Links to other important resources and projects
The Biggest Week in American Birding takes place in early May in northwest Ohio, specifically in the area of Magee Marsh / Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, dubbed "the warbler capital of the world" for the spectacular numbers of warblers and other songbirds that pause here during their spring migration. The event features dozens of free programs and birdwalks, plus other field trips and workshops for a nominal charge. Kaufman Field Guides is one of the hosts of the event, and in 2015, Kenn Kaufman will be presenting several programs on field identification, based on the new Advanced Birding guide. Click on the logo to the right for more information.
Birds and Beans: The Good Coffee is a company promoting coffee that is good for bird conservation, family farmers, and the environment. What's the connection to bird conservation? It works this way. When coffee in the American tropics is grown in the traditional way, in the shade of a dense canopy of native trees, it provides great habitat for migratory birds - almost as good as undisturbed forest. When coffee is grown in the sun, it is worthless as bird habitat - and it also requires heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, making it far less healthy for farm workers as well. The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) has developed criteria for "bird-friendly" coffee farms, based on rigorous scientific standards. Birds and Beans sells only Triple-Certified Coffee: certified bird-friendly, organic, and fair trade. It's good for the environment and it tastes great!
BirdsEye: the bird-finding app for iPhone and iPod Touch is unique. While there are several electronic field guides, BirdsEye is the only app designed to help birders find more birds. Drawing on reports from Project eBird, at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, BirdsEye provides up-to-date information on where birds are being seen right now. Special features help you to locate birding hotspots and get news of rarities. Text by Kenn Kaufman gives pointers on precise habitat choice and behavior of each species, to help you find the bird once you get to the right general area.
The Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) has been conducting bird migration research in northwest Ohio and surrounding regions for more than 20 years. Since 2005, BSBO has also become a major force for nature education, sponsoring such outstanding programs as the Ohio Young Birders Club and the Biggest Week in American Birding. BSBO has also developed innovative ways for donors to help distribute the Spanish-language version of the Kaufman bird guide (Guía de campo Kaufman a las aves de Norteamérica) to target audiences in the USA and northern Mexico.
