Back in April 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, Saw Mill River Audubon began offering a Zoom interactive chat to connect the Lower Hudson regional birding community.
This Bird Chat now draws an average of 70+ birders and bird photographers of all abilities and experience levels.
In 2023 Bird Chat usually happens twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:00 pm.
Upcoming Bird Chat Guests
- Tue 4/11: Jim Wright, Warden, Celery Farm Natural Area, NJ
- Tue 4/25, Arabella Pajoohi,
Basics of Warbler ID for the Northeast US - Tue May 9, John Hannan, BirdLife International,
Bird Migration & Habitat Conservation. - Tue May 30, Lake Erie Birding
Note date change to 5th Tue
Some Recent Bird Chats & Video Links
- YouTube playlist for all past Bird Chats. (Note that not all Bird Chats are recorded; this depends on the guest’s preference.)
- Putnam County birding hotspots
- Stateline Lookout Hawk Watch
- Birder’s View of Croton Point
- Rockland County birding hotspots
- Westchester Long Island Sound Shorebirds
- Westchester Bird Records & Trends
Register here to have a personalized Bird Chat Zoom link emailed to you.
You can re-register whenever you need the Zoom link sent again, if you did not save it.
By registering, you’ll get an email with the Zoom connection info right away AND you’ll also get a reminder email before each Bird Chat.
(Of course, you can unsubscribe from those reminder emails anytime, just click unsubscribe on email footer.)
- You don’t need to have a webcam — or be seen — or you don’t need to have a microphone — or be heard — to enjoy our Bird Chats
- You are welcome just to watch and listen on your computer, or even just listen by phone.
- (Although, if you connect only by phone without a computer screen, you’ll miss out on a lot of the pictures and other visuals we usually show.)
- If you have never used Zoom OR if want to learn more about using Zoom, there is a LOT of help online. Here are helpful instructions for joining your first Zoom meeting.
What We Do
- Some quick announcements from local Audubon and birding groups*
* let us know in advance if you have something you want announced. - Some sighting highlights and pictures from the past couple of weeks, often drawn from eBird reports.
- A conversation guest or birding topic or birding hotspot focus for the next 30 minutes or so.
- Your questions, comments, sightings and observations
Some Past Bird Chat Guests
past Bird Chat videos here
- Joshua DiPaola, Natural Resource Specialist, NYS State Parks
- Elijah Goodwin, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Ecology, Stone Barns
- Chris Zumwalt, Local Falconer
- Alan & Della Wells, Rockland County birders
- Don Riepe, American Littoral Society’s Jamaica Bay Program Director
- Tom Burke & Gail Benson, NYC Area Rare Bird Alert
- Sean Camillieri & Kyle Bardwell, volunteer Regional eBird Reviewers
- Charlie Roberto, Area Birder
- Kevin McGrath & Steve Rappaport, local bird photographers
- Michael Bochnik & Fran Greenberg, Hudson River Audubon of Westchester
- Sandy Morrissey, Bluebird Trails, Bronx River Sound Shore Audubon
- Joan Collins, Adirondack Avian Expeditions
- Kathryn Schneider, Author, Birding the Hudson Valley, Co-Chair, NYS Breeding Bird Atlas Steering Committee
- Barbara Mansell & Debbie van Zyl, Dutchess County birders from Waterman Bird Club
- Tait Johannson, Naturalist, Bedford Audubon Society
- Eliza Wein, Adam Vinson, NYS Young Birders Club
- Scott Craven & Larry Trachtenberg, Ossining/Croton Birding