Photo credits: Neal J. Hohman, Matt Orsie and Jim Triplett
Welcome to the BBC Website!  
​Our website is loaded with present and past information about the Brooks Bird Club, birds & nature, and birding in West Virginia!
​Please use the dropdown tabs above for event information, photos, books, checklists, chapters, affiliates and so much more!

What is the Brooks Bird Club?
  • It’s an independent, educational, nonprofit organization that promotes the study and enjoyment of birds and other elements of the natural world. 
  • Many club members undertake studies that have lasting scientific value, e.g., population and breeding bird surveys, bird banding, and Christmas Bird Counts.
  • Every June the Brooks Bird Club has an event called the "Foray".  ​Here members from the club's chapters and affiliates can come together to find all the fauna and flora possible, while enjoying nature related programs, campfires and friendship.
  • ​Most of all we are a bird club...  Our members go out throughout the year enjoying and exploring nature while finding and identifying all the birds we can!
The club symbol is the American Redstart. The male Redstart is a black and orange wood warbler.  American Redstarts migrate from South America to nest in West Virginia and other surrounding states. The male sings a beautiful high pitched variable song.
Due to recent events
 Please call or email leaders about possible cancelations to events/outings!
Please remember to practice social distancing while birding! ​

Let's Go Birding!

To find a pre-scheduled BBC nature related outing, check out our Calendar of Events page.

​You can link our calendar to your computer, tablet or phone.

Newsletter ~ Journal
The 2020 1st quarter Mail Bag (the BBC newsletter) is now available! 
​
​You can read The Redstart (our scientific journal) online as well!
​January ~ Issue 1 is now on the website.
We now have all 85 years (1933 - 2018) of The Redstart available on our website for reading, reference and research.

BBC Administrator Passes

Our friend, long time member of the Brooks Bird Club, and BBC Administrator Carl Slater passed away on December 5th. 2019 

Carl had been a member of the BBC for over 60 years! He will be remembered and missed by all who knew him.

BBC Helping Chimney Swifts

The BBC is funding the construction of five Chimney Swift (CHSW) towers.  Learn about The BBC Chimney Swift Project! 
Two towers are complete! To see them, click on these links -
​Ohio County Tower ~ Kanawha County Tower​

Bird Note

Bird Note ~ Stories about birds, the environment and more!

​Bird Feeders

​Learn about different types of seed and how they attract birds and how to make your own suet on our Feed the Birds Page!

Create your own Wildlife Sanctuary!

Did you know the BBC has a Wildlife Sanctuary program?
​Learn how to have your own personal Wildlife Sanctuary!
WV conservation begins with you.
​ You can make a difference... Please help where you can!

​Wanted: Birders!

The Brooks Bird Club is always looking for new birders.
​Are you new to birding?  Do you enjoy the outdoors and nature?
Have you been watching and enjoying birds for years?
​Come join us, we cater to all nature enthusiasts!

Already a BBC Member?
​Now it's easier than ever to renew your membership or become our newest member, just click "How to Join" ​

​​Report Spotted Lanternflies!

​West Virginians should continue to be on the lookout for a new invasive insect pest, the spotted lanternfly. Learn more.​

Bird School

Broaden your understanding of birds.  Free premium content for all knowledge levels.  Learn everything—from birding basics to comprehensive ornithology.  The Cornell Lab Bird Academy

​New: Be a better birder! Warbler Identification Course

Bird Feathers

Finding a feather always sparks interest. What bird was it from?
​Learn about feather forensics, check out the Feather Atlas! 

WV ​Bird Banding Stations

Allegheny Front Migratory Observatory: (AFMO)
AFMO banding for 2019 is complete. 
​The 2019 seasonal data & highlights will be posted soon. 
To learn more about the banding station history and to see past seasonal data, click on the AFMO link above.​ 
​
Northern Saw-whet Owl Bird Banding:  (NSWO)
​To see photos and the seasonal data from the Valley Falls State Park banding station, click on the NSWO link above.
​
​The MAPS Banding Program: (MAPS)
​The MAPS program is a continent-wide collaborative effort to assist the conservation of birds and their habitats through demographic monitoring. Since 1989, more than 1,200 MAPS stations were started across North America. We currently have 3 stations in West Virginia. Click the MAPS link above to learn more about this bird banding program. 

​Alpha Codes: 
What are Alpha Codes? It's the 4 or 6 letter code for all birds. 
​Alpha Codes by common name or taxonomic order.

WV State Parks

The state parks here in WV are a great place to find birds and explore nature. Explore all the West Virginia State Parks
Please protect clean air, clean water, and public health and conserve working farms, forests, and natural lands here in WV.

Birding for Beginner's ​

​Are you a new birder? Do you want to learn more about birding? We have a new page dedicated to you, it was suggested by a young student who found it while working on a bird migration project. The page is loaded with information for new birders of all ages!  Here it is Birding for Beginner's thanks to Hayley!

​Past Events

​​To see past events that our BBC members enjoyed, click below!
Past events by year: 2020 ~ 2019 ~ 2018 ~ 2017 ~ 2016 
​Past BBC Homepage Articles with Links. Archives

2020 ~ ​Upcoming Special Events

The 59th WV Wildflower Pilgrimage 2020: 
The West Virginia Wildflower Pilgrimage will be held this year from May 7th ~ 10th.
​
The Brooks Bird Club has had a long relationship with the WV Wildflower Pilgrimage.  The event features numerous tour options on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th to beautiful destinations. Each tour has leaders to help identify the WV flora and fauna. 
In addition, tours feature experts in geology and natural history.
To learn more about this wonderful event go to our
WV Wildflower Pilgrimage Page!                                                     Downloadable 2020 WVP registration form.
This event fills up fast every year, so sign up early!​

April

Early spring migrants including some early warblers are being reported in the state! Look for Pine Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher to name a few. 
Please remember to practice social distancing while birding! 

