Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

10/05/2023

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has joined Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in jointly promoting Bird Friendly® and best management practices for coffee and cocoa farms in Latin America, working directly with producers to protect birds and biodiversity.

Learn more about the Bird Friendly program's new Latin American office at STRI and how this collaborative effort is making it easier for regional coffee and chocolate industries to join the global movement to produce sustainable coffee and chocolate:

The Smithsonian Bird Friendly coffee and cocoa certification program opened its new Latin American office at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, STRI, in Panama, making it easier for regional coffee and chocolate industries to join the global movement to produce sustainable coffee and ch...

10/03/2023

Interested in birds, conservation, and coffee? Join the Bird Friendly team for a screening of the new short film, Café Y Aves tomorrow, October 4 at 7pm Eastern. A Q&A session with Dr. Ruth Bennett and filmmaker Roshan Patel will follow. Register here: s.si.edu/3LHursz

10/03/2023

A new initiative to bring back the gargantuan grazers could have major benefits for grassland species.

10/03/2023

North America's grassland birds are in trouble 50 years after adoption of the Endangered Species Act as habitat loss, land degradation and climate change threaten what remains of a once-vast ecosystem.

10/01/2023

Happy ! Coffee is grown in 13 of the world's 21 biodiversity hotspots. Farms that cultivate native plants with coffee can bring numerous benefits to farmers–as well as wildlife. Watch Café Y Aves to learn more about the coffee and conservation connection: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/cafe-y-aves

10/01/2023

“We are all part of the chain. From the consumer in New York, Tokyo, wherever you want, from that person to the one who produces it, we are united.” – Jorge Julian Santos, Coffee Farmer

Celebrate and watch Café Y Aves to learn how coffee farms can help conserve birds and other wildlife: nationalzoo.si.edu/cafe-y-aves.

09/29/2023

09/29/2023

“Without coffee farmers that have chosen to maintain these trees, there is no habitat for these migratory birds.” – Ruth Bennett, Smithsonian Ecologist.

Celebrate and watch Café Y Aves to learn how coffee farms can help conserve birds and other wildlife: nationalzoo.si.edu/cafe-y-aves

09/29/2023

In rural Colombia—and many parts of the world—coffee is essential to local culture and the livelihood of farmers. To birds and other wildlife, coffee farms are just as critical.

Celebrate and travel with Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center ecologists to the misty forests of Colombia as they collaborate with farmers to conserve biodiversity in this coffee-dominated ecosystem.

To watch the film, visit https://nationalzoo.si.edu/cafe-y-aves.
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En la Colombia rural–y en muchas partes del mundo–el café es esencial para la cultura local y el sustento de los agricultores. Para las aves y otros animales salvajes, las plantaciones de café son igualmente críticas.

Celebra el y viaje con los ecólogos del Smithsonian Centro de Aves Migratorias a los bosques húmedos de Colombia mientras colaboran con los agricultores para conservar la biodiversidad en este ecosistema dominado por el café.

Para ver la película, visite https://nationalzoo.si.edu/cafe-y-aves.

09/28/2023

“In Colombia, coffee is an essential part of our culture. I grew up, as most Colombians, where coffee is present during the morning, afternoon and evening. It is a ritual.” – Esteban Botero-Delgadillo, Smithsonian Researcher

Watch the short film Café Y Aves tomorrow Sept. 29 to see coffee is essential not just to Colombians but also to birds across the Americas.

09/28/2023

On September 15, the Bird Friendly team hosted a “Bird Friendly Coffee Landscapes Partnership” workshop at the Producer and Roaster Forum in Medellin, Colombia.

Thirty workshop attendees— including prospective coffee producers, certification agencies, exporters, and roasters— heard from Melissa Mazurkewicz, Bird Friendly Program Manager for Latin America, and Maria Isabel Moreno, Bird Friendly collaborator from SELVA, about the criteria for Bird Friendly certification and current work underway in Colombia and Peru. Attendees were also treated to an early viewing of the Cafe y Aves film, and participated in a question-and-answer session with the hosts.

