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Photo © Keith Williams

July 2014 News


All About Birdhouses

Maybe you have always wanted to put up a birdhouse but weren’t sure which species you could attract in your area. Or perhaps you have several already and are looking to branch out and help more birds in need. Either way, we have a new tool for you to help you become the ultimate nest box landlord. Our new All About Birdhouses is your go-to source for updated, expanded, and beautifully designed information about birdhouses (also called “nest boxes”).

Use the Right Bird, Right House nest box selector to find out which birds you can target in your region and habitat. With 54 birds featured, from deserts to mountaintops, you are sure to find a bird that is looking for a home in your neighborhood. Discover species that you may not know, or find a plan for a home to attract your favorite raptor, songbird, or waterfowl. It’s easy, and we even show you which species are declining in your area. Think outside the box, too, and consider adding a nesting shelf, basket, or platform to your existing nest boxes. Download one or several free plans, and get information about how to successfully attract the species of interest.

Whether you plan to build your own or buy, don’t miss our Features of a Good Birdhouse infographic. This new graphic makes it easier to see the most important features of a safe nest box, and also introduces new advances in the state of the art. All this and more can be found in the new All About Birdhouses section, where you can find what you need to welcome more birds to your yard, no matter where you live.


Photo Contest Still Open

The Home Tweet Home Photo Contest is on! Enter your photos by July 31 for a chance to win prizes from the Cornell Lab and NestWatch. You can submit up to four photos of your choice.

If you’re not a photographer, you can still head over and vote for those photos that you think are deserving. Vote for your favorites, share with friends, and help decide the winners for each of four categories: Beautiful Eggs, Best Nest, Cutest Baby, and Feeding Time.

Winners will be announced in the August eNewsletter. Good luck to all entrants in the Home Tweet Home contest! See official rules for details.


New Citizen Science Blog Takes Flight

The citizen science program at the Cornell Lab invites you to be the first to preview a new kind of blog. Our new Citizen Science Blog is a blog inspired by the contributions and passions of citizen scientists—like you!

In its inaugural month, Citizen Science Blog will start with a look at everyone’s favorite winged jewels, hummingbirds! Can you match the speed of a hummingbird’s wings with your fingers? Find out in the interactive game, Beat the Beats. Plus, see how much liquid you’d have to consume to eat like a hummingbird. Check in often as new posts are added weekly.


Find What You Need

NestWatchers told us that you need an easier way to get back to nesting attempts that you are working on, and we heard you!

The Your Data page has been modified to now display a list of all of your in-progress attempts to the right of your map. You can more easily find what you were working on last time, and ongoing attempts can be sorted by group.

You can resume editing a nest in-progress with one click, and see which, if any, of your nests from last year need completing. Try it out, and let us know what you think. Thanks for NestWatching!

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology