Brooks Bird Club

Photo credits: Neal J. Hohman, Matt Orsie, Jim Triplett, and anonymous photographers.

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.

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 2021 1st quarter Mail Bag (the BBC newsletter) is now available!

You can read The Redstart (our scientific journal) online as well!
Jan. ~ Issue 1 is now on the website.

We now have all 88 years (1933 - 2021) of The Redstart available on our website for reading, reference and research.

Advanced Birding ~ Hawk Talk

Learn about the rare Red-tailed Hawk sub-species, Krider's.

BBC Helping Chimney Swifts

The BBC is funding the construction of five Chimney Swift (CHSW) towers. Learn about The BBC Chimney Swift Project!
four 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

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 station will open in late August 2022!
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.

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

WV Wildflower Pilgrimage

To learn about the West Virginia Wildflower Pilgrimage go to our WV Wildflower Pilgrimage Page.

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.

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.

2022 ~ Upcoming Special Events

BBC Foray 2022

The BBC Foray is returning for 2022! This year's Foray will be based in Terra Alta WV, in Preston County.
We will be at Camp Galilee, adjacent to Terra Alta Lake.
The Foray will run Fri. June 3rd ~ Sat. June 11th.
To learn more, go to our BBC 2022 Foray Page.
Online application form is now CLOSED!
Please contact the Foray Director for all late submissions.

Recent Past Event

122nd NAS Christmas Bird Count

The 122nd National Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count season was held from December 14th through January 5th.
To learn about the NAS Christmas Bird Count, go to our WV CBC page! This season's WV CBC data will be posted on the BBC website after the counts are reviewed.

New WV CBC ~ Tygart Lake Area

Ross Brittian and Matt McKinney have started a new WV Christmas Bird Count circle in the Tygart Lake area!
The count circle includes Tygart Lake, Pleasant Creek WMA, Valley Falls S.P., and many other diverse habitats.

WV Second Breeding Bird Atlas

The WV Second Breeding Bird Atlas is finally completed and published, book orders are now available on Amazon.
The atlas features information on 170 bird species.

All BBC members are eligible for a 30% discount on the atlas!
This 30% BBC membership discount is on a first come first served basis, for up to 200 members. One discounted copy per member please. For your discount code, contact the webmaster.
After receiving your code, order your copy here.

Thanks to all the volunteers who made the Atlas possible.

Late Winter

Look for winter raptors! Help on Winter Raptor Survey.
Check out the rivers and lakes for migrating waterfowl!

Brush up on your migrating birds, download the Merlin app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it's free!
Last June the Cornell Lab added a bird song identifier!

Have you renewed your BBC membership?
Join or renew your BBC Membership here on the website!

The new 2021 - 2022 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

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 Archives page!

West Virginia eBird: Explore current WV eBird data.

Oglebay Nature News:
The Schrader Environmental Education Center (Oglebay Park) 2020 Winter Newsletter.

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.

Neotropical Migrants

Learn about the birds referred to as Neotropical migrants.

121th Christmas Bird Count

The 121th NAS Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season was held between December 14th, 2020 and January 5th, 2021.
Thousands of CBC's were conducted all over the Western Hemisphere. Locally here in WV, we now have twenty-one counts located in various counties throughout the state.

Results from our 21 WV counts are now posted on the BBC website 121st WV CBC Results.

To learn what birds were found here in WV during the past five CBC seasons, go to our WV CBC Archives page.

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 2021. Updated 3/05/21

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 2021-2022 duck stamp featuring a Lesser Scaup, is available now!
Read more about them & buy yours here.

2020-2021 Federal Duck Stamp, featuring a Lesser Scaup painted by artist Richard Clifton.
Used with permission by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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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Let us know what you think... Join us, let's bird West Virginia!

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