Partners

Our Partners in Supporting Birds and Nature

Wild Birds Unlimited is deeply committed to educating the public about the importance of understanding our environment and preserving our natural wildlife habitats. We have developed many partnerships with organizations that support our core mission of bringing people and nature together.

Many of these partnerships offer people the opportunity to actively participate in conservation efforts, to learn more about bird watching, bird feeding and nature appreciation, and to play a role in scientific research designed to protect the environment from harmful changes.

Wild Birds Unlimited feels it is very important to support these efforts and to continually raise awareness of environmental preservation so that generations to come can experience and appreciate the marvels that nature holds for us all.

Founded in 1972, Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Their vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival.

For the past 50 years, the Arbor Day Foundation has worked to plant nearly 500 million trees around the world. Through a vast network of partnerships, the Foundation facilitates projects that empower organizations of all sizes to reach their environmental and sustainability goals via measurable, impactful work.

Wild Birds Unlimited is proud to partner with Arbor Day Foundation to plant thousands of native trees across the U.S. and Canada. Go here to learn more and to see a map of our project sites.

Birds Canada conducts research throughout Canada through volunteer-based surveys such as the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey and Project FeederWatch. In addition, it coordinates the analysis of data collected by a growing network of observatories monitoring migratory birds across Canada through the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network.

Wild Birds Unlimited is a proud sponsor of Project Feeder Watch and The Great Backyard Bird Count in Canada.

The BlackAFInSTEM Collective seeks to support, uplift, and amplify Black Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics professionals in natural resources and the environment through professional development, career connection, and community engagement. #BlackBirdersWeek got its start in 2020 as a primarily virtual event spurred by the Central Park birding incident involving the accomplished science writer and birder Christian Cooper. The event week and The BlackAFinSTEM Collective itself was created by a small group of friends and acquaintances to normalize the historically overlooked presence of Black birders, scientists, and nature enthusiasts in the field (literally and figuratively) in an effort to make the natural sciences more inclusive, diverse, and welcoming to people of all walks of life.

Wild Birds Unlimited is proud to sponsor Black Birders Week.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a non-profit membership institution whose mission is to interpret and conserve the earth’s biological diversity through research, education, and citizen science focused on birds. Cornell’s programs work with citizen scientists, government and non-government agencies across North America and beyond. The Lab’s members believe that bird enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels can – and do – make a difference.

Projects

The Great Backyard Bird Count
Since 1998 the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society have managed and overseen the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) throughout North America. The GBBC program is part of BirdSource, which is jointly managed by Cornell and the society. Individuals, families and community groups can participate in the bird count, which occurs each February, by tracking the birds they see at their feeders and in their backyards, local parks and other outdoor locations. This information helps define bird ranges, populations, migration pathways and habitat needs, and ultimately helps with bird conservation.

Wild Birds Unlimited is a founding and major sponsor of the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Project FeederWatch
Project FeederWatch turns the love of feeding birds into scientific discoveries. FeederWatch is a winter-long (November-April) survey of birds that visit feeders at backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales in North America. Participants periodically count the birds they see at their feeders and send their counts to Project FeederWatch. Counting birds help bird lovers keep track of what is happening in their own backyards and helps scientists track long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.

Wild Birds Unlimited is a proud sponsor of Project FeederWatch.

BirdSpotter
BirdSpotter is a photo contest providing those who enjoy photographing birds an opportunity to submit their photos for a chance to win prizes and to have their photos featured online. Finalists are chosen by Cornell Lab staff and posted on the BirdSpotter Voting Page, where bird lovers can vote for their favorite entries.

Wild Birds Unlimited is proud to sponsor the BirdSpotter Photo Contest and highlights contestant photos in its annual wall calendar.

The Hummingbird Society was created in 1996 as a nonprofit organization to help people understand and appreciate hummingbirds and to provide a channel to help save the ones that are endangered. The Hummingbird Society’s mission: teach people about hummingbirds, and they will understand them better; and from that understanding and caring, will come support for their protection.

Wild Birds Unlimited is a proud sponsor of the Hummingbird Society.

National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife™ movement empowers people to plant with a purpose and to create thriving wildlife habitat where they live, work, learn, play, and worship.

Garden for Wildlife’s signature Certified Wildlife Habitat® program provides official recognition for properties that meet the criteria necessary for wildlife to survive: food, water, cover, and places for wildlife to raise young, and sustainable practices.

Wild Birds Unlimited is the proud Champion of the Certified Wildlife Habitat program.

Founded in 1978 by Dr. Lawrence Zeleny, The North American Bluebird Society (NABS) is a non-profit education, conservation and research organization that promotes the recovery of bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting bird species in North America. NABS has sought to educate, persuade, and enlighten the public in methods that an interested person could use to help bluebirds and other native cavity nesters.

Wild Birds Unlimited is a proud sponsor of NABS.

Birdability is a nonprofit organization working to make birding and the outdoors accessible and inclusive for everyone, especially those with disabilities and health concerns.

Wild Birds Unlimited is proud to support Birdability’s efforts to make birding accessible to all.