Birds reveal biodiversity in cities

Green-winged Teal pair in Central Park. This species has bred in Manhattan.

People have traditionally settled in hotspots—places of high biological diversity and landscapes with fertile land and fresh water. Cities have emerged out of this natural abundance. The transformation of nature in urban ecosystems still support wild life—plants, animals, and more. How do we recognize and value cities as places where more-than-human life thrives? One way is through fostering relationships with wild birds. “Birds are the lens through which people notice the biodiversity that cities support.” Read more of my conservation with Susana F. Molina, founder and Editor-at-Large of The Urban Activist— How New Yorkers Help Birds Return to the City. What does bird activism look for you?