Bird Science

The effectiveness of Audubon California as a conservation organization rests on our ability to grasp the implications of the best science available and then turn that knowledge into action. This commitment to utilizing the best science has helped make the organization a leader on a variety of issues, including habitat conservation, bird toxicology, and population shifts, and global warming, to name just a few.

While science is the basis of our work, at Audubon California it is also a participatory activity. Every weekend, thousands of Californians take to the great outdoors to pursue their love of birds, and we take advantage of the cumulative value of these outings in a number of ways. We encourage people to take part in a variety of monitoring activities, bird surveys, even a local Christmas Bird Count – and all of this feeds back into our usable knowledge base.

Audubon California is well-suited to this scientific role, having the resources within the organization to pursue advanced research and, at the same time, we are able to call upon the resources of the National Audubon Society’s large body of knowledge. Audubon California has also proved effective at working with other science-based organizations such as PRBO, Wildlife Defense, and the Center for Biological Diversity, among others, to develop the research necessary to adequately advocate for the protection of the state’s birds and wildlife, and the habitats they depend upon.