Avian Advocates

Postcards sent by Avian Advocates in support of Int. 1482, the Bird-friendly material bill, in Fall 2019. Photo: NYC Audubon
Postcards sent by Avian Advocates in support of Int. 1482, the Bird-friendly material bill, in Fall 2019. Photo: NYC Audubon

Become an Avian Advocate

Whether it's by meeting with government officials, coordinating public letter-writing campaigns and public comments, or raising consciousness of the dangers facing our birds and their habitats via outreach events, distributed brochures and educational materials, and social media, NYC Audubon advocacy volunteers are integral in pushing this meaningful work forward. Learn what immediate actions you can take to help protect birds and habitats, and how to stay informed about issues. 


Actions You Can Take Right Now to Help Birds

The pollinator garden atop the Javits Center absorbs rain water and provides stopover habitat for migrating birds. Photo: Javits Center
The pollinator garden atop the Javits Center absorbs rain water and provides stopover habitat for migrating birds. Photo: Javits Center
Ask your NYS Assembly Member to Support NYC Green Roofs
The Green Roof Tax Abatement needs our help to be renewed, or it will permanently expire! The GRTA provides a tax incentive to install green roofs across NYC with a greater incentive for installation in environmentally at-risk community districts. Proposed improvements increase the abatement amount for the program and make it more accessible for New Yorkers. 

The GRTA will make NYC more resilient in the face of a changing climate and is essential for both birds and people. Contact your State Assembly Member, and ask them to support the renewal of the GRTA, proposed in the Assembly by AM Nily Rozic.
TAKE ACTION!
Lights Out legislation aims to make New York City less attractive, and less hazardous, to night-migrating birds by limiting artificial light at night during peak migration. Photo: Getty Images
Lights Out legislation aims to make New York City less attractive, and less hazardous, to night-migrating birds by limiting artificial light at night during peak migration. Photo: Getty Images
Ask Your City Councilmember to Co-Sponsor City-wide Lights Out Bill
On May 11, 2023, New York City Councilmember Francisco Moya (Queens, District 21) introduced Intro 1039, a bill requiring privately-owned commercial and industrial buildings in New York City to turn off non-essential lights during migration periods. This bill, expanding upon the Lights Out legislation for city-owned buildings that was passed unanimously by the New York City Council in 2021, would help greatly reduce the up-to-a-quarter-million bird deaths from collisions with buildings in our city each year! To pass this critical bill, we need your help! Please urge your local councilmember to co-sponsor this legislation. Learn how you can help this effort on our Lights Out Legislation page!
Take Action!
Black-and-white Warbler. Photo: Matthew Pimm/Audubon Photography Awards
Black-and-white Warbler. Photo: Matthew Pimm/Audubon Photography Awards
Urge Your Representative to Co-Sponsor the Bird-safe Buildings Act
New York City enacted Local Law 15 in January 2021, but we must continue to push our representatives to pass bird-safe legislation at the state and national level. The Bird-safe Buildings Act is a bipartisan bill designed to reduce bird mortality by calling for federal buildings to incorporate bird-safe building materials and design features, potentially saving millions of birds each year. Urge your representatives to co-sponsor this bill using American Bird Conservancy’s online petition tool. 
Take Action!
Advocate for Bird-Friendly Materials in Problem Buildings
Have you noticed that the building you live in or that a building you have passed by has windows that cause bird collisions during migration? You can use this template letter and additional outreach resources to let the building owners, board, or management team know that there are solutions to this issue.
Take Action

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