URBAN AUDUBON

President's Perch: A Proud Farewell from Karen Benfield

Karen Benfield, NYC Audubon Board President | March 6, 2024 

With spring comes growth and renewal in our City’s green spaces. As I wind down my four-year term as president, I am awed by the growth and renewal inside our organization as well, and I step down fulfilled by the privilege of being part of such magnificent expansion of urban conservation.
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How Can Weather Forecasts Help Us Save Birds?

Sara Kross, PhD, Katherine Chen (NYC Audubon Community Science and Outreach Manager), and Benjamin Van Doren, PhD | March 6, 2024 

Migration is a particularly dangerous journey, and it’s estimated that collisions with windows kill up to one billion birds across North America annually. NYC Audubon scientists and partners have focused on this problem for decades. Now, new research on weather’s impact can make solutions more effective.
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A Tale of Two Egrets

Don Riepe | March 6, 2024 

For most of my life, I lived happily at Broad Channel, Queens, with the birds outside. Until 15 years ago, when the birds started coming inside. As I sat on my dock in 2009 looking out at Jamaica Bay, a beautiful white Great Egret landed at my house and soon, my new friend Egor the egret would stop by nearly every day for a snack. 
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2023 Christmas Bird Count Soars to New Heights

Carol Peace Robins | March 5, 2024 

The 124th Annual Christmas Bird Count, which took place on December 17, 2023, was a historic one for NYC Audubon. Not only did we have a record 400 registered volunteer counters, but for the first time in the Count's history, a green roof was included in the festivities. Carol Peace Robins recounts the historic day at Hudson Yards. 
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Syrinx Spotlight: PSF Volunteer, Photographer & High-School Senior Winston Qin

Olivia Liang | December 4, 2023

Winston Qin is a gifted photographer, an aspiring engineer, a lifelong bird enthusiast, a Project Safe Flight volunteer… and a high school senior. Meet this exceptional teenager devoted to protecting our City’s wild birds. 
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Raising a Glass to Bird-Safe Glass

Hillarie O'Toole | November 8, 2023
Publications Committee Member Hillarie O'Toole recaps a festive and sustainable night for the City's birds and habitats at the 2023 Fall Roost benefit, which moved across the river to Brooklyn to honor 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge for its commitment to sustainability and bird-friendly design, and Jeff Kimball for his immense contributions to NYC Audubon. 
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Remembering Betty Hamilton

It is with sadness NYC Audubon reports the passing of Betty Hamilton on September 14, 2023, at the age of 99. Betty was a friend, colleague, and active leader with NYC Audubon from the very beginning. We are pleased to share these remembrances of Betty from NYC Audubon’s past organizational leaders. 
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The Haunting Songs of the Wood Thrush

Don Riepe | September 19, 2023
Thrushes are perhaps the most beautiful songsters of the northeast woods, and the song of the Wood Thrush is memorable and haunting for both birders and poets. Learn more about the Wood Thrush's ethereal, flute-like song, and more about this bird in our latest species profile.  
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Find More Birds: Recipes for Birding Success

Suzanne Charlé | September 19, 2023
Whether you're a newbie or veteran birder, Heather Wolf's Find More Birds: 111 Surprising Ways to Spot Birds Wherever You Are offers a whole world of clues, tips, and tricks. 
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Brooklyn Arcadia: A Lush Book to Inspire Nature and Culture Lovers Alike

Carol Peace Robins | September 19, 2023
Brooklyn Arcadia: Art, History, and Nature at Majestic Green-Wood by Andrew Garn is not just a bird book, but a celebration of a National Historic Landmark.
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Next Big Steps for Lights Out Legislation in New York City

Suzanne Charlé | September 19, 2023
In late 2021, NYC Audubon and the Lights Out Coalition celebrated the passage of Lights Out bills Int. 274 and 271, requiring City-owned and -managed buildings to turn off non-essential outdoor lights at night during peak avian migration periods. NYC Audubon and its partners are encouraging the New York City Council to consider expanding the “Lights Out” program to privately owned commercial and industrial buildings, as well as other buildings such as U.S. post offices, labs, and outpatient clinics.
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The Christian Cooper Chronicles

Carol Peace Robins | June 1, 2023
NYC Audubon Vice President Christian Cooper shares his passion for birds and chronicles his many adventures in the upcoming book Better Living Through Birding and National Geographic show Extraordinary Birder, both set to debut in June 2023. 
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What's in a Name? Dropping “Audubon”

