Winston Qin is a gifted photographer, an aspiring engineer, a lifelong bird enthusiast, a Project Safe Flight volunteer… and a high school senior. Meet this exceptional teenager devoted to protecting our City’s wild birds. 

The holiday season is here and the NYC Audubon staff has put together our best and birdiest list of gift recommendations! We have 15 amazing recommendations that are sure to win over the cheery cardinals, weird ducks, and even the grumpy grackles of your life. Happy holidays and happy birding! 

Olivia Liang | November 10, 2023

"We understand that the New York we’re in today is not the New York we all grew up in. What is our responsibility?"

A Q&A with NYC Audubon’s new Director of Advocacy and Engagement, Saman Mahmood. 

Publications Committee Member Hillarie O'Toole recaps a festive and sustainable night for the City's birds and habitats at the 2023 Fall Roost benefit, which moved across the river to Brooklyn to honor 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge for its commitment to sustainability and bird-friendly design, and Jeff Kimball for his immense contributions to NYC Audubon. 

It is with sadness NYC Audubon reports the passing of Betty Hamilton on September 14, 2023, at the age of 99. Betty was a friend, colleague, and active leader with NYC Audubon from the very beginning. We are pleased to share these remembrances of Betty from NYC Audubon’s past organizational leaders. 

Olivia Liang | October 6, 2023
A fascinating new art exhibit imagines how climate change, habitat loss, and human impact would affect the birds of the future. 

Katherine Chen | October 5, 2023
For over 20 years, NYC Audubon scientists have monitored the 9/11 Tribute in Light. This year was particularly hazardous for birds.

Don Riepe | September 19, 2023:
Thrushes are perhaps the most beautiful songsters of the northeast woods, and the song of the Wood Thrush is memorable and haunting for both birders and poets. Learn more about the Wood Thrush's ethereal, flute-like song, and more about this bird in our latest species profile.  

Suzanne Charlé | September 19, 2023:
Whether you're a newbie or veteran birder, Heather Wolf's Find More Birds: 111 Surprising Ways to Spot Birds Wherever You Are offers a whole world of clues, tips, and tricks. 

Carol Peace Robins | September 19, 2023: 
Brooklyn Arcadia: Art, History, and Nature at Majestic Green-Wood by Andrew Garn is not just a bird book, but a celebration of a National Historic Landmark.

Suzanne Charlé | September 19, 2023
In late 2021, NYC Audubon and the Lights Out Coalition celebrated the passage of Lights Out bills Int. 274 and 271, requiring City-owned and -managed buildings to turn off non-essential outdoor lights at night during peak avian migration periods. NYC Audubon and its partners are encouraging the New York City Council to consider expanding the “Lights Out” program to privately owned commercial and industrial buildings, as well as other buildings such as U.S. post offices, labs, and outpatient clinics.

For nearly 15 years, NYC Audubon has been organizing a special opportunity for community scientists of all ages and backgrounds to come out to the beaches of Jamaica Bay in May and June during 12 nights around the full and new moon. The purpose? To monitor and tag Atlantic Horseshoe Crabs. During these special nights, thousands of horseshoe crabs come ashore along Plumb Beach and Big Egg Marsh in Jamaica Bay to spawn. See highlights from this season in our latest blog post.

Carol Peace Robins | June 1, 2023: 
NYC Audubon Vice President Christian Cooper shares his passion for birds and chronicles his many adventures in the upcoming book Better Living Through Birding and National Geographic show Extraordinary Birder, both set to debut in June 2023. 

Karen Benfield, NYC Audubon Board President | June 1, 2023: 
NYC Audubon Board President Karen Benfield explains why the organization's board of directors voted in March 2023 to change the organization's name. Hear from Karen about what the organization learned after its eight-month-long assessment of the Audubon name and why a change needed to be made to better serve its mission and work. The article concludes with over a dozen members of the community sharing their feedback about the organization's decision, both in favor and against it. 

Don Riepe | June 1, 2023: 
Barn Swallows are one of New York City’s most ubiquitous summer birds, delighting onlookers with their acrobatic aerial displays. Learn all about these interesting birds in our latest species profile by Don Riepe. 

Jessica G. Wilson, Executive Director | June 1, 2023: 
Executive Director Jessica G. Wilson shares her excitement about the future of NYC Audubon in light of the board's recent decision to change the organization's name, and how she has been inspired by the organization's work to center Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in all of its work across conservation, advocacy, engagement. 

Donna Schulman | March 5, 2023: 
César A. Castillo, a beloved member of the City's birding community and an adjunct professor of biology and senior laboratory technician at Queen College, passed away from an illness on March 1, 2023. César was a passionate naturalist and a valued member of NYC Audubon's board of directors who generously shared his love of nature with others. We are grateful to be able to share this tribute to César, penned by fellow Queens County Bird Club member Donna L. Schulman.

Andrew Maas | March 22, 2023: The board of directors of New York City Audubon, a leading urban conservation organization, announced today that it will change its name as part of its continuing commitment to being an inclusive organization that is welcoming to all New Yorkers.

Carol Peace Robins | February 27, 2023: 
The bright skyline of New York City may be emblematic of "the city that never sleeps," but the nocturnal glare is dangerous for the millions of migrating birds that travel along the Atlantic Flyway. Learn about this fundamental problem and the ways that NYC Audubon is working towards solutions. 

Project Safe Flight Unwrapped: Fall 2022
Katherine Chen | February 27, 2023: 
Results are in from the Fall 2022 Project Safe Flight season, the 26th year of our signature community science research program studying bird collisions in NYC. See key findings from this season, which saw record volunteer participation and coverage of all five boroughs for the first time in the program's history. 

Mary Jane Kaplan | February 27, 2023: 
NYC Audubon is introducing New York City to birds through expanding its programming in all five boroughs, hiring new guides, forming new community partnerships, and making its programs more accessible to a wider audience. Find out how Public Programs Manager Roslyn Rivas is making all that happen! 

Phil Roosevelt | February 27, 2023: 
NYC Audubon's passionate volunteer corps has sustained its conservation work for over 40 years. Meet Audubon Christmas Bird Count surveyor Junko Suzuki.

Lauren Klingsberg | February 27, 2023:
Since Marcia T. Fowle joined NYC Audubon as its first executive director in 1992, she's supported the organization in too many additional ways to count, including roles as president of the board of directors, longtime co-editor of The Urban Audubon, and co-chair of both the advisory council and Fall Roost committee. Learn about Marcia's many contributions to our organization as we wish her and her husband, bird-friendly architect and longtime NYC Audubon supporter Bruce Fowle, a happy move to their new home in Vermont. 

Hillarie O'Toole | February 27, 2023: 
Excited about spring migration, but don't know how you'll find the time? You're not alone. Get tips on how to fit birding into your busy daily life.

Don Riepe | February 27, 2023: 
The Laughing Gull, the striking "summer gull" of the East Coast known for its infectious guffaw, has had its ups and downs in New York City. Read about the resilience of this gregarious species and its Jamaica Bay nesting colony.