Urban Bird Foundation facts for kids
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| Founded | 2008 |
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| Founder | Scott Artis |
| Type | 501(c)(3) non-profit organization |
| Focus | Burrowing owl, native birds, habitat and wildlife conservation |
| Location | |
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Area served
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United States |
| Method | Conservation, ecosystem restoration, education, research, collaboration, outreach |
| Website | UrbanBird.org |
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Formerly called
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Burrowing Owl Conservation Network |
The Urban Bird Foundation is a group in the United States that helps birds. It started in 2008. Their main goal is to protect birds living in cities and towns, and nearby areas. They also rescue birds and work to keep bird life healthy.
This group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. This means they use all their money to help birds, not to make a profit. Scott Artis founded the organization.
Before October 2013, the group was called the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network. Back then, they focused mainly on protecting burrowing owls. They also worked to keep the owls' homes, called habitats, safe.
Today, the Urban Bird Foundation works to protect many types of native birds. They help restore natural areas where birds live. They also teach people about birds and their importance. The group is based in American Canyon, California.
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Helping Birds and Their Homes
The Urban Bird Foundation works hard to protect birds and their homes. They do this in several ways. They help protect natural areas where birds live. They also work to bring back healthy ecosystems. These are places where plants, animals, and their environment work together.
The group also works with landowners, government groups, and other non-profit organizations. Together, they find ways to help birds. Sometimes, they even build special homes for burrowing owls. These are called artificial burrows.
The organization first started as "Friends of East Bay Owls." Their early work focused on protecting burrowing owls and their habitats in the East Bay area of California. Over time, their work grew. Now, they help birds all across California and North America.
Working for Owl Protection
The Urban Bird Foundation has worked on important projects to help burrowing owls. When they were the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network, they led a big effort in 2011. They asked for a plan to protect burrowing owls across California.
This request was a team effort with another group called Defenders of Wildlife. Many other organizations in California also supported this plan. More than 209,000 Californians were part of this effort.
Becoming an Independent Group
The Urban Bird Foundation was once part of another group called Earth Island Institute. This happened on July 24, 2010. Earth Island Institute helped the Urban Bird Foundation with money and support. This helped them grow their efforts to help birds.
In 2018, the Urban Bird Foundation became its own independent non-profit group. They officially became a 501(c)(3) organization. This means they can now get donations directly to support their bird protection work.
Protecting Owls Under Law
On March 5, 2024, the Urban Bird Foundation joined with several other groups. These included the Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife. They asked the California Fish and Game Commission for special protection for burrowing owls.
They asked for the owls to be listed under the California Endangered Species Act. This law helps protect animals that are in danger. They asked for different levels of protection for owls in different parts of California.
For example, they asked for "endangered" status for owls in some areas. This means these owls are at very high risk of disappearing. They asked for "threatened" status for owls in other areas. This means these owls could become endangered soon.
