Allen's Hummingbird
Credit: USFWS
Allens's Hummingbird

The NWRS Birding Team has identified dozens of ways refuges can work with birders to enhance their visit, contribute to citizen science projects, and promote bird conservation. They have distilled the list and identified 20 priority items — those components that make a refuge "Birder Friendly" and in turn make birders "Refuge Friendly." The entire list can be viewed here:

Refuges around the country have been implementing different components in recent months. Below are some examples of products and publications they have developed.

We know that an up-to-date bird checklist is extremely important to birders and should always be available at visitor centers, entrance kiosks, and/or on Web sites for our refuges. Here are some easy-to-visualize and user-friendly sample bar graphs that have been developed as pilot projects for half a dozen refuges:

If you train volunteers or others to lead bird walks, check out the guidance from the Klamath Observatory. (1.4 MB PDF)
Do you have an example of a birder-friendly refuge component you would like to share? Please send it to Mike Carlo.


Several refuges and Friends groups have great examples of birding information on their Web sites:

http://www.fws.gov/stillwater/wildobs.html
http://www.fws.gov/wheeler/observation/observation.htm
http://www.fws.gov/quivira/Current%20Birds.htm
http://www.fws.gov/lostwood/lnwr.htm
http://www.fws.gov/oregoncoast/images/maps/ORCoast_wildlifeviewing.pdf
http://www.friendsofbombayhook.org/birding.html


Helpful Web Links:

Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology – education, research and conservation programs
Bird IQ – information and educational materials from NFWF and Conoco Phillips
The Bird Education Network – bringing together educators to develop a national strategy for bird education
Teach Visitors How to Use Binoculars
Web sites of Interest to Migratory Bird Educators (215 KB PDF)
A Bird Finding Guide to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Texas (412 KB PDF)