|
LIBERTY BIRD ALLIANCE
The Liberty Bird Alliance is a chapter of the National Audubon Society that serves members and friends throughout Philadelphia and major portions of Montgomery County
| | |
CHECK THE EVENTS CALENDAR ON THE WEBSITE!
Keep current on upcoming bird walks, field trips and programs through the website. Our calendar of events provides the activities dates, and description of all of our activities. The schedule often includes additional events and changes. Some of our events request preregistration. Go to libertybirdalliance.org. to check out our monthly schedule and to preregister for those events where requested.
| |
SPECIAL AND REGULAR MONTHLY PROGRAMS
Our regular monthly programs are scheduled from September through May. Our programs take place at the Upper Dublin Public Library, 520 Virginia Drive, Fort Washington, PA 19034 and are typically scheduled for 7:00 PM on the second Tuesday of each month with variations due to holidays. Programs are free! We welcome all members, friends, and anyone interested in participating! We encourage registrations for our programs and offer the programs via zoom for individuals not able to attend in person.
JANUARY PROGRAM
7:00 PM, Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Eagle, Quetzal, Grackle:
Ornithological Understanding in the Aztec World
Victoria (Tori) Sindlinger
Five hundred years ago, in the middle of a mountain lake, the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán blossomed with dazzling aviaries and keen naturalists. Sadly, this heritage of ornithological knowledge has been all but forgotten – or erased – by Western tellings of history. With a strong emphasis on eyewitness accounts, Victoria’s work aims to open our eyes to this world of careful observation and sophisticated bird husbandry. As an avid birder of Mexican heritage, Victoria is passionate about ensuring this important facet of history continues to be acknowledged. This presentation reveals Aztec society’s lost legacy of spot-on descriptions of birds and their behavior, accurate understanding of bird anatomy, and thoughtful bird care. Incredibly, this bears many clear similarities to how we observe, capture, and care for these exquisite creatures in the modern day.
Speaker Bio:
Victoria has enjoyed nature, particularly birds, from a very young age. She was a devoted volunteer at Rushton Woods Preserve’s songbird and saw-whet owl banding stations from 2015 until starting college studies in 2023. In September of 2021, Victoria had the honor of joining the eBird review team for Philadelphia County. Her passion for conservation led to the creation of “Hope in the Night,” which is an art installment honoring window-killed birds and their power to inspire change. This installment is currently displayed at the Discovery Center. Victoria has long been fascinated by ethno-ornithology and loves learning how different cultures view and interact with birds. Currently, she is an undergrad student of Earth and Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania, where she founded the Quackers Bird Club at Penn, the university’s first birding club.
| | |
CLIMATE WATCH WINTER CYCLE
January 15 through February 15, 2026
The Liberty Bird Alliance is preparing to conduct a dozen point counts in each of the ten “Climate Squares” we cover in Philadelphia and Montgomery County, as part of the National Audubon Society “Climate Watch” Program. Our chapter’s efforts are coordinated by, Katie Eberhart, who works with the “team captains” in each of our “Climate Squares.” Each captain assembles a team of volunteers and schedules the point counts in their assigned square. We have been fortunate in that there are many volunteers that step up to help in both the winter and spring cycles of Climate Watch each year. We welcome anyone interested in participating as part of the effort. No special skills are required other than a willingness to learn! If you are interested, please contact us at: libertybirdalliance@gmail.com
| |
|
BIRD SAFE PHILLY
A Call for Volunteers to Help with Upcoming Retrofit Projects
The Liberty Bird Alliance has been a leader in the effort to mitigate bird collisions with windows with the support of volunteers who have helped to install Feather Friendly collision deterrent markers on the windows of area nature centers, environmental education centers, public libraries, and schools. This effort has been in partnership with our Bird Safe Philly coalition partners including the Academy of Natural Science at Drexel University, Audubon Mid-Atlantic, the Delaware Valley Ornithological Club, and the Valley Forge Audubon Society. We are looking ahead to a full schedule of retrofit projects in 2026 including a major project at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum.