Karen Benfield, NYC Audubon Board President | June 1, 2023
NYC Audubon Board President Karen Benfield explains why the organization's board of directors voted in March 2023 to change the organization's name. Hear from Karen about what the organization learned after its eight-month-long assessment of the Audubon name and why a change needed to be made to better serve its mission and work. The article concludes with over a dozen members of the community sharing their feedback about the organization's decision, both in favor and against it. 
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Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Don Riepe | June 1, 2023
Barn Swallows are one of New York City’s most ubiquitous summer birds, delighting onlookers with their acrobatic aerial displays. Learn all about these interesting birds in our latest species profile by Don Riepe. 
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Bird's Eye View: Summer 2023

Jessica G. Wilson, Executive Director | June 1, 2023
Executive Director Jessica G. Wilson shares her excitement about the future of NYC Audubon in light of the board's recent decision to change the organization's name, and how she has been inspired by the organization's work to center Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in all of its work across conservation, advocacy, engagement. 
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César Andrés Castillo, 1980-2023: A Remembrance

Donna Schulman | March 5, 2023
César A. Castillo, a beloved member of the City's birding community and an adjunct professor of biology and senior laboratory technician at Queen College, passed away from an illness on March 1, 2023. César was a passionate naturalist and a valued member of NYC Audubon's board of directors who generously shared his love of nature with others. We are grateful to be able to share this tribute to César, penned by fellow Queens County Bird Club member Donna L. Schulman.
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Turn Off the Lights This Spring and Fall; Save Millions of Lives

Carol Peace Robins | February 27, 2023: 
The bright skyline of New York City may be emblematic of "the city that never sleeps," but the nocturnal glare is dangerous for the millions of migrating birds that travel along the Atlantic Flyway. Learn about this fundamental problem and the ways that NYC Audubon is working towards solutions. 
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Expanding NYC Audubon's Reach: Meet Roslyn Rivas

Mary Jane Kaplan | February 27, 2023: 
NYC Audubon is introducing New York City to birds through expanding its programming in all five boroughs, hiring new guides, forming new community partnerships, and making its programs more accessible to a wider audience. Find out how Public Programs Manager Roslyn Rivas is making all that happen! 
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Volunteer Profile: Junko Suzuki, Determined Birder

Phil Roosevelt | February 27, 2023: 
NYC Audubon's passionate volunteer corps has sustained its conservation work for over 40 years. Meet Audubon Christmas Bird Count surveyor Junko Suzuki.
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Marcia Fowle Takes Flight

Lauren Klingsberg | February 27, 2023:
Since Marcia T. Fowle joined NYC Audubon as its first executive director in 1992, she's supported the organization in too many additional ways to count, including roles as president of the board of directors, longtime co-editor of The Urban Audubon, and co-chair of both the advisory council and Fall Roost committee. Learn about Marcia's many contributions to our organization as we wish her and her husband, bird-friendly architect and longtime NYC Audubon supporter Bruce Fowle, a happy move to their new home in Vermont. 
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Birding while Busy

Hillarie O'Toole | February 27, 2023: 
Excited about spring migration, but don't know how you'll find the time? You're not alone. Get tips on how to fit birding into your busy daily life.
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Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)

Don Riepe | February 27, 2023: 
The Laughing Gull, the striking "summer gull" of the East Coast known for its infectious guffaw, has had its ups and downs in New York City. Read about the resilience of this gregarious species and its Jamaica Bay nesting colony. 
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Project Safe Flight Points the Way to a Bird-friendly Future

Suzanne Charlé |  November 15, 2022: 
Get the latest updates on Project Safe Flight, NYC Audubon's signature campaign to protect migrating birds in New York City. Learn how we use our research to reduce window collisions. 
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Introducing the Volunteers of Project Safe Flight

Carol Peace Robins |  November 15, 2022: 
Get to know the volunteers of Project Safe Flight, who devote themselves to rescuing injured birds in the City, and in doing so, collect research data crucial to NYC Audubon's advocacy efforts.
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Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

Tod Winston |  November 15, 2022: 
Get to know the interesting ecology and evolving family tree of the Yellow-rumped Warbler, New York City's only winter-time warbler species. 
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