We don’t consider ourselves dedicated birders. Elaine can identify a purple gallinule from her visits to the Everglades during her time in Miami. Alan, on the other hand, can distinguish between a red-tailed hawk and a sharp-shinned hawk, thanks to his childhood trips to the southern shore of Lake Ontario to witness the migration of raptors. However, these abilities alone don’t classify us as birders.
Instead, we consider ourselves bird and science enthusiasts. In May, we initiated a project inviting readers of The Times from all around the world to share their bird observations. While The Times has a history of engaging its readers, it was the first time we embarked on a participatory citizen science endeavor.
We had been searching for the perfect moment to start such a project for years. Scientists are eager to involve the public, and every reader’s observations contribute to expanding knowledge in various research areas. Our goal was to create an activity that allows readers to witness the impact of climate change in their own neighborhoods, and to make these contributions part of a collective effort that connects people, albeit virtually.
Birds seemed like the ideal subject for this engagement. They can be found almost everywhere, acting as dinosaurs with feathers. They play important roles as pollinators, pest controllers, and seed carriers. Birds connect distant ecosystems, as well as the birders who observe them. Sadly, many bird species face threats from climate change, pollution, and habitat loss.
Although birds have been extensively studied, there is still much to learn about them. We believed that Times readers could make a significant contribution by observing birds and sharing their findings. The collection of bird data typically slows down during the summer after the spring migration. Therefore, a summer birding project seemed like a fun way to introduce newcomers to the joys of birding and connect them with experienced birders in a community.
With the assistance of scientists from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, we will soon begin sending out weekly prompts and activities to engage readers in bird identification, such as recognizing birds by their calls, and guide them on collecting bird data throughout the summer. Feel free to sign up for this project.
The bird data gathered by readers will be incorporated into Cornell’s open-access database. In return, The Times will provide readers with updates on scientific insights, organize free events, including discussions with renowned authors like Amy Tan and Christian Cooper about the pleasures and benefits of birding, and report on bird-related news stories.
Before commencing this project, we were aware of the passionate birding communities that already existed. Our news assistant, Camille Baker, who recently wrote an article on the increased presence of black vultures in New York City, is a devoted birder who frequently joins outings with like-minded individuals. The numerous established and emerging organizations dedicated to birding and conservation gave us hope that this project would resonate with many.
So far, the response from readers regarding our Summer of Birds project has been enthusiastic. Various departments within The Times, including Climate, Metro, and The New York Times for Kids, have shown interest and support. One of the most delightful aspects of this initiative for us has been discovering how many of our Times colleagues share a passion for birds. It turns out there is a very active #birding channel on our company’s Slack platform, where employees from across The Times enthusiastically share their bird sightings.
A few weeks ago, Matt Kaiser from The Times’ brand team celebrated a personal victory in the Slack channel: “After 19 unsuccessful attempts, in four states over three years, I finally got a good look at my arch nemesis, the hooded warbler!” Others have shared photos of birds they’ve been fortunate enough to encounter, such as pelicans, wrens, herons, barred owls, white-faced ibises, northern shovelers, Townsend’s solitaires, and even Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl that escaped from the Central Park Zoo and could be spotted (with great effort) within the park.
The birding channel on Slack is like an in-house bird feeder, where everyone congregates to share pictures, stories of sightings, and simply enjoy each other’s company. Birds have that effect, and we want to share that feeling with our readers as well.
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