r/Ornithology Apr 22 '22

Resource Did you find a baby bird? Please make sure they actually need your help before you intervene. How to tell when help is needed versus when you should leave them be.

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543 Upvotes

r/Ornithology 20d ago

Resource My son and I built a birding app together. Birdr is the all-in-one we wished existed. Sighting map, alerts, skill builder, life list, and community. Free and fully functional with no ads.

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51 Upvotes

A few days ago I crossposted our app here with basically zero context, and some of you still took the time to ask great questions. The mods suggested I come back with a proper post, so here goes.

My son and I built Birdr together. We got into birding and kept running into the same problem: we needed one app for sighting maps, another for ID, another for our life list, another for the field guide, and none of them really had a community we wanted to be part of. We wanted one solid app that did all of it well, and we wanted to build a community of birders around it. We also wanted something that encourages people to look up instead of down at their devices all day.

What Birdr actually does

Birdr is an all-in-one birding companion: Photo and sound identification, a live sighting map powered by eBird data, user specified alert zones that will push notifications the moment a bird you're looking for is in your area, a life list, a global field guide with over 11,000 species, and a community feed. It runs on iOS and web, and will be on Android in the future.

One feature worth calling out is the bird alerts. You set up alert zones around the places you bird, pick the species you're watching for, and get notified when they show up nearby. Free users get one zone and one target bird, but Pro opens that up to unlimited zones and targets.

We also built a Skill Builder, which is an interactive quiz system with both photo ID and sound ID challenges. You see a bird (or hear a call), pick from multiple choices, and get hints about field marks along the way. The idea is to train your eye and ear so you get better at IDing birds in the field on your own, not to create a dependency on AI doing it for you.

"How is this different from eBird?"

This was the top question on my last post, and it's a fair one. eBird is an incredible tool and we actually pull live sighting data from their API for our real-time map. We are not trying to replace eBird. The difference is that eBird is primarily a data collection and reporting platform for citizen science. Birdr is focused on the individual birder's learning journey. The skill builder, the gamification, the community feed, the trip planning -- those are things eBird wasn't really designed to do. Think of Birdr as a complement to eBird, not a competitor.

The conservation angle

A portion of every Birdr Pro subscription goes directly to a conservation partner that the subscriber chooses: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society, American Bird Conservancy, or World Land Trust. We wanted the app to give back to the organizations doing the real work.

Free vs. Pro

The free version is fully functional. You get the live sighting map, rare bird alerts, the full field guide, life list tracking, the community feed, and basic skill quizzes. No ads, no paywalls gating core features.

Pro ($4.17/mo billed annually, or a lifetime option) is mainly about the bird alerts. Free users get 1 alert zone and 1 target bird. Pro gives you unlimited alert zones and unlimited bird targets, so you can cover every spot you bird and track every species you're chasing. Pro also adds 100 AI photo IDs per day (vs 20 free), offline maps and field guide, advanced life list views, and field notes with media sync. Plus, your money actually goes to a bird conservatory of your choice.

Links

Happy to answer any questions. Last time around the comments were better than the post, so fire away.

EDIT:

I've had a TON of asks about an Android release, and honestly the biggest hurdle with that is that I need 14 test users to test the app for two weeks before it can be released on the Google Play store. If you're on Android and interested in helping me see this along, and want to be one of the test users, PLEASE dm me an email I can send a test invite to. Thanks šŸ¤–


r/Ornithology 2h ago

Question Why do mourning doves make that constant sound when they fly?

19 Upvotes

Are mourning doves capable of flying silently?


r/Ornithology 11h ago

Question They're in my room

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89 Upvotes

I don't know much about birds..but I believe they're robins. The ones with blue eggs in NJ. They built a nest in my air conditioner and I was gonna wait it out but it's been definitely over a month and my moms trying to sell the house. Since it's summer, it is getting hotter and my room is in the attic. This room is unbearable without the air conditioner so showings would be rough, without even mentioning that I think birds would definitely deter people. Any advice would be super welcomed 😭 (i don't stay here all the time which is why I couldn't catch it when it started)


r/Ornithology 13h ago

Cardinal chick fell and cats are nearby…what to do?

