Did you know that birds are one of nature’s gardeners? They spread seeds and pollinate plants wherever they go. On top of this, their great variety, different colours and melodic songs can improve our happiness and health.
However, birds face many dangers every day, which are often caused by our actions. For example, to produce lots of crops as quickly as possible, farmers often rely on spraying crops with chemicals and pesticides that are harmful not only to insects, but also to the birds that feed on these insects. Modern buildings often remove the nesting places found in older buildings, while their large glass windows can also cause bird collisions. One of the biggest threats to birds are pets, because cats and dogs can attack birds and can scare them away from their nests.
As a result, around 12 percent of bird species worldwide face extinction, which means that they are at risk of disappearing forever. This may sound a little scary—and we need to act fast to save as many species as possible— but there is something everyone can do to help protect our winged friends: become an everyday bird conservationist.
Whilst some actions to protect birds require lots of special training, there are many activities we can all easily do to help them. Depending on what you enjoy doing, there is an everyday bird conservationist role for you, such as an ambassador, a detective or a hotelier. Let us introduce you to these roles.
How can you become a bird ambassador?
A bird ambassador is someone who actively encourages bird conservation. Their main goal is to raise awareness about birds and the threats they face. Are you a sociable person who enjoys talking to others? If so, then becoming a bird ambassador could be a great way for you to help!
Talking to your family, friends and classmates about why birds are important and how we can protect them is a great starting point. You could discover interesting bird facts and share what you have learned with your friends, your school or online. You could even send this article to others! You never know, you might inspire them to become a conservationist too!
You can become an even more active ambassador by supporting an environmental organisation that helps birds. These organisations aim to educate people about the importance of birds for the environment, and they often run events and awareness campaigns for both children and adults. With lots of support, these organisations can influence important government decisions that affect birds.
Go online and find out how you can get involved. A great organisation helping birds is BirdLife International, which has lots of information about them and provides advice on ways to help support conservation locally.
How can you become a bird detective?
A bird detective is someone who is especially curious about birds. A detective’s tasks include watching and recording different bird species and their behaviours, such as feeding, mating, and nesting. Becoming a bird detective helps you learn a lot about nature while also contributing to avian conservation. If you like being outside and watching birds, this could be the right conservation role for you!
As a bird detective, you will need to learn the behaviours, markings, and sounds of various species so that you can accurately identify them. Binoculars or a spotting scope are useful tools for this. Scientists can then compare your discoveries to the findings of others from previous years, which will help them to identify changes in bird populations. If bird populations are being threatened or birds are seen in new locations, conservation actions can then be put in place to help protect them.
To be a bird detective, simply head outdoors to your nearest park, woodland or field, and count the different types of birds you see. Keep a record and report your findings to a local environmental organisation. They will also be able to provide more advice on how best to record what you see.
How can you become a bird hotelier?
A bird hotelier is someone who provides birds with food and nesting opportunities. Would you like to welcome birds to your home, watch them up-close and play an important part in their conservation? In that case, the role of bird hotelier might be perfect for you!
The best way to help birds at home is to have a diverse garden with lots of different native trees, flowers and weeds. Of course, this is not always possible, but there are still lots of things a bird hotelier can do. Hanging up bird feeders can help them find enough food, especially in winter, when other food sources are scarce.
Importantly, like us humans, different bird species like different types of food, so make sure you provide insects or seeds that the birds native to your area like to eat. In summer, you can put out a bird bath, which helps birds to keep cool in hot weather and gives them an important source of drinking water.
Being a hotelier also means giving birds a place to nest. Choose a nest box that is suitable for your local bird species and install it out of reach of predators, soon you will have your first guests to stay!
There are many ways you can join the mission to protect birds. You can raise awareness of the importance of birds, study birds outside and create bird-friendly spaces. Whether you become a bird ambassador, detective, hotelier, or anything else, your actions can help support the conservation of birds. Now that you have discovered several ways to help, which role will you choose?
This Day in the Life story is based on a research project of the biology didactics lab at Osnabrück University, Germany. The aim of this study was to identify the best and most effective bird conservation behaviours. You can find the full article under the following citation: Büscher, M., Lange, F., Bröckel, M., Höfer, S., Stemberg, E., Folsche, E. Eylering, A., & Fiebelkorn, F. (submitted). Quantifying behavioural impact and plasticity to prioritise bird conservation efforts.
