Throughout the month of February, Travis Audubon and partners from Austin Nature & Science Center, Capital Area Master Naturalists, Elisabet Ney Museum, Umlauf Sculpture Garden and others put the spotlight on our often seen yet often overlooked urban bird species.

During Celebrate Urban Birds!, Austin youth and parents took part in free events and activities to learn about the urban birds that frequent our backyards, parks and city streets. Members Sandra and Sebastian Casarez hosted a Big Sit and crafted owl puppets while representatives from our Master Birders and other Travis Audubon volunteers led bird walks and spread the word about preventing bird window collisions. Although not always as thrilling to spot as the more reclusive and wild birds of our region’s natural areas, our urban species spark curiosity and inspire us to venture out farther to listen and learn from nature.

If you missed the Celebrate Urban Birds series, there is still one more opportunity left! We invite you to join expert birder Jane Tillman on Thursday, March 2 for a presentation on the Birds of Austin’s Northwest Hills. Learn about the species you might see in your backyard and what you can do to create a more inviting environment for birds.