Protect Birds.

Malkolm's photo of a Boreal Chickadee.

Boreal Chickadee (Malkolm B. photo)

Migrating birds have always faced dangers. Humans have added many extra hurdles:

• We’ve destroyed critical bird habitat.
• Our pets kill birds as they rest in our yards.
• Birds smash against our buildings and windows.
• We poison birds with toxics and oil spills.
• Climate change is already affecting birds.

Fortunately, there are success stories amid the gloom. In the 1940s there were only 21 wild Whooping Cranes. Now there are 340. Huge efforts have brought California Condors back from the brink of extinction.

During our ten thousand mile fossil-fuel-free journey we’ll face rain, snow, mosquitoes, headwinds, traffic and endless strip-malls. It will be a piece of cake however, compared to the journeys many migratory birds face:

• An Arctic Tern flies 24,000 miles to the Antarctic and back annually, and doesn’t even call it a “Big Year”.

•A two-month old, one-ounce Semipalmated Sandpiper flies from the Arctic to the east coast, then lifts off for a three-day, non-stop flight to South America.

During our Bird Year, we will travel across a HUGE continent, but we are little people. Our steps towards bird protection may be tiny – but many small steps can make a big difference. Please join us.