There are additional projects that include public libraries and other sites. These and other sites have been selected to help teach and demonstrate the scope and scale of bird deaths due to collisions with windows and to educate the visitors to these public places about action they can take at their own homes and place of work. Our success to date is due to the scores of volunteers who have stepped up to learn the simple steps of installation of “Feather Friendly” and their willingness to volunteer time at projects as their schedule permits. We will benefit from the recruitment of additional people to reinforce the existing corps of volunteers. To learn more please contact Stephanie Egger or Leigh Altadonna at birdsafephilly@gmail.com
| | |
BIRD HABITAT RECOGNITION PROGRAM
The Liberty Bird Alliance is working in partnership with the Pennsylvania Audubon Council, other Audubon chapters, and Bird Town Pennsylvania in a new Bird Habitat Recognition Program that launched last fall. There have been over 45 properties in the Liberty Bird Alliance’s chapter territory that have been recognized to date. We encourage anyone who has taken steps to make their property beneficial for birds to see if they qualify for recognition in the program.
Property owners are encouraged to fill out an application to qualify for the program and receive a yard sign. To qualify, your property must have items from each of the four pillars of healthy habitats: Food, Water, Shelter, and Nesting. There are many benefits to having your Bird Friendly Habitat recognized. There is an application fee of $30 that contributes to the sustainability of the program. You can get the Bird Town Pennsylvania newsletter, Bird Beat, filled with all sorts of articles on native plants and healthy habitats. You can connect with and take advantage of programs and events. And you’ll be part of the PA Audubon Council community statewide with opportunities to attend webinars, act with local legislators, and stay on top of all things bird-friendly in PA....and maybe your sign will encourage your neighbors to have bird-friendly yards. Learn more at https://paauduboncouncil.org/bird-habitat-recognition.../
| | |
FIELD TRIPS AND BIRD WALKS
A Note About Our Field Trips: We encourage participants to regularly check both the Liberty Bird Alliance website and Facebook page in advance of a field trip as the location can change due to road construction, a park closure, weather conditions, or other last-minute reasons. If you have any questions about a field trip, please contact: wyncotefieldtrips@gmail.com. The time stated is the STARTING time, not the arrival time. Plan to arrive a few minutes before the scheduled time of the field trip.. This will give you time to get yourself ready, say hello, visit a restroom, and be ready to go. For all-day trips, please come prepared with lunch and have a full tank of gas.
Participant Release: Your decision to participate in an Audubon field trip or event signifies that you agree to not hold the Liberty Bird Alliance or any of its agents responsible for any accidents, losses, damages, or injuries resulting from your participation in the field trip or event.
DIXON MEADOW PRESERVE BIRD WALK
Sunday January 11, 2026
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Join Troy Bynum for this monthly bird walk at Dixon Meadow. Directions: 548 Flourtown Road, Lafayette Hill, PA 19444
| | |
BIRD TOWN PENNSYLVANIA BIRD WALKS
All are welcome to participate, including new birders and experienced birders alike. Bring binoculars if you have them; wear comfortable footwear and clothing. Come see our returning “winter birds” and some of our year-round residents that frequent these areas. There is always a chance to catch an unusual or unexpected species too. No preregistration is required for our Bird Town Bird Walks!
Cheltenham Bird Town Bird Walk
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Saturday,January 17, 2026
Join Judith Gratz for her monthly bird walk at High School Park. Directions: Meet at the “Tool Shed” in the park at High School Road and Montgomery Avenue, Elkins Park, PA 19027
Abington Bird Town Bird Walk
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Lorimer Park
Join Jennifer Sherwood for her monthly Bird Town Bird Walk at Lorimer Park. Directions: Park at the main parking lot at 183 Moredon Road, Huntingdon Valley PA 19006. Note that the parking lot is accessible traveling from the west from Huntingdon Pike as the lot entrance is before the road closure over the bridge being reconstructed over the Pennypack Creek. For more information: Contact: Jennifer Sherwood, eac@abingtonpa.gov.
| | YOU ARE WHAT HOPE LOOKS LIKE TO A BIRD! | | Our Annual Giving campaign continues. Many thank advance for your support | | | | |