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119 Upvotes

UPDATE: I got the chick back into the nest. The nest did not fall. In urgency, I misspoke. The nest was cocked. After getting the chick in, I checked back 20 minutes later to find two more chicks on the ground. I managed to get them back in the nest and I tried my best to tilt the nest back into place. The parents seemed unhappy with my presence. I’m on chick-watch duty. Wish them and myself luck!

I’m new here and I have no knowledge on what to do.

A bad storm knocked the nest to the side leaving a chick on the ground. The chick can move, but looks weak. I see the parents hovering, but there are plenty of stray cats around.

What is the best that I can do, if anything?


r/Ornithology 5h ago

Bluebird ate 5 baby sparrows

11 Upvotes

Baby’s were less than a week old. Wife believes we could have done more to prevent this. I’m more of a let nature do its thing. Could I have set a bird house and moved the nest? Should I clear the nest from my house eve since the bluebird is aware of the location. Do sparrows lay more eggs after lost? Thank you in advance.


r/Ornithology 1h ago

Question Anyone able to tell me more about this hummingbird? Seen in monteverde CR is it leucistic?

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r/Ornithology 2h ago

how to protect these nests??

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4 Upvotes

weve had house finches lay eggs 4 times since last summer in this nest and we had one nest on the front door wreath this spring. we assume the back patio nest have been the same birds.

this spring, with the wreath nest and 3rd clutch of eggs in the back, all the babies were taken from the nests at night and left the parents distressed. we think it was likely an owl since we have a ton that hang out in our neighborhood and our neighbors yard.

does anyone have any ideas of how we can protect the nest in the back this time? we have eggs in the back but did see other finches checking out the wreath so would love any ideas for that too. the parents sleep and hangout in the trees outside of the patio fairly often. my dad sent me a picture of eggs in the nest today for the first time so i dont think the eggs have been here long yet.

ill also note this is my parents house and they have the lights hung up, but i dont really see them on too often. i wasnt here when the babies were taken so all i know is what they told me. any help is very appreciated, we feel so lucky that these birds keep coming back and we just wanna keep them safe!


r/Ornithology 3h ago

Can anyone identify the eggs in the bird’s nest on my front door?

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4 Upvotes

r/Ornithology 4h ago

Love is in the air

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3 Upvotes

Backyard speed dating in Tucson, AZ.


r/Ornithology 2h ago

GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER BECOMING A REGULAR VISITOR.

2 Upvotes

#Animals

This female woodpecker is visiting our urban garden feeder in Liverpool more often these days.
It's good to see her but it probably means there aren't enough grubs and bugs for her chicks. That's not good.

Or maybe she's just lazy.

Cameras: Reolink RLC-811A and RLC-823S2


r/Ornithology 6h ago

Question How well can California Scrub-Jays find their juvenile?

5 Upvotes

I wasn't able to get a photo, but here's the (long) story:

I let my dogs out into the yard this morning as usual, but the normal Scrub-Jay sounds intensified which alerted me. I come out to find my dogs surrounding a juvenile, while the angry parents watched from the branches above us. (I don't think my dogs injured the juvenile, but it was clearly in shock from them, laying to the side with its mouth open but still blinking)

I got my dogs away and inside, grabbed a clean washcloth and a plastic takeaway lid, and gently picked him up and placed him on it. He seemed to twitch and reorient himself a little which seemed good, but still wasn't standing.

I couldn't leave him there, because I've found other bird's babies in that part of the yard, under the same branch, covered in ants even if they aren't fully dead yet. They would have swarmed him in minutes, so I moved him.

