Press Contact Information

Andrew Maas
Associate Director of Communications
Phone: 646.571.0790

About NYC Audubon

Wild birds representing more than 350 species—almost a third of all the species in North America—live in or pass through New York City each year. They flock by the millions to Jamaica Bay, Central Park, the islands of New York Harbor, and countless other pockets of greenery that dot our landscape. NYC Audubon was founded over 40 years ago to protect these birds and the fragile natural areas on which they depend. 

Led by its own independent board of directors and staff, NYC Audubon is an independent nonprofit organization that affiliates with the National Audubon Society as an urban chapter. We work to promote the conservation, understanding, and enjoyment of wild birds and their habitats in the City through:

  • Conservation and research programs
  • Advocacy campaigns 
  • Educational programs

Conservation

Over 100 of the 350 bird species that depend on New York City are of conservation concern. NYC Audubon’s conservation programs research the dangers facing the birds that live in and migrate through New York City, engage our dedicated grassroots network of community scientists and volunteers, and provide innovative solutions that help birds. Our pioneering Project Safe Flight program helps migratory birds safely navigate the cityscape by conducting research on bird-window collisions and the role of artificial night-time light and participate in collaborative research on green roof habitat as coordinator of the Green Roof Researchers Alliance. We study local waterbird populations via our Harbor Herons survey, beach-nesting bird monitoring, migratory shorebird banding research, and horseshoe crab monitoring—and use our scientific data to fight for their protection.

Advocacy

Since its founding, NYC Audubon has engaged in advocacy work in all five boroughs concerning bird conservation issues in New York City. Through the years, we have often achieved victory through collaboration with partner organizations. Our successes include the “Buffer the Bay” program to preserve priority lands around Jamaica Bay as well as the conservation of the grasslands of Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field, the Harbor Heron islands, Goethal’s Bridge Pond on Staten Island, and Ridgewood Reservoir on the Brooklyn-Queens border. Most recently NYC Audubon embarked on a Bird-Friendly Building campaign to pass Int. 1482, the bird friendly materials bill, in the New York City Council. Thanks to the collaborative work of our partners and advocacy volunteers through postcard writing, social media, testifying at hearings, and other direct action, this amendment to the building code passed and is set to become Local Law 15 in January 2021. 

Engagement

We believe the best way to create the next generation of conservationists is to instill a love of birding in them. To do that, we conduct over 200 education programs a year. We lead diverse and interesting field trips and bird walks nearly every weekend and on weekdays, both at local birding hotspots and destinations including Cape May, NJ, and Maine. We offer an exciting array of speakers as part of our lecture series, as well as a variety of popular programs including our Governors Island Seasonal Nature Center, Feathered Friends After School Birding Club initiative led by Chris Cooper, and seasonal bird counts and surveys. New York City Audubon offers seasonal classes from birding basics to advanced classes to hone ID skills for sparrows, raptors, warblers, and more.

 

NYC Audubon in the News

-       SCIENCELINE, July 7, 2022

“Why Are So Many Birds Dying in New York City?”
-       BRUT MEDIA, JUNE 3, 2022

-       ASSOCIATED PRESS, MAY 31, 2022
-       OUR TOWN, MAY 27, 2022

“Bright Lights, Big Pity”
-       DW, APRIL 20, 2022
-       AIA NEW YORK, MARCH 14, 2022
-       TIME OUT NY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022
-       BLOOMBERG, JANUARY 4, 2022
-       THE NEW YORK TIMES, OCTOBER 28, 2021
-       WIRED, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021
-       GIZMODO, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
-       GOTHAMIST, SEPTEMBER 11, 2021
-       BIRDNOTE, JUNE 16, 2021

"Helping Birds See Windows"
-       BIRDNOTE, JUNE 11, 2021
-       CURBED, MAY 28, 2021
-       CBS NEW YORK, MAY 27, 2021
-       CBS NEW YORK, MAY 13, 2021
-       THE BRIAN LEHRER SHOW, FEBRUARY 1, 2021
-       POPULAR SCIENCE, OCTOBER 15, 2020

-       NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, OCTOBER 8, 2020
 
-       AUDUBON, SEPTEMBER 14, 2020

-       SIERRA, SEPTEMBER 11, 2020
 
-       NOVA PBS, SEPTEMBER 4, 2020
 
-       BUSINESS INSIDER, JULY 17, 2020
 
-       SLATE, APRIL 7, 2020

-       BIRDNOTE, FEBRUARY 19, 2020
 
-       AUDUBON, FEBRUARY 6, 2020
 
-       ABC NEWS, DECEMBER 8, 2019
  
-       NEW YORK TIMES, OCTOBER 27, 2019
 
-       NY1, SEPTEMBER 11, 2019
 
-       SOUTHERN LIVING, MAY 21, 2019