Organizations

 

Canada Bird Observatory
At the Canada Bird Observatory website you can share your sightings with bird watchers all across Canada; be notified of your favorites species sightings; compile the statistics of your sightings; discover a lots of information about ornithology; and more.
www.birdsobservatory.com

 

Ontario Field Ornithologists

Dedicated to the study of bird life in Ontario. See photos of recent sightings, find out about field trips, view the official provincial checklist, become a member, and much more. Dave Euler says the site "contains lots of information about birds in Ontario.  The yearly winter finch forecast, for example, might be of interest to people in this area."

http://www.ofo.ca/

 

National Audubon Society

Mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity. Site provides information and recent news about birds and environmental issues.

http://www.audubon.org/

 

Boreal Songbird Network

The Boreal Songbird Network is a network of conservation and birding groups interested in raising awareness in the U.S. and Canada about the importance of the Boreal Forest to North American migratory birds. This network works to educate and activate about the Boreal Forest. Keeping the Boreal Forest message alive in the U.S. and making our voices heard in Canada will have global environmental implications.

http://www.borealbirds.org/

 

American Birding Association

Provides leadership to birders by increasing their knowledge, skills, and enjoyment of birding, catering especially to recreational birders. It also provides listings of rare bird sightings (at http://birding.aba.org/maillist/MI02) based on email reports from its members.

http://www.americanbirding.org/index.html

 

Whitefish Point Bird Observatory

“Whitefish Point is a phenomenal concentration spot for migrating raptors, waterbirds, and song birds. The surrounding land and water features create a natural corridor, funneling thousands of birds directly to the Point each spring and fall as they travel thorough the Great Lakes region. This makes for spectacular bird-watching and provides tremendous opportunities to study and monitor bird populations.”

http://www.wpbo.org/

 

Michigan Loon Preservation Association

Mission is to conserve and enhance the Common Loon Population through research, habitat protection and restoration, species protection, and public awareness and involvement.

http://www.michiganloons.org/

 

HawkWatch International

HWI's research program focuses on the development and maintenance of a long-term, large-scale database of raptor population numbers and trends. HWI also conducts education programs using live raptors to stress the essential importance of nature's complex inter-relationships, the value of raptors as environmental barometers, and to promote environmental awareness and responsibility.

http://www.hawkwatch.org/home/

 

Birding: General

 

Birding on the Net

Links to worldwide birding sites, birding e-mail lists, rare bird alerts, other information.

http://birdingonthe.net/

 

Birdwatching Dot Com

Provides birding tips, books, and products.

http://www.birdwatching.com/

 

Birding.com

Online resource for “all your bird watching needs.” Information on everything from great birding hotspots and birding travel to backyard birding, bird identification, choosing binoculars, and bird species information.

http://www.birding.com/

 

Birdingpal

Birdingpal is a well known website for traveling birdwatchers with several thousand local birdwatching contacts around the world. They also list many selected professional birdwatching guides around the world and they can design group tours to specifically meet the requirements of the group. See http://www.birdingpal.org/tours/ or http://www.birdingpal.org/guides.htm for information about tours and guides.

http://www.birdingpal.org/

 

Birder Home Page

A source of information, books, and other products for birders.

http://www.birder.com/

 

Bird Watcher’s Digest

Subscribe to the digest or learn more about their selection of bird-watching books, field guides, booklets, and newsletters.

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/index.aspx

 

WeLoveBirds.org
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to create this site as a place for bird-lovers to share stories and information about birds and to help protect birds from activities that harm them and their habitat. Recently the organization has set aside a new area of this website, Dispatches from the Gulf, to collate current information about the ongoing effort to measure the BP oil leak’s impact on birds and habitat.
http://www.welovebirds.org/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

 

Wild Birds.com

“Birding around your yard and around the world.”

http://www.wildbirds.com/

 

Wild Birds Unlimited

Bird feeding and birding supplies.

http://www.wbu.com/2008/

 

Websites about Specific Birds

 

Chimney Swifts etc.

John Ralston sends out e-mails about chimney swifts and lets people know when they are here and something about the flights into the court house. Contact him at:

john.ralston@sympatico.ca

 

Common Loon Movements and Migrations
This U.S. Geological Survey site provides satellite-based information about loon movements on their breeding territories and migration flights.
www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/migratory_birds/loons/migrations.html  

Journey North American Robin
This web site invites people to log in their first sighting of robins in the spring. It also produces maps that show the 'wave' of robins as they fly north, and a map of the locations where the first songs of spring were heard. Includes a map-reading tutorial for making sense of migration maps, and links to resources about the American Robin.
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/robin/

Salem-News.com/Red Knots
Follows the migratory paths of the record-breaking nonstop flights of the red knot.
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/september252010/red-knots-flight.php

 

Bird Reporting Sites

 

eBird

A real-time, online checklist program, eBird has revolutionized the way that the birding community reports and accesses information about birds. Launched in 2002 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, eBird provides rich data sources for basic information on bird abundance and distribution at a variety of spatial and temporal scales.

http://ebird.org/content/ebird

 

North American Rare Bird Alert (NARBA)

The place to report rare bird sightings and learn about other sightings (subscription required).

http://www.narba.org/

 

Rare Bird Alerts

Compiled by the Michigan Audubon Society

http://www.michiganaudubon.org/research/report_observations/index.html

 

Mich-chat

Mich-chat is a list for discussion of Michigan birds that are not rarities. You can subscribe to the list at the address below, and post a message to the list members by sending an email to mich-chat@envirolink.org.

http://lists.envirolink.org/mailman/listinfo/mich-chat 

 

Hummingbird Migration Map

Submit your hummingbird sightings by entering the species you spot, the local area and the date. Also, see which species of hummingbirds have been recorded in your area so you know what to look for in your garden any time of year.

http://www.birdfeeders.com/advice/bird-watching/hummingbird-migration

 

Birding Blogs

 

eBird Michigan

The Unofficial Michigan eBird Portal. Blog promoting eBirding in the Great Lakes State.

http://ebirdmichigan.blogspot.com/

 

AvianTendencies

Caleb Putnam's blog: bird observations with field notes, photos. Caleb spoke at our April 15, 2010 meeting and is the Important Bird Areas (IBA) coordinator for the Michigan Audubon Society.

http://aviantendencies.blogspot.com/

 

Birding in Sault Ste. Marie

David Bell's Blog. See also David's Photos below.

http://ssmbirding.blogspot.com

 

Larusology

Kirk Zufelt's blog, which deals with the taxonomy of gulls (Larus spp.) and includes some great photos.

http://larusology.blogspot.com/

 

Soo Area Birding

 Michigan blog kept by Jason, a student at LSSU.

http://soobirding.webs.com is a

 

Regional Birding

 

Birding in Canada

Links to many birding web sites and information sources about birds.

http://www.web-nat.com/bic/

 

Birding.com: Ontario Bird Watching

Describes top birding locations in Ontario. Gives information about Ontario bird clubs and birding organizations, a checklist of Ontario birds, rare bird alert phone numbers, special maps of Ontario, and links to Ontario birding web sites

http://www.birding.com/wheretobird/ontario.asp

 

Ontario Birding

“One of the most comprehensive birding pages on the net.” Recent bird sightings (including Algoma East area), birding news, photos, links, etc.

http://www.web-nat.com/bic/ont/

 

David's Photos

David Bell's new website with information on the bird guiding service he is offering. There are local outings and out-of-town outings geared to beginner as well as advanced birders.

http://ontariobirds.webs.com/guiding.htm

The rest of the website (which is under construction) includes, among other things, stunning photographs of birds in the Soo area as well as from David’s travels.

http://ontariobirds.webs.com/ 

You can see David's blog at http://ssmbirding.blogspot.com.

 

Ontario Nocturnal Owl Survey

Bird Studies Canada is monitoring owl populations in Ontario to determine whether owls are being affected by logging practices. Anyone can participate in the survey - whether a beginner, novice, or expert birder. If you would like to become an Ontario Nocturnal Owl Surveyor contact Jody Allair at (888) 448-2473 or raptor@bsc-eoc.org.

http://www.birdscanada.org/volunteer/onowls/

 

Audubon: Search Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

For each IBA in Michigan or another state the site provides an information page giving the site description, its ownership, its ornithological significance, species data and criteria, a habitat breakdown, and a list of conservation issues. Recommended by Caleb Putnam of the Audubon Society (see his blog at http://aviantendencies.blogspot.com/). 

