Beyond the Zoo … and You!

If you’ve been keeping up with our Conservation Blogs this year, you may know that in 2025 we’ve been highlighting different ways that our team members support our conservation partners beyond the Zoo. This month, we’re putting a different spin on the phrase “beyond the Zoo.” We are focusing on YOU, and how YOU can put conservation into action in your very own backyard! 

While it can be difficult for ornithologists (scientists who study birds) to determine exactly how many birds reside on a continent, we do know that North America is home to at least 650 breeding bird species. Each species fills a niche, or a role, in its ecosystem, but this can look different from one species to another. Some songbirds, like the northern cardinal, eat primarily seeds and berries, while others like barn swallows are referred to as insectivores, meaning they primarily eat insects. Birds of prey like hawks and owls are important in controlling populations of the rodents they hunt. Hummingbirds play a critical role as pollinators, as they carry pollen from one flower to another as they search for nectar. Some waterfowl, like geese, munch on grasses and plants around water sources, keeping the land from being overgrown. It is safe to say that ecosystems without birds would be in big trouble! 

Unfortunately, that trouble is a reality in many habitats all across the country and the world. In the last 50 years, almost 3 billion birds have been lost in North America. This reduction in bird numbers causes big problems in ecosystems, and it is really important that the issue is addressed. When bird populations decline, it can lead to many issues like rodent and insect overpopulation, decreases in native plant species, and expansion of invasive plant species. Birds are often indicator species, meaning that the abundance and health of bird communities within an ecosystem gives us an idea of how healthy that ecosystem is as a whole. If bird populations are declining, there’s a good chance that many other parts of the ecosystem are struggling as well. 

The good news is that there are lots of people out there who are doing their part to help by protecting birds—and you can join them! Knowing how abundant birds are in a particular area is vital information for conservationists to have in order to develop effective plans to support and protect populations. One way you can help contribute to this is by using a smartphone app called iNaturalist. There are a variety of conservation projects on the app that anyone can contribute to. Simply go outside to a local park, trail, or even your own backyard; then open the app and take photos of plants and animals that you find! The app also allows you to upload sound recordings, which can be extremely useful when trying to log bird species. It can be hard to spot or take good photos of birds when they are up in trees, but their songs and chirps can be used to identify species. Even if you aren’t an expert birder, the app can compare the sound recorded to known calls from specific species to help make an identification. You can find local projects in the app to join based on your location, and your observations will help contribute to bird conservation! 

Migration is another really important topic when it comes to birds. Over half of North America’s native bird species are migratory, which means these birds travel from one region to another during different seasons to access enough resources all throughout the year. As seasons change, different parts of the continent have more plentiful food sources and/or nesting sites than others, leading migratory bird species to travel distances up to several thousand miles in pursuit of these necessities. Migratory species come in all shapes and sizes and include various types of songbirds, waterfowl, herons, hummingbirds, doves, and more. While all bird species play critical roles, migratory birds are a particularly big focus in conservation because of the way they impact multiple parts of the world depending on where they reside at different times of the year.  

Because of this, protecting migratory birds is extremely important. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a treaty signed between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Russia, is a piece of legislation that prevents capturing or harming migratory birds, which includes tampering with their nests. Often, people will find bird nests in places like door wreaths or crevices on their front porch that may be inconvenient and decide to move the nests elsewhere. While there usually is not any bad intention with this, they may be unaware that moving a bird’s nest is actually illegal under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, because it is difficult for parents to find the nest to care for the young – even if the nest has moved just a little bit from its original location. If you ever find yourself in this situation, the best thing you can do is to do everything in your power to leave the nest where it is—it will only be a couple of weeks before the babies fly off into the world, and you can feel good about knowing you’ve made a difference in helping our bird populations grow! 

As we enter August, we are coming upon the beginning of the fall migration – even though it certainly may not feel like fall to us yet! One of the biggest obstacles migratory birds face in their journeys is light pollution. Since most migratory birds travel under cover of night, bright lights can confuse them as they fly. When they become disoriented, they must spend extra time and energy figuring out where they are and what direction they need to go, which can cause them to become exhausted and unable to complete their migration. Light pollution also makes birds more likely to collide with windows, resulting in up to 988 million birds dying in window strikes every year. 

So, what can we do to help? The answer is simple—turn off outdoor lights at night!  

The general fall migratory season lasts from approximately August 15 through November 30. By turning off the lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. during this time of year, you can help these birds make a smooth and successful trip from their summer habitats to their winter homes. If turning off lights completely or using motion sensors is not an option, dimming, shielding, or covering any indoor and outdoor lights will still make a difference—not to mention helps you save on your power bill! BirdCast is a great resource to check out for more information on migratory bird routes in your particular area. This project is fueled by several academic institutions and endeavors to help migratory birds by tracking their migration routes and seasonal patterns and can also provide you with helpful information about migration patterns in specific parts of the country, including a migration route map! 

Whether you are an avian enthusiast or completely new to the bird world, you can make a difference in the health of our bird populations and our ecosystems as a whole. We hope that you feel empowered to take these simple steps to help, and next time you visit Zoo Atlanta, be sure to check out our bird habitats for extra education on the diversity of birds around the world!

Emma Grace Mrozek
Exhibit Interpreter