News

February 14, 2024 — Community advocates interested in the problems caused by widely-used neonicotinoid pesticides and what can be done to reduce their use are invited to a special free presentation, “Neonics: High Harm and Low Benefit,” in Newtown on Sunday, February 23.

February 10, 2025—It’s always a shock and a little sickening to hear a bird smash into a window. But there are solutions. And because a least 400 million birds die each year in the U.S. when they crash into windows in houses and other small buildings, we can all make a difference in solving this big problem. Kaitlyn Parkins, the glass collisions program coordinator for American Bird Conservancy, discussed the problem and the solutions on Wednesday, February 5, as part of Connecticut Audubon’s Young, Gifted and Wild About Birds series.

February 23, 2025—People throughout Connecticut are becoming more concerned with avian flu. The information here is what we’ve learned from government agencies and other organizations. It’s subject to change as the situation changes. 

Join us for a February 5 matinee presentation of Young, Gifted and Wild About Birds. Well over 1 billion birds die each year in the U.S. because of building collisions. That estimate comes from a study published in 2024 and it was eye-opening because it was much higher than previous estimates. One of the study’s authors, Kaitlyn Parkins of American Bird Conservancy, will show us which techniques actually work to reduce window crashes and which don’t. This is news you can use for those trying to make a difference for bird conservation.

January 16, 2025 — Connecticut Audubon’s Young, Gifted, and Wild About Birds series starts its 2025 season with a January 23 Zoom presentation by UCLA professor Morgan Tingley, Ph.D., about the Los Angeles fires and the effects of climate change-induced wildfire on bird populations. Tingley, a former University of Connecticut professor, lives and works in the heart of the area being devastated by wildfires. He’s been studying the effects of fire and smoke on birds and will also have an up-to-date report on the situation in the Los Angeles area.

November 18, 2024—Ospreys in Connecticut flourished in 2024. The successful nesting season shows that the local revival of these previously imperiled hawks continues, although with concerns about a more difficult season to the south.

October 27, 2024—The Connecticut Audubon Society recognized the long and effective work of Board member Christina Clayton by presenting her with the 2024 Dave Engelman Volunteer Benchmark Award, at the organization’s annual meeting on Saturday, October 26, at the Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center in Old Lyme.

July 11, 2024 — Purple Martins are thriving this summer at 5 Connecticut Audubon locations — approximately 140 pairs are raising as many as 500 hatchlings. Most of the young birds are still in their nests, so it’s too soon to declare the season a total success. But as of now, it looks like these large swallows are continuing to make a comeback several years after their removal from the state’s threatened species list.

May 23, 2024—There’s plenty of good birding left in Connecticut during spring migration, and of course the Migration Magic Birdathon runs through May 31. If you’re planning to look for birds at the Milford Point Coastal Center over Memorial Day weekend, please time your visit to avoid the sandbar at high tide.

April 26, 2024—Billions of birds die each year from collisions with buildings. In a country where 30% of the bird population has been lost in recent decades, it’s a serious problem. Migrating birds – confused by city lights at night – are especially vulnerable. But there are a few simple and effective things you can do to help.

April 17, 2024—With spring migration peaking soon, efforts to reduce the number of birds that die when they crash into windows and buildings are at the forefront. Connecticut Audubon and its members are part of the solution. This week we collaborated with the Lights Out Coalition of Connecticut to propose simple changes to the state’s outdoor lighting regulations. Those changes are designed to help birds make it safely into and through the state, without crashing into buildings.