MI Birds

MI Birds aims to deepen Michiganders engagement in the understanding, care, and stewardship of public lands that are important for birds and local communities.

Black Tern. Photo: Mark Stensaas/Audubon Photography Awards

MI Birds is a public outreach and education program created by Audubon Great Lakes and Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Birders and hunters share similar conservation values, but rarely cross paths. MI Birds aims to bridge the divide, and increase and deepen the number of Michiganders engaged in the understanding, care, and stewardship of public lands that are important for birds and communities. 

MI Birds leads immersive public bird walks across the state, gives public talks on bird conservation in MI, engages Michiganders in stewardship activities and community science projects, and works with partner organizations to expand our reach, pool our resources, and share our collective conservation success stories on our public lands. 

See below for our latest blog posts! To learn more about our upcoming events and field trips, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or email us directly at mibirds@audubon.org! If you would prefer to receive periodic emails about upcoming MI Birds events near you, sign-up for our quarterly email updates, here.  We hope to see you in the field! Bird on, Michigan! 

MI Birds Priority Species

MI Birds News

Small Stature, Big Personality: Winter Birds of the Great Lakes
MI Birds

Small Stature, Big Personality: Winter Birds of the Great Lakes

Learn how to identify them and where to find these charming birds across the region

Winter Bird Feeding 101
Blog

Winter Bird Feeding 101

Learn how to safely attract Great Lakes winter birds to your space

It’s Time for Weird Ducks!
Blog

It’s Time for Weird Ducks!

Learn where to spot and how to identify our favorite Great Lakes winter waterfowl

Enchanting Owls: Your Guide to Great Lakes’ Winter Birds
MI Birds

Enchanting Owls: Your Guide to Great Lakes’ Winter Birds

Owl ID tips, where to spot these majestic birds, and best viewing practices for your next birding trip!

Gobble, gobble! The Comeback of Michigan’s Wild Turkey
MI Birds

Gobble, gobble! The Comeback of Michigan’s Wild Turkey

Collaborative conservation efforts over the last half-century have helped Wild Turkey populations rebound

How to Be a Responsible Birder and Wildlife Photographer
Press Center

How to Be a Responsible Birder and Wildlife Photographer

By following birding best-practices, you can help protect Great Lakes birds

Mass Collision of Birds in Chicago Reminds Us of the Important Steps We Can Take to Protect Migrating Species
Blog

Mass Collision of Birds in Chicago Reminds Us of the Important Steps We Can Take to Protect Migrating Species

The death of hundreds of migrating birds from one building leaves bird lovers across the Great Lakes reeling, and calling for solutions

Fostering Healthy Forest Habitat for Michigan Birds
MI Birds

Fostering Healthy Forest Habitat for Michigan Birds

Sharing healthy and sustainable forest management practices to help recover forest bird populations

Participate in Wild Turkey Surveys This Summer
Blog

Participate in Wild Turkey Surveys This Summer

Help your state department to better understand how Wild Turkey populations are doing across the Great Lakes region

Building Connections and Conserving Michigan’s Public Lands With MI Birds
Press Center

Building Connections and Conserving Michigan’s Public Lands With MI Birds

Public lands need our help, birders and wildlife enthusiasts visit and experience Michigan’s public lands

Ways You Can Help