s quite a singer, just like you.” With an identification – “He’s a Golden-winged Warbler” –  and some simple suggestions, Eva plants the seeds, and the following Sunday Ruby persuades her family to go with her to the park, where she succeeds in finding “a warblerrrr!” At the end of the story, a page “About this story” provides a little information about Central Park, urban birding, and migration, with citations for two websites for more information. Additional pages offer more urban birds and “Ruby’s Tips for taking a nature walk.” And for the growing community of birders, it’s important that Ruby is not only a girl, but a brown one.
     
    Like SFBBO, Cornell creates programs and content for birders of all ages, and books are one more doorway that can open into a new world for children. These are just two of many. If you don’t have time before the GBBC, try them afterward; they can help to solidify an interest or provide new ideas for exploration. 

    SFBBO member Dudley Carlson, a biologist’s daughter, grew up in a family of birders and was Manager of Youth Services at Princeton (NJ) Public Library for 25 years. She believes that if children enjoy learning about birds and understand how important they are to our environment, then birds, nature and people will have a better chance at a healthy future.

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