Field Notes

A woman stands outside looking up at the trees overhead holding binoculars and a phone.
How Do Birds Respond to Extreme Wildfire Haze? Project Phoenix Aims to Find Out 
November 15, 2023 — Harnessing the power of community science can help birds as smoke pollution from blazes becomes more extreme.
group of teenagers with two adults standing on a trail with green mountains in the background
Why Bird Advocates Want to Double Down on Conservation Across the Americas
November 08, 2023 — A bipartisan U.S. bill would ramp up funding for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, an under-the-radar program with a long reach.
Lush greenery along two rivers in a desert landscape.
A Proposed Reset for Public Lands Could Be a Big Boost to Conservation
October 02, 2023 — The agency responsible for one-tenth of the country’s terrain aims to make healthy habitat a more prominent priority.
A huge cactus towers above other cacti and plants in a landscape.
A Bold Bet to Ensure the Future of Desert Birds: Plant Thousands of Cacti
October 02, 2023 — Can saguaro cacti that take root today survive the next century of extreme wildfire and drought? Tucson ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ aims to find out.
These Are the Seabirds Most Vulnerable to Plastic Pollution
October 02, 2023 — As more marine plastic accumulates, the biology of some ocean-going birds puts them at particular risk. Scientists can now pinpoint which species may face the highest exposure.
Image composite of an overpass stretching over a 10-lane highway in a mountainous landscape.
Projects That Help Wildlife Navigate Highways Gain Speed
September 29, 2023 — Simple solutions reduce road hazards to animals, and now more money is flowing to implement them.
A person in hiking boots steps onto a bus in a city. The side of the bus says "Trailhead Direct" and shows a photo of people hiking in a forest.
Why Cities Need Better Public Transit to Public Lands
July 10, 2023 — More transportation agencies and nature advocates want to help people explore the outdoors without a car. But they face challenges.
A woman looks something up on her phone in a forest, while high school students to the right hold up a plant and look through binoculars.
Don’t Have Binoculars To Go Birding? Try Borrowing a Pair From the Library
June 30, 2023 — Libraries across the country are lending gear to patrons, creating a new entry point to birding with no costs attached.
A bird head, wing, feather, and foot silhouetted against a brain scan.
Yes, Birding Does Change Your Brain
March 29, 2023 — Neuroscientists puzzling over how human memory and learning function often turn to birdwatchers to connect the dots.
Three people in white suits and masks collect the body of a large white bird in a nesting area next to water while flocks of other seabirds fly overhead.
The Bird Flu Blazes On, Amping Up Concerns for Wildlife and Human Health
March 01, 2023 — Facing an outbreak that’s unusually deadly for wild birds and spreading to more mammals, scientists worry about when, or if, it will end.