Bird-Friendly Communities

Transforming our communities into places where birds flourish.

Chipping Sparrow Photo: Khasia Hartwell

Birds connect us to the natural world and make our communities more beautiful, and healthful places to live. Communities ranging from urban centers to rural towns can provide important habitat for native birds. 

It's time that we give back to create communities that are more inclusive for birds and people too. 

American Goldfinch on a Purple Coneflower. Photo: Will Stuart

Plants for Birds

Growing bird-friendly plants will attract and protect the birds you love while making your space beautiful, easy to care for, and better for the environment.

Native plants, or those that are uniquely adapted to your local environment, provide many more benefits to your neighborhood birds than non-native plants, and can help birds survive against threats like habitat loss and climate change.

Explore all of our native plant resources by clicking here.

Bird-Friendly Buildings

Man-made structures and artifical lighting are some of the top threats to bird survival. When bright lights shine in cities at night, migrating birds can be distracted and thrown off their migratory route.

During the day, light shining off of reflective surfaces like glass can create confusion too, and the problem is that most birds don’t perceive glass as an obstacle. Instead they see the things they know and need, such as habitat and open sky, reflected in the glazed surface or on the other side of one or more panes of glass. Research tells us that up to 1 billion birds may be killed every year in the U.S. due to window collisions.

Click here to read more about Audubon's Bird-Friendly Buildings program and find how you can help. 

Explore Audubon Resources

Why Native Plants Are Better for Birds and People
Birds

Why Native Plants Are Better for Birds and People

Bird-friendly landscaping provides food, saves water, and fights climate change.

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Bird-Friendly Buildings
Bird-Friendly Communities

Bird-Friendly Buildings

Making Our Built Environment Safer for Birds

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Yards With Non-Native Plants Create ‘Food Deserts’ for Bugs and Birds
Plants For Birds

Yards With Non-Native Plants Create ‘Food Deserts’ for Bugs and Birds

Research finds that Carolina Chickadees require a landscape with 70 percent native plants to keep their population steady.

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Reducing Collisions with Glass
Bird-Friendly Communities

Reducing collisions with glass

"Between 365 million to one billion birds are killed annually by building collisions in the U.S."

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How to Feed Birds Safely this Winter
Bird-Friendly Communities

How to Feed Birds Safely this Winter

Follow these tips to ensure that you’re creating a healthy environment for wildlife visitors you attract to your yard.

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Lights Out Program
Bird-Friendly Communities

Lights Out Program

Providing Safe Passage for Nocturnal Migrants

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Explore birds in your community!

How you can help, right now