 http://iba.audubon.org/iba/siteSearch.do

 

Michigan Audubon Virtual Field Guide

Michigan Audubon's virtual field guide is intended to help you identify and learn more about birds that can be seen in Michigan. It also links to descriptions of birds from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "All About Birds" page.

http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/584965/64610e5a2f/286851355/39aa01d31b/

 

Birding.com: Michigan Bird Watching

Describes top birding locations in Michigan. Gives information about Michigan birding clubs and organizations, top birding locations in Michigan, a checklist of Michigan birds, rare bird alert phone numbers, special maps of Michigan, and links to Michigan birding web sites.

http://www.birding.com/wheretobird/michigan.asp

 

Michigan Birding Home Page

Links for birding organizations, e-mail groups, sites, publications, checklists, and birding humor.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Eauntyem/michigan.html

 

Wings Over Michigan

A birding and nature resource page for Michigan residents

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Cottage/8090/

 

Northern Michigan Birding

Includes message boards, sightings, and discussion groups on a variety of topics.

http://www.northbirding.com/

 

Beaver Island Birding Trail

The website for the Beaver Island Birding Trail provides information about birds and birding-related events on the island.

http://www.beaverislandbirdingtrail.org

 

Birding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Information about birding hotspots, special birds in the U.P.

http://www.angelfire.com/mi/upbirding/

 

UPBirders.org

Bird counts, checklist of UP birds, field trips, photo gallery, etc. Includes a "Birdnet" to facilitate email communication among all people interested in birding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

http://upbirders.org/

UPBirders also has a listserv of birds in Upper Michigan with frequent posts about birds in the U.P., available from birdnet@upbirders.org,  Go to http://upbirders.org/maillist.html to see how it works.

 

Bowman’s Bird Stuff

Birding checklists, photos, birding locations, maps, migration statistics for Southeast Michigan.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/%7Ebbowman/birds/

 

Bird Studies, Resources

 

Birds of North America

An online project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that covers the life histories of North American birds. “The definitive reference to the continent's bird life.”

http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna

 

Wild Bird Species Library

Learn about the identification, feeding habits, and other traits of all different kinds of wild bird species. http://www.birdfeeders.com/advice/bird-library/wild-bird

 

All About Birds

From basic birding tips to reports of the latest ornithological research. Includes birding news and events and useful resources such as the world’s largest archive of animal sounds and video.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/

 

Bird Studies Canada

Committed to advancing the understanding, appreciation and conservation of Canada's wild birds and their habitats. Coordinates many of the volunteer wildlife research activities in Ontario, including the Baillie Birdathon, Nocturnal Owl Survey, Marsh Monitoring and the Breeding Bird Survey. Site includes information about Long Point Bird Observatory.

http://www.bsc-eoc.org/

 

Campstream.net

This site has a useful page on building assorted bird houses out of waste or unused materials.

http://campstream.net/blog/making-bird-houses-unused-material-home/

 

North American Bird Sounds

Not just bird calls or bird songs, but all the sounds birds make, such as wing sounds and bill rattles.

http://www.naturesongs.com/birds.html

 

Electronic Resources on Ornithology

Links to ornithology sites, bird publications.

http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/bird.html

 

Familiar Birds

A web browser-based electronic book collection of Life Histories of North American Birds, selected from species biographies by Arthur Cleveland Bent and published in a twenty-one volume series (1919-1968) by the U.S Government Printing Office. Provides behavioral information not available in the standard field guides.

http://birdsbybent.com/

 

Journey North

Global study of wildlife migration and seasonal change. Find out all there is to know about migratory species. Primarily meant as a learning site but should be of interest for all birders.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/

 

Division of Birds: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

A collection of resources for people who conduct research on or need information about birds.

http://www.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/birds/

 

Thayer Birding Software

“Computer Software for folks who love birds.” Free bird checklists for every state and province at <http://www.thayerbirding.com/gbna/checklists_menu.htm>

http://www.thayerbirding.com/

 

Camera Traps

This website offers tips about how to place a camera trap to automatically take pictures of animals that break a photoelectric beam. You can see pictures of wildlife taken with camera traps by Googling 'wildlife camera traps'.

http://www.ehow.com/list_7273675_trail-camera-placement-tips.html