The timber doodle, another name for the American Woodcock, is back! Get out to see one of the most impressive spring mating displays.  To find them, listen for the distinct "peent" call that the males give at dusk and dawn in shrubby areas next to fields.  

April is still a great time to look for migrating ducks on our rivers and lakes.  Brush up on migrating waterfowl, download the Merlin app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it's free! 
​
Have you renewed your BBC membership?
​Join or renew your BBC Membership here on the website!

​The new 2019 - 2020 Federal Duck Stamp is now available! For more information go to the bottom of our Home Page!

*Our Redstart Editor Casey Rucker is always looking for interesting observations. It's always a great time to get out and observe nature. Write a nature related article for The Redstart.

​Bird Nest Boxes and Structures

Here's a great year-round project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  ​Learn how to make perfect nest boxes & structures.
Just pick the bird species you're interested in and the Cornell Lab will give you the building plans. The information includes how and where to place the bird box/structure to be successful!

​Other Items of Interest

The Moon in April!
Full Moon: on the 8th ~ New Moon:​ on the 23th
April's full moon is known as the Full Pink Moon. The Full Pink Moon’s name comes from the abundance of moss phlox, a common little pink flower that typically begins to spread across the ground in early spring.

Monongahela National Forest:  Designated Wilderness Areas

WV Christmas Bird Count Results: Want to know what species were found, and how many birds were counted here in WV?  Check out our WV CBC Results Page!

West Virginia eBird:  Explore current WV eBird data.  
​
​Oglebay Nature News:
​The Schrader Environmental Education Center (Oglebay Park)     Fall Newsletter 2019.

​WV Nature Conservancy:  Learn about the Nature Conservancy's West Virginia Protected Preserves and Landscapes. 

WV Natural Area:  The Forks of Coal Natural Area.

​Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge: 
​The old Canaan Valley NWR visitor center has been torn down, a brand new center is under construction! Grand opening soon! 

WV Hiking:  Many WV State Parks have organized hiking events.
​Get out and enjoy all that our parks have to offer!

​Looking for new places to bird in WV?  Check the WVDNR list.
​You can also buy our Birding Guide to WV here on our website!
​Please protect clean air, clean water, and public health and conserve working farms, forests, and natural lands here in WV.

​Books

Throughout the history of the Brooks Bird Club a number of our members have written or co-written nature related books.
​Here are a few recent books that are available. ​

​Neotropical Migrants

Learn about the birds referred to as Neotropical migrants. ​

120th Christmas Bird Count

The 120th NAS Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season was held between December 14th, 2019 and January 5th, 2020.
Thousands of CBC's were conducted all over the Western Hemisphere.  Locally here in WV we have twenty counts located in various counties throughout the state.
To learn more about our West Virginia Christmas Bird Counts go to our WV CBC Page! 

The 119th WV CBC seasonal analysis is now on the website.
The NAS CBC is the longest running bird census on the planet! ​

​WV Rare Bird Species

​Rare birds are found in West Virginia every year.
​If you see a bird that you believe is not normally seen in WV, take photos if possible, make notes on what you see and hear, call other friends/birders, and let others know quickly. 
​Then report it to the WV Bird Records Committee. 

​Rare birds are defined as birds never or rarely seen in the state.
Keep updated of rare birds being reported in WV,  learn what birds are on the WV State List, and on the WV Review List here!
Download a Rare Bird Report Form here on our website.​​

The WV Records page also includes: 
​The list of submitted rare bird reports that the WV Bird Records Committee received and voted on in 2019. Updated 3/10/20

​To see past reports submitted, go to the WVBRC Archives Page.
​​
Some of the rare birds seen in WV!
For the latest news in the birding world
​check out The Birding Wire.
Are you planning a bird or nature related outing? Let us know and we will post it on our Calendar of Events or Home Page.

Federal Duck Stamp

Support bird habitat conservation! The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service offers Duck Stamps for purchase. 98% of the price goes towards the National Wildlife Refuge Service.
The new 2019-2020 Mallards stamp is available now!
​Read more about them & buy yours here. 
2019-2020 Federal Duck Stamp, featuring Wood Duck and decoy, art by Scot Storm of Freeport, Minnesota. Credit: USFWS​

Birding is Year Round!

Winter: Check out the rivers, lakes and ponds. Look for waterfowl and gulls. Help on a Christmas Bird Count.
Spring: Look for returning swallows, warblers, flycatchers, orioles and other birds migrating north.
Summer: Breeding birds are everywhere, look for nests and fledglings. Shorebirds begin migrating south.
Fall: The southward migration; look for shorebirds, songbirds and hawks.  Visit a banding station and a hawk watch.
               ~ Wheeling-Charleston-Parkersburg-Pipestem-Marlinton and beyond we are birding West Virginia ~
                                                                    Find a BBC chapter or a BBC affiliate in your area!
​         BBC members are also affiliated with both local WV Audubon Chapters ~ Mountaineer and ​Potomac Valley

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