Bird City Michigan: An Opportunity for 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.

Our Bird City Team

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Co-Chairs: Enya deFeijter & Tom Holt
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Documentation Lead - Cynthia Maas
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Habitat & Conservation Leads - Cliff Hodge, Zach Young

Education & Outreach Leads - Cynthia Maas, Enya deFeijter

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Community & Equity Lead - Zach Young
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City Liaisons - Cliff Hodge, Cynthia Maas

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Media - Chuck Otto, Tricia Boot
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The team is in the process of reaching out to community partners to join the effort. We want this to be a community effort, made up of like-minded, nature-loving organizations and people in Grand Rapids. If you would like to be involved, or have a suggestion for a group we should contact, please let us know!

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