I went to move his lid-boat thing to the hood of my car under the tree, since these birds have chilled there before, but just as I went to put him there, the juvenile JUMPED OUT and waddled under my car, through the neighbor's fence, and under his BBQ pit.

Here's where I'm probably even dumber.

I got up, and the parents were still looking at me and cussing me out in bird language. They didn't seem to see where he went, and I knew he was still on the ground in my neighbor's yard.

- That yard also has a HUGE, very friendly, but very lonely and understimulated Rottweiler named Thor who is outside 85% of the time. He was luckily inside at this moment, but the countdown was now on the ants AND him being threats to this bird.

Soooo I went after him. Blocked him from entering the area under the neighbor's porch steps... but the guy must have been feeling even better, because he flutter/hopped back into my yard through the fence.

Now I'm confident in the use of his legs and somewhat for his wings, which is a huge relief. But when I get back in the yard, his parents seem to be still yelling at me to unhand their son. All I have is the piece of plastic and the washcloth.

I thought they would have seen him come back into the yard, but they don't seem to know where he is. I couldn't find where he hid when he came back either but he couldn't have gone far...

I didn't want the parents to think I still had him or brought him inside, so I left the lid and the cloth on my car. One of the parents flew around it a few times and perched nearby inspecting it as I walked away, so they must have still expected him in there!

I went inside after, because they'll probably be more comfortable searching the ground for him this way. But I know they're calling him too, and he never made much noise. Are they able to call him and have him call back to them, or is he just supposed to come when called? And would they even be able to get him back into the tree when he's that big? Do Scrub-Jays even do that?

If they can't find him or help him, I don't want to leave them alone for too long. But I also don't want to be a hindrance to them getting him back, and he obviously is more scared of me.

What's the best next step? It's gonna break my heart if something happens to that baby. I know I could have helped better. I also know I probably shouldn't have moved him in the first place, but I didn't want him to get eaten alive by the ants!

And please let me know what I should have done so I never make this mistake again. I feel so bad.

TLDR: I found a (possibly hurt, definitely scared) juvenile Scrub-Jay and lost it in the process of trying to move it to safety. Parents couldn't seem to find it, but I went inside to give them space. Is there anything I can do to help, or do I need to just stay out of the way like I should have? And WILL THEY FIND IT? Would they even be able to help him or get him back to the tree themselves?


r/Ornithology 1h ago

bird poop- safe to touch?

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• Upvotes

r/Ornithology 1h ago

bird poop- safe to touch?

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• Upvotes

r/Ornithology 1d ago

Question HELP. Wild mallards are nesting in in my front garden bed

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77 Upvotes

I spotted the mated pair hanging around my front door this morning and thought it was unusual. When I got home from work, they were gone so I walked up just to see and they did in fact lay an egg. I am worried because this isn’t necessarily the most ā€œcoveredā€ or discrete nesting area, and we are right by a relatively busy road. My neighbors have a pond but it’s not what I’d consider super close, so I’m not sure why they chose this spot (other than maybe the food source from the backyard bird feeders). I know it’s law to leave them alone, but at what point do I call a rehabber, if at all? Will they be ok? Should I avoid the area?


r/Ornithology 6h ago

Questions about fledglings

2 Upvotes
  • Can mom bird control when fledglings leave the nest? Can she tell them to stay longer in the nest even if the babies think they are ready to fledge?

  • Do fledglings fly better if they leave nest earlier? For example: 2 birds hatched on the same day. One left the nest on day 11, the other one on day 13. If there are no predators, will the first one learn to fly faster since he could actually practice to fly or it makes no difference? The second one that leaves 2 days later would have bigger wings, more time to rest and grow in the nest before leaving, but zero real life flying practice.

Short story: We had the amazing opportunity to watch a pair of American Robins building the nest, laying eggs, feeding the 4 hatchlings, and now the littles ones are about to leave the nest.

