by Pat Leonard and Christianne White, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

What kind of wild animal do you see nearly every day of your life? Birds. They are living right near you, in your neighborhood, leading busy lives, building nests, laying eggs, and raising young. They are independent from us yet also dependent on us because we have such a big impact on the places they live—especially in cities.

Fascinating Pigeons

One of the most common city birds is the pigeon. But don’t think that common means “uninteresting.”

• The Rock Pigeon can fly 50 miles an hour and find its way home from hundreds of miles away.
• In its original home in the Middle East, the Rock Pigeon lived on cliff ledges, which is one of the reasons it likes to perch and nest on our city buildings.
• Ancient Egyptians raised pigeons so they could use droppings for fertilizer.
• Both male and female pigeons create “crop milk” in their throats to feed their babies.
• The male Rock Pigeon will sit on the nest so his mate can find food during the best times of the day.

Humans Have Changed Bird Habits

Once humans started building bigger towns and cities, some bird species found they liked living near us and they changed their habits. Here are some examples:

• Long ago, Brown-headed Cowbirds used to follow herds of buffalo in the west. As cities and towns were built, the cowbirds moved in and thrived. This has had a big impact on other bird species because cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other birds—and a female cowbird can lay more than 50 eggs in one summer! The other birds have to raise the cowbird chick and that makes it hard for native songbirds like Eastern Bluebirds to raise a family. The cowbird chick will grow bigger and faster and eat the food meant for the baby bluebirds.
• When the sun is going down, did you ever notice a tree or a hedge full of little birds going, “cheep, cheep, cheep” in a repetitive, simple little song? They are probably House Sparrows. This sparrow is not native to North America—humans released a few House Sparrows here in 1851 and by 1900 the birds had spread all over North America. Just like the cowbirds, the sparrows compete with native birds for food and nesting places, often pushing out the other birds.
• Sometimes humans do things that help the birds. For example, Barn Swallow populations have increased because they like building their nests on the beams of barns, bridges, garages, and other structures. Before humans put up so many buildings, the swallows used to have to find natural shelves upon which to build their nests, but now there are plenty of great nesting places.

How You Can Help the Birds

You can help the birds in your neighborhood by joining the Celebrate Urban Birds project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (Ornithology is the study of birds.) All you have to do is spend 10 minutes watching the birds in your yard, on your balcony, or in your neighborhood. Then tell the Cornell Lab what you saw. This is how our scientists learn how birds are surviving in cities and how they use gardens and parks and other green spaces to rest and eat.

It’s Free and It’s Fun!

To join the Celebrate Urban Birds project, just visit the website at www.CelebrateUrbanBirds.org. You can request a free kit that comes with 2 color posters to help you identify birds, instructions for the citizen science observation, and everything you need to have fun with the project. There are lots of ideas on the website about activities you can do, lots of information about birds, some great photos, and challenges!

Recommended Reading for Your Family

• On Meadowview Street by Henry Cole
• How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch
• Flute’s Journey: The Life of a Wood Thrush, written and illustrated by Lynne Cherry
• 101 Ways to Help Birds, by Laura Erickson
• Sharing the Wonder of Birds with Kids by Laura Erickson
• Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds by Miyoko Chu
• Birdscapes, A Pop-Up Celebration of Birdsongs in Stereo Sound by Miyoko Chu
• All About Birds
• Celebrate Urban Birds
• Project PigeonWatch

© 2009 Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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