Bird City Michigan: An Opportunity for Greater Grand Rapids

What is Bird City Michigan?

Bird City Michigan is a statewide program led by Michigan Audubon that helps cities, towns, counties, and campuses take meaningful steps to make their communities healthier for both birds and people. The program launched in January 2025 as part of the international Bird City Network.
Communities participating in Bird City Michigan work through a menu of bird‑friendly actions—many of which they may already be doing—to qualify for official Bird City designation. These actions fall into four key categories:
  • Habitat: Protecting and restoring the native spaces birds depend on.
  • Threat Reduction: Addressing challenges like window collisions, plastic waste, light pollution, and outdoor cats.
  • Engagement & Education: Offering programs, events, and resources that connect people with birds.
  • Sustainability: Encouraging environmentally responsible, long‑term community practices.
Once a community completes the required number of actions, it can apply for Bird City designation. Much like the original national program, participation remains ongoing—communities continue their work and periodically renew their status to stay active.

Building Our Bird City Team

Planning is currently underway with a small group that is getting this initiative off the ground, but we will need YOU as we expand!  To guide this effort, we are assembling a diverse Bird City Team representing the strengths of the Greater Grand Rapids community. Proposed roles include: chair / co-chairs, documentation lead(s), habitat & conservation lead(s), education & outreach lead(s), community & equity lead(s), and city liaison(s). While we have some interest in these roles already, we are looking to have community representation woven throughout this effort. 
If you’re passionate about any of these areas—or simply want to contribute your time, energy, or perspective—we can find space for you on the team!

Please reach out to us at birdcitygr@gmail.com!

Why Bird City Michigan Matters

Michigan is home to over 460 documented bird species, making it one of the most diverse bird states in the country—and many of these species are facing significant declines. Bird City Michigan gives communities a framework to make a real difference by improving habitats and reducing everyday threats.
The benefits go beyond conservation:
  • Healthier habitats mean more resilient local ecosystems.
  • Bird‑friendly cities tend to be more sustainable and more enjoyable places for people too.
  • Communities can tap into a booming nature‑based tourism economy, with U.S. birders spending more than $107 billion in 2022 alone on birding travel, equipment, and related activities.
Michigan’s first Bird City communities—Roscommon, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Iosco County, and Big Rapids—have already gained statewide visibility for their conservation leadership.

What This Means for Grand Rapids

As the Grand Rapids Audubon Club explores applying for Bird City Michigan status, this program offers a clear roadmap for bringing together the work already happening—habitat restoration, education programs, community science projects, collision‑monitoring efforts—and identifying where we can grow next.
Joining Bird City Michigan would connect Grand Rapids with a growing network of communities across the state working toward the same goal: building healthier, more vibrant, and more bird‑friendly places that benefit both wildlife and people.

Citations

Michigan Audubon. (2026). Bird City Michigan – A statewide movement for birds and people. Michigan Audubon. https://www.michiganaudubon.org/bird-city-michigan/

PR Newswire. (2025, November 18). Powered by Michigan Audubon: 5 inaugural Bird Cities set a new standard for conservation and community. PR Newswire. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/powered-by-michigan-audubon-5-inaugural-bird-cities-set-a-new-standard-for-conservation-and-community-302618653.html