An Introduction to Birding at the New Canaan Land Trust

Join father-son duo, and expert birders, Avery and Newel Cotton, for a virtual introduction to birding at the New Canaan Land Trust. Participants will learn some of the best ways to identify common birds across the Land Trust’s Still Pond Preserve, an eBird hotspot. Using the physical description of each species, coupled with their calls and preferred habitats, the Cottons will highlight a few of the many species that you might come across during a visit to the preserve.

With the spring migration getting started, this virtual walkthrough will give participants the tools they need to get out and start birding on their own.

The Cottons will also introduce participants to a few birding tools and resources, including eBird and other resources from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. eBird is one of the world’s largest citizen science projects, enables birders to record their bird sightings, see what other birders have spotted in the area, and locate birding hotspots in New Canaan and across the globe.

Avery and Newell Cotton are New Canaan residents, and and avid birding team. Together, they have spotted hundreds of different species across the globe, and regularly record their sightings on eBird. Recently, Avery and Newell have become birding ambassadors for the land trust, regularly visiting preserves that are designated as eBird hotspots, and recording sightings so that the Land Trust can track migratory and resident bird populations. With this knowledge, the Land Trust is able to better manage its preserves for species in need. The Cottons were also featured in THIS STORY in the Land Trust’s 2020 annual report.