Volunteers are the lifeblood of NYC Bird Alliance, essential to carrying out our mission of protecting the birds and habitats of New York City. Whether you are an experienced birder or just passionate about the environment, there are many ways to get involved with NYC Bird Alliance.
Please note that our volunteer opportunities are seasonal and open and close throughout the year. Be the first to know when a volunteer opportunity opens by subscribing to our monthly eGret eNewsletter.
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
NYC Bird Alliance staff educate festival goers about birds at our Raptorama! program at Jamaica Bay. Photo: NYC Bird Alliance
Engagement Volunteers
There are several opportunities for volunteers to assist our engagement and outreach team, including:
- Tabling at public festivals (primarily held on weekends across NYC)
- Photographing outings, festivals, and events
- Putting up and distributing flyers for free public programs
- Translating outreach materials and offering bilingual support at events
Volunteers should be able to communicate comfortably with festival participants about conservation and wild birds. Interested in volunteering? Fill out our form below. We'll be in touch when opportunities arise!
A Project Safe Flight volunteer holds a Common Yellowthroat found injured from colliding with glass. Photo: Winston Qin
CLOSED: Project Safe Flight Collision Monitoring
Did you know that up to a quarter million birds die from collisions with New York City's buildings each year as they migrate through our area in the spring and fall? Volunteers help NYC Bird Alliance study the causes of these collisions and inspire bird-friendly action by monitoring select street routes located throughout the five boroughs early in the morning for dead and injured birds.
Signups for spring 2026 are now closed. Please check back in July 2026 for info on how to get involved in the fall, or subscribe to our eGret newsletter to be notified via email.
Signups for spring 2026 are now closed. Please check back in July 2026 for info on how to get involved in the fall, or subscribe to our eGret newsletter to be notified via email.
Volunteers preparing to tag a male Atlantic Horseshoe Crab. Photo: Bianco Otero
CLOSED: Horseshoe Crab Monitoring
Horseshoe crab monitoring is a fun way to contribute to scientific research and bird protection. Volunteers gather on beaches in Jamaica Bay in Queens or Brooklyn in May and June to count, measure, and tag Atlantic horseshoe crabs, the eggs of which are a critical food source for migrating shorebirds.
Signups for 2026 are now closed. Click the button below to find more information regarding our monitoring sites and the 2026 monitoring dates.
Signups for 2026 are now closed. Click the button below to find more information regarding our monitoring sites and the 2026 monitoring dates.
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Christmas Bird Count volunteers tally birds at the Great Lawn in Central Park on Dec 15, 2024. Photo: NYC Bird Alliance
CLOSED: Christmas Bird Count
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count, a tradition first proposed by ornithologist Frank M. Chapman on Christmas Day 1900, is the nation's longest-running Community-Science bird project. NYC Bird Alliance coordinates counts for the New Jersey-Lower Hudson (NJLH) count circle, which covers all of Manhattan, Governors Island, Randall's Island, Roosevelt Island, and parts of northern New Jersey.
The 126th Christmas Bird Count in the NJ-Lower Hudson circle was held on Sunday, December 14, 2025. Finalized results are available at nycbirdalliance.org/cbc.
Save the date: the 127th Christmas Bird Count in Manhattan will take place on Sunday, December 20, 2026.