Interested in learning more about Bird Friendly? Check out the program at s.si.edu/birdfriendly

09/27/2023

“We are all part of the chain. From the consumer in New York, Tokyo, wherever you want, from that person to the one who produces it, we are united.” – Jorge Julian Santos, Coffee Farmer

Coffee is grown in 13 of the world's 21 biodiversity hotspots. Farms that cultivate native plants with coffee can bring numerous benefits to farmers — as well as local wildlife.

Watch the short film Café Y Aves Sept. 29 to see how farmers and biologists are connected.

09/26/2023

“I would really hope that all of us just take a moment drinking that morning cup of coffee to appreciate the coffee farmers that are growing it, the families that will continue to manage these lands and the birds that sing above the coffee as it’s grown.” – Ruth Bennett, Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Ecologist.

Check out the short film, Café Y Aves Sept. 29 to see how coffee farms can support biodiversity.

09/22/2023

You may spot the Blue-winged Warbler dangling from branches foraging for insects as it sings a distinctive "bee-buzz". A medium to long-distance migrant, this species is currently making its way to its wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America.

09/19/2023

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center Ecologist Dr. Ruth Bennett spoke to the New York Times about the unique conservation needs of female migratory birds. Learn more:

A fuller picture of where birds are can help inform conservation and research efforts. This week, we look at how temperature swings affect birds.

09/13/2023

Have you seen any new migratory birds in your area? Migration is in full swing with 337 million birds predicted to be moving across the U.S. tonight on their way to their winter habitats. Find out how you can support their journeys and at s.si.edu/livebirdfriendly

09/08/2023

The Cape May Warbler spends winter in the Caribbean and Central America, where it uses its specially shaped tongue to sip nectar from tropical flowers. During summer, this migratory species can be found in remote northern spruce-fir forests in North America.

09/06/2023

Since 1970, over 2.5 billion migratory birds have vanished from our skies. 😢 But here's the GOOD NEWS: We have the power to save them! 🦅✨ The 1st step? Figuring out where they go with tracking technology! 🛰️📡 New research by Smithsonian and National Audubon Society researchers gives us a “flight” plan to figure out which birds have been tracked and where we still need to fill in the gaps. 🗺️🔍 Learn more at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110224

09/05/2023

Fall migration is underway and will continue through October! Want to help migrating songbirds? As most songbirds migrate at night, the easiest way you can help protect them during migration is to turn off all unnecessary lights at night. Learn more and find additional tips to support migratory birds at s.si.edu/livebirdfriendly

08/29/2023

Many of the birds people enjoy seeing in their backyards or local natural areas in the spring and summer are the same birds that spend their winters in Latin America. However, since 1970 the number of birds in North America has declined by 3 billion, with most losses being migratory species.

New “shared stewardship” maps display key wintering grounds for migratory species that have a significant summer presence in a particular U.S. state or region, highlighting the need for cross-hemisphere conservation in order to safeguard their threatened habitats across their breeding and wintering ranges.

“It’s critical for the general public to be aware of the choices that they make and how they can actually have a positive impact somewhere else,” said Camila Gómez, Director of education and training at SELVA . Simple actions such as drinking coffee or adding native plants to your yard can help support your favorite species across their range. Check out the shared stewardship maps and learn more:

Many of the birds that spend their summers in the United States are preparing to fly south. Here’s where they’re headed — and why it matters.

08/25/2023

This Emerald-bellied Puffleg was spotted in a cloud forest adjacent to a Bird Friendly® farm in Peru. These glittering hummingbirds provide important pollination services and can be found along the east slope of the Andes in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

08/22/2023

Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's Bridging the Americas/Unidos por las Aves is a cross-cultural environmental education program that partners classes in grades 2 through 4 in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. with classes in Latin America.

Paired classes learn and exchange information about the migratory birds that winter in Latin America and return to the U.S. and Canada each spring to breed.

