(created for a community book discussion on 27 March 2024)

A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds
By Anders Gyllenhaal and Beverly Gyllenhaal
©2023‎ Simon & Schuster

Authors’ website — Flying Lessons
3 Billion Birds —  read the study
Videos: 3 Billion Birds | ICARUS | MOTUS | Cornell Lab | Audubon | Ducks Unlimited | American Bird Conservancy | Hoy Ranch

Follow-up Activities at Home

• Follow these Seven Simple Actions
• Help count birds at SWMLC preserves
• Create a bird-friendly habitat (National Wildlife Fed.)
• Learn why birds matter
• Join a citizen science project through the Cornell Lab
• Explore hosting a MOTUS station (at the radar tower?)
• Join the Holland Audubon Club
• Buy a duck stamp souvenir sheet for $25 from the USPS

Bird Watching and Identification

• Buy a copy of the Birds of Michigan Field Guide
• Download the free Merlin Bird ID app and start identifying birds by song
• Get involved with eBird, using the free app
• Learn about owning a Haikubox
• Check out the Ottawa County Parks birding web page 
• Visit an Allegan County birding hotspot

Key Organizations

• Local – Holland Audobon Club and Outdoor Discovery Center
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology – research, eBird, Merlin app
• American Bird Conservancy – conserving wild birds & their habitats
• North American Bird Conservation Initiative – a coalition of agencies & organizations
• US Fish and Wildlife Service – protecting endangered species, duck stamps
• National Audubon Society – protecting birds & their habitats
• Ducks Unlimited – restoring, protecting, & enhancing waterfowl habitats