101 Ways to Help Birds

0 Introduction 1 Wake up with bird-friendly coffee. 2 Eat lower on the food chain, and especially eat less beef. 3 Buy groceries with bird conservation in mind. 4 Compost as much kitchen waste as possible. 5 Recycle plastic six-pack rings, aluminum cans, and plastic bags. 6 Make your windows safer for birds. 7 Know what to do when a bird hits your window. 8 Build or choose a home with the least impact on the natural world. 9 Avoid buying or building a home on a floodplain, coast, or shore. 10 Buy lumber or furniture with a Sustainable Forestry Initiative or Forest Stewardship Council logo, or buy used. 11 Recycle thermometers, button batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and other mercury-containing objects. 12 Be a conservation-conscious consumer. 13 Conserve water. 14 Conserve electricity. 15 Reduce paper use, choose recycled paper, and recycle the paper you use. 16 Keep cats indoors. 17 Don't keep exotic birds or wild animals for pets, and never release exotic birds into the wild. 18 Control your dog. 19 Identify and keep track of your backyard birds. 20 Learn about the flora and fauna in your neighborhood and region. 21 Grow an assortment of trees, shrubs, and other plants to provide food and cover for a variety of birds. 22 Root out invasive exotic plants. 23 Recognize and foster beneficial insects and spiders. 24 Limit outdoor water use. 25 Limit nutrient runoff from your yard. 26 Remove unnecessary fencing. 27 Cut hay and alfalfa as late in the breeding season as possible. 28 Manage wooded land for birds as well as trees. 29 If you live on a lake, river, or stream, preserve the natural quality of the shoreline and surrounding habitat. 30 If your property provides space for power lines, communications towers, or wind turbines, make sure they are bird safe. 31 If you must control mosquitoes, do so safely. 32 Use weed killers and fungicides only as a last resort. 33 Eliminate or minimize the use of lawn and garden insecticides. 34 Control rodents safely. 35 Learn what to do when you find injured or sick birds. 36 Learn what to do when you find a baby bird. 37 Know what to do if a bird gets into your house or garage. 38 Put a cap or screen on your metal chimney. 39 Solve bird problems carefully, responsibly, and proactively. 40 Find safe ways to solve problems with squirrels, raccoons, and other mammalian wildlife. 41 Understand the pros and cons of bird feeding. 42 Take precautions to keep your feeder birds safe from toxins and diseases. 43 To deter hawks, close down your feeding station for a few weeks. 44 Patronize feed stores that support conservation. 45 Participate in citizen science feeder projects. 46 Offer safe and appropriate birdseed. 47 Offer peanut butter and nuts. 48 Offer suet. 49 Offer fruits and jellies. 50 Provide water for drinking and bathing. 51 Supply birds with calcium and other minerals. 52 Attract and feed hummingbirds safely. 53 Attract bluebirds and other insectivorous birds. 54 Help out uncommon backyard birds that need it. 55 Provide nest boxes and platforms, and monitor them responsibly. 56 Make flat roofs nighthawk-friendly. 57 Make masonry chimneys swift-friendly. 58 Provide nesting materials. 59 When buying a car, make gas mileage and low emissions important criteria. 60 Drive at the slowest speed that is safe, courteous, and convenient. 61 Remove dead animals from roadways (if it is safe to do so) and help turtles across the road. 62 Know what to do if you encounter an injured bird on the highway. 63 Be mindful of automobile use when birding. 64 Honor the American Birding Association's ethical code for birders. 65 Report bird sightings to the local birder hotline, state ornithological society, and eBird. 66 Donate your old binoculars and field guides to a local school, nature center, or organization such as Birders' Exchange. 67 Be careful when using recordings and laser pointers in the field. 68 Be responsible when visiting public parks and gardens. 69 Fish responsibly. 70 Encourage bird-friendly golf course management. 71 Be a responsible boater. 72 Hunt and shoot responsibly, and support bird-friendly game management policies. 73 Photograph birds responsibly. 74 Demand more public land so that snowmobile and all-terrain-vehicle riders can coexist peaceably with birders. 75 Practice low-impact hiking. 76 Buy and display a federal Duck Stamp. 77 Support your favorite birding spots. 78 Support state, national, and international Important Bird Areas. 79 Support your state's nongame wildlife program. 80 Support your favorite local, state, national, and international conservation organizations. 81 Support local and regional bird rehabilitation facilities. 82 Support the development of birding trails. 83 Volunteer at conservation organizations and governmental agencies. 84 Volunteer to help youth organizations develop bird study programs. 85 Volunteer to present educational programs at local nursing homes, service clubs, gardening clubs, and other groups. 86 Work to make strong environmental protections part of your party's agenda. 87 Get involved in land-use issues and work for strong protection of natural habitat. 88 Provide the local media with accurate information about local bird issues. 89 Attend and testify at public hearings, or find other ways to provide accurate information about important issues. 90 Support programs that fund habitat acquisitions and other important conservation projects. 91 Work to make conservation ethics a mainstream focus again. 92 Be aware of weather events that affect local birds. 93 Help city parks and local schools provide good bird habitat and observation opportunities for the public. 94 Foster a culture of conservation in urban neighborhoods. 95 Support efforts to help Third World countries raise their standard of living with minimal environmental impact. 96 Be a mentor to new birders. 97 Don't leave home without binoculars. 98 Organize an army of birders who are willing to serve as birding ambassadors. 99 Participate in birding festivals and celebrations of Earth Day, International Migratory Bird Day, and other significant occasions. 100 Pay attention to birds in popular culture. 101 Think about the many ways that birds have enriched your life, and share them with others. 102 Report banded birds. 103 Cap open pipes and vents and support the Teton Raptor Center's Poo-Poo Project 104 Minimize and mitigate the energy and environmental costs of flying 105 Avoid bottled water, especially in individual serving, single-use bottles 106 Avoid single-use plastics of all kinds 110 In Closing