Since 1993, close to 45,000 students from classrooms in the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela have participated! Learn more about this continent-spanning program at nationalzoo.si.edu/migratory-birds/bridging-americas-unidos-por-las-aves

08/18/2023

The American Redstart contributes to natural pest control on Bird Friendly® coffee farms, eating beetles like the coffee berry borer, caterpillars, and flying insects. It can be spotted foraging within the farms' coffee plants, shade trees, and living fences.

08/15/2023

From farm to cup: Bird Friendly® certified coffee is kept separate from all non-Bird Friendly® coffee along each step of the supply chain, ensuring every bean comes from farms that maintain vital habitat for birds and other wildlife. to start brewing biodiversity today at drinkbirdfriendly.com

08/11/2023

Did you know Belted Kingfishers winter throughout Mexico, Central America and northern Venezuela and Colombia? In summer, these fish-eating birds are found as far north as Alaska and Canada with many year-round populations found where open water is available.

08/08/2023

Y con ustedes, ¡el tercer volumen de la serie de árboles en paisajes cafeteros! Esta vez, la , en . El catálogo incluye 32 especies atractivas para la biodiversidad en zonas cafeteras de los departamentos de Pasco y Junín. Un trabajo liderado por Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center y elaborado por un equipo local de investigadores de .

Descarga el documento en la página del proyecto y en la de SELVA Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotrópico

08/07/2023

There's a new species at the Bird House! Animal keeper Stacy Hill gives us the rundown on the clapper rail.

08/07/2023

Which birds in your yard or local park might have overwintered on a Bird Friendly® coffee farm? Take a guess and discover the many species your coffee can help conserve when you

Learn about the birds that call Bird Friendly farms home — and see how you can directly support the farms they inhabit.

08/01/2023

Watch "Birds die after colliding with buildings ", a video on CBSNews.com. View more videos and watch CBS News, a live news stream featuring original CBS News reporting.

07/28/2023

A medium to long-distance migrant, the Lesser Yellowlegs begins moving south in July, often along the Atlantic Coast. This dainty shorebird can be spotted searching primarily for invertebrates in shallow wetlands, mudflats, and flooded fields during migration.

07/21/2023

The Song Sparrow is found throughout most of North America, with populations varying widely in size and coloration by region. It can be spotted in a variety of open habitats including desert scrub, tidal marshes, forest edges, suburban parks, and more!

07/18/2023

07/17/2023

Happy ! Interested in bringing Bird Friendly® to your facility? Check out the Bird Friendly toolkits for The Association of Zoos and Aquariums–uniquely tailored to meet the needs of zoos and aquariums at different points in their Bird Friendly journey.

Find toolkits designed to help zoos and aquariums support and sell Bird Friendly certified coffee.

07/17/2023

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973–a law that provides a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species like the Kirtland's Warbler, as well as their habitats. Learn more about the collective efforts by Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center scientists, government agencies, and AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to protect the Kirtland’s Warbler and support its continued recovery and survival.

The Kirtland’s warbler received protection under the Endangered Species Act in 1973; however, efforts to safeguard the species and its wintering habitat in Michigan date back to the 1950s. Recognizing the importance of preserving North American songbirds, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA...

07/14/2023

While the Brown Thrasher may be hard to spot within the dense, shrubby areas it calls home, its loud and melodious song is hard to miss! Capable of singing more than 1,100 different song types, its varied repertoire often includes imitations of other birds.

07/11/2023

Tune in this Saturday, July 15th at 10/9c on NatGeoWild to catch scientists from Virginia Working Landscapes & Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center tagging grassland birds with Christian Cooper. Now streaming on DisneyPlus and Hulu.

07/11/2023

Great postdoc opportunities currently available at Smithsonian! Please share widely and contact us at [email protected] if you're interested in submitting a proposal! Proposals are due August 31.

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07/07/2023

Happy ! Eat Bird Friendly® chocolate and help save birds. Smithsonian's Bird Friendly® certified cocoa flies above the rest by ensuring cocoa farms conserve birds and other wildlife by protecting forests and native shade trees. Flock this way: s.si.edu/BFcocoa

12/23/2022

Season's Greetings & Happy Holidays from all your friends at Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center ❄️❄️❄️