Volunteer Opportunities
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
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Volunteers tally birds in Central Park during the 2025 Christmas Bird Count. Photo: NYC Bird Alliance
Christmas Bird Count (12/20/26)
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was started by ornithologist Frank M. Chapman on Christmas Day 1900 and is the nation's longest-running community-science bird project. Every year, birders across the western hemisphere come together to count as many birds as possible in their neighborhoods, parks, and green spaces. NYC Bird Alliance coordinates counts for the New Jersey-Lower Hudson (NJLH) count circle, which covers all of Manhattan (including Governors Island and Randall's Island) and parts of northern New Jersey. Learn more about the CBC at nycbirdalliance.org/cbc.
Join NYC Bird Alliance for the 127th CBC on Sunday, December 20, 2026. Birders and nature enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels are welcome! To participate in New Jersey, contact Shayna Marchese. To participate in Manhattan, register by clicking the button below.
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 photographs a Yellow-rumped Warbler killed 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 fall 2026 are closed. Check back in March 2027 for info on how to get involved in the spring or subscribe to our email newsletter, the eGret, for monthly updates on upcoming volunteer opportunities, events, and more!
Signups for fall 2026 are closed. Check back in March 2027 for info on how to get involved in the spring or subscribe to our email newsletter, the eGret, for monthly updates on upcoming volunteer opportunities, events, and more!
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.
Horseshoe crab monitoring for 2026 has concluded. Check back in April 2027 for info on how to get involved in 2027 or subscribe to our email newsletter, the eGret, for monthly updates on upcoming volunteer opportunities, events, and more!
Horseshoe crab monitoring for 2026 has concluded. Check back in April 2027 for info on how to get involved in 2027 or subscribe to our email newsletter, the eGret, for monthly updates on upcoming volunteer opportunities, events, and more!