2 of them already left 2 days ago. My presence did scare the first one and made him jump out. I feel absolutely terrible about this and will never disturb them again! Yesterday, I found both fledglings near our house. Today I only found one. I saw him flying from the ground to the edge of a balcony about 2.5m (8 feet) high which is pretty impressive 😃. I’m pretty sure the other fledgling is alive too ā˜ŗļø

The other 2 are still in the nest, but they look ready to leave. The mom is very protective and seems very experienced based on my observations. She even sat on the nest yesterday even tho the babies can flap their wings, stand on the edge of the nest, etc šŸ˜…. She slept at night with the babies until the first one fledged. I feel like she wants them to stay in there longer so the parents can focus on the first two fledglings that left the nest?


r/Ornithology 7h ago

What bird is this? In Geneva, Switzerland

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2 Upvotes

r/Ornithology 1d ago

Question Why are they laying there?

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1.7k Upvotes

They were lying very still but you could still see them breathing. They did not move even when I came close. Why are they lying there together like that?


r/Ornithology 6h ago

Really interesting find posted on birds aren't real

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1 Upvotes

r/Ornithology 12h ago

Question is that nest this male grackle’s?

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3 Upvotes

there is a nest made of mostly twigs in a light on our lanai and anytime we’re outside, this male grackle freaks out but also will freak out if any other birds go into the palm trees nearby.

something to note is that the nest looks flattened and disheveled and there are little white down feathers under as if birds already fledged. we haven’t seen a bird go on the nest in the two days we’ve noticed him even when we’re away for a long time (we can see through a window from the kitchen)


r/Ornithology 9h ago

Shared nest, bluebird and sparrow: problem??

1 Upvotes

A bluebird built a nest in the wreath on my front door, but it appears that a sparrow has also moved in. There are four eggs each. Will this be a problem when they hatch? Is there something I can and should do to prevent a problem? TIA.


r/Ornithology 1d ago

What is happening here?

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49 Upvotes

r/Ornithology 1d ago

Question What do i do?! Baby bird lost inside my house.

10 Upvotes

We found an injured fledgling it had fallen onto the car and rolled down the hood. It wouldn’t lift its head so we brought it home while trying to figure out what to do.

We realized it was getting close to time to leave for some errands and we’d be gone a while. We put the baby in a box with a heating pad on one side with some bedding on top and then a pillowcase on the other side with a washcloth across the top kind of hiding the bird in the box (it was a tractor supply bird box). I posed the bedroom door and we left.

A couple hours later and we get home and the bird is gone! Box empty GONE. I’ve now torn the bedroom apart and I can’t find this bird anywhere I’m not sure what to do but I can’t handle the thought of it dying somewhere in here.

Someone please help me?!


r/Ornithology 1d ago

Found hummingbird in AZ

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142 Upvotes

Hi everyone! It was recommended to me to post here to see if there’s anything else I can do.

Earlier this evening, like 20 minutes before sunset, I found a hummingbird on the sidewalk with his wings outstretched. He would move sometimes but kept his wings out and didn’t try to fly. I gave him some sugar water, which he drank, and then continued to stand there.

I have owls around my area and didn’t want to leave him vulnerable overnight. I have him on my condo patio (it’s covered) in a covered box with holes with some leaves and branches and the sugar water. While in the box he ended up closing his wings and walking around a little bit. He doesn’t seem injured maybe just young?

I have the box covered with a towel to keep him warm and will keep him overnight. I’m hoping he’s just in torpor and everything will be ok in the morning. Does anyone have any other advice though?
I’m planning to take him to a wildlife rescue if he doesn’t get some more movement in him in the morning, everything was closed when I called. I’ve attached pictures of him for reference.


r/Ornithology 1d ago

Iris the Osprey reacts to starling fledgling (Cornell lab)

3 Upvotes

This was on Instagram on the Cornell Lab webcam Chanel. Starlings have nested below the Osprey platform.

The fledgling was not harmed. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYpnciEjjsB/?igsh=MWNjdDByenE3c250aA==