birding

Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day!

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This week, hundreds of millions of birds will leave their winter habitats from as far away as the Amazon rainforest and Andes mountain range on their annual journey to reach their summer breeding grounds across North America and right here in Detroit! Migratory bird species travel along ancestral routes defined by waterways and often travel under the starlight at night. Fluttering along geographic landmarks like the Mississippi River and the shores of the Great Lakes, birds as small as the ruby throated hummingbird head to their summer homes thousands of miles further north. 

Saturday, May 13 is World Migratory Bird Day, which amplifies the critical importance for birds to have access to water throughout their journey.  Waterways serve as sources for food and habitat during migration and year round.  At the Belle Isle Nature Center, birds are celebrated on this day — and every day — through education and conservation practices that promote their right to access food, water and habitat. 

As the month of April came to a close, a time when the frequency of bird migration really picks up in the Detroit area, the Belle Isle Nature Center hosted Michigan Public Radio’s live broadcast event “Bird Nerds Unite.” This event featured a panel of local experts who discussed all things birds: the birds who are migrating through now, those who reside in southeast Michigan all year and tips for noticing birds right near your home.

You can watch or listen to a recording of the presentation here.

Even the youngest among us can appreciate the birds in their neighborhood. Don’t just take our word for it — here’s what Marlin Franklin, Brightmoor community engagement manager with Brilliant Detroit, had this to say about the Belle Isle Nature Center’s after school program, Neighborhood Nature Explorers. 

“Contrary to popular belief, bird watching is not boring! It is amazing fun for kids and adults,” he says. “We celebrated bird day at the Brilliant Detroit Brightmoor site with Micah Blake-Smith from the Belle Isle Nature Center. We learned the proper way to use binoculars. We identified birds that live and forage for food in our neighborhood, and we made feeders for those birds that we hung in the trees. Our little people will grow up to be good stewards of the earth with classes like these.”

If you think that’s something, come experience the excitement that awaits from bird watching during sunset or with the use of audio ID technology at the Belle Isle Nature Center’s free programs.

Nature at Night

A flutter of green, a jolt of red, a fleck of gold – a pheasant ducks through the underbrush in a burst of color. Whether it is the visual rainbow of feathers or a symphony of a bird chorus saluting the setting sun, hikers and bird watchers can find themselves knee deep in renewed prairie while birding on Belle Isle. Our Nature at Night program gives participants an opportunity to discover spaces that burst with life as the sun goes down. Join us for our next free hike from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, May 18. Guests are welcome to bring binoculars or borrow a pair from the Nature Center.

Science Hikes

More of a morning bird than a night owl? There is also a daytime Science Hike planned for 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 21. This “technologically enhanced” bird walk utilizes the Merlin Bird ID app. Participants will be provided with iPads and can use the app to help them identify birds from their song. A recent walk on the Nashua Canal Trail, a 1-mile accessible pathway through the heart of Belle Isle, revealed ruby-crowned kinglets, red headed woodpeckers, white-throated sparrows and one very impressive eagle’s nest.

As spring bird migration winds down in June, the community group Black to the Land Coalition will host their annual birding event at the Belle Isle Nature Center called Blacks, Browns and Birds from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 3. This allows for Black and Brown families to come together in green spaces, connect with the land through bird watching and enjoy other outdoor activities.

For more information about upcoming, free programs and events, visit our website. The Belle Isle Nature Center is open seven days a week, and we are happy to give tips on where to head for your own bird walk. Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 13 or any day of the year by noticing where you find nature in your neighborhood.

This entry was written by a gaggle of geese: Ryan, Luke, Courty, Micah and featuring Marlin Franklin of Brilliant Detroit

Take Your Birding to the Next Level with eBird! 

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Many golden-crowned kinglets use Zoo grounds during migration from the end of March just into May and from the end of September into the beginning of November.

Authored by Matthew Porter, bird care team member for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS).

Happy National Bird Day! To celebrate, let’s talk about how the Detroit Zoo takes part in one of the greatest community science projects on earth, eBird. 

The website ebird.org is home to a giant database of bird observations run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Through this website, there is an abundance of information about birds across the globe.

EBird brings together the community and scientists to understand the ranges and movements of birds around the world. Once involved, we are all scientists at work. This collaborative effort harvests a massive data set that would never be attainable without the efforts of everyone involved. Our efforts compiled together advance avian science and conservation worldwide. Last year, on a single day in October, more than 34,670 people from 185 countries reported 80,000 checklists observing 7,453 bird species!

Over the last couple of years, our staff has invested lots of time to help with this worldwide effort. What we have found is that there is more avian diversity than we previously thought at the Detroit Zoo. Some birds call the Detroit Zoo home year-round. Others come here to breed in the summer, while some come here for a winter home. Many species use the Zoo from March through May and August through November as a very important migratory stopover. This land is a green island in the middle of suburbia and a great, safe stopover refuge. Our buildings have bird-friendly glass, and we continue to plant native plants to provide the appropriate food and ecosystem many species need.

Last year, more than 100 species were reported by Zoo staff and citizen scientists surveying Zoo grounds. You can join in on the fun by signing up for an eBird account at ebird.org. The website has lots of information and tutorials on surveying and best practices. There is also an easy-to-use app that can make surveying more efficient. Once enrolled, you can become part of this worldwide effort to assist with bird conservation.

Here at the DZS, we are always looking for more ways to engage with the community so that people, animals and the natural world can thrive together.

Pictured is a common yellowthroat, a species of warbler that routinely uses Detroit Zoo habitat throughout May as a migratory stopover area.