WATCH: Bird Town PA Virtual Workshop with Senior Wildlife Biologist Mike McGraw

On February 12, Princeton Hydro Senior Wildlife Biologist Mike McGraw, CSE, QAWB, ACE joined Bird Town Pennsylvania for a virtual Zoom workshop titled “A Wholistic Approach to Managing Residential and Park Scale Habitats for Rare and Common Bird Species.” The talk brought together ecological science, practical land‑stewardship guidance, and a powerful call to reimagine how communities support thriving bird populations across Pennsylvania and beyond.

Bird Town PA’s Education Committee hosted the webinar as part of its ongoing effort to connect residents, landowners, and municipal leaders with science‑based strategies that enhance local biodiversity. Their mission, centered on community education, habitat conservation, and sustainable landscaping, aligned seamlessly with the themes Mike explored throughout the presentation.

To help extend the reach of this insightful discussion, we’ve collected highlights from the workshop and invite you to watch the full presentation:

Understanding Bird Ecology as the Foundation for Stewardship

Mike’s presentation provided a comprehensive look at the ecological principles behind bird behavior, the habitat features that sustain both common and rare species, and the steps landowners and municipalities can take to strengthen biodiversity within residential and park‑scale landscapes. He wove together life‑history science, soil and plant ecology, practical stewardship strategies, and community‑based conservation approaches to illustrate how thoughtful land management can meaningfully support bird populations across Pennsylvania.

He emphasized that all wildlife depends on very specific combinations of biotic and abiotic conditions, meaning that changes in habitat structure, vegetation, soils, and climate directly influence which species can persist in a landscape.

To illustrate this, Mike walked attendees through:

Migration Patterns and Life Cycles

• The distinctions between resident birds, short‑distance migrants, long‑distance migrants, and more complex categories like obligate, facultative, and partial migrants.
• The concept of philopatry—the tendency of birds to return to the same breeding or wintering grounds year after year.
• How species use the North American Flyways, and what these ancient migratory corridors tell us about habitat continuity and conservation needs.

By examining real examples of species and their migratory behaviors, Mike demonstrated how the presence (or absence) of certain bird species can serve as a diagnostic indicator of habitat function and ecosystem health, revealing signs of environmental stress, habitat fragmentation, and the impacts of climate change.

How Healthy Habitats Create Healthy Bird Communities

Mike outlined the fundamental elements birds need to thrive, including food, water, shelter, mates, and protected nesting or rearing spaces, and demonstrated how providing these through intentional plant selection, structural habitat diversity, and management practices rooted in natural processes results in predictable increases in wildlife use.

He paired these concepts with a practical decision‑making framework for landowners and municipalities, encouraging them to understand soils as living systems, increase plant diversity, and use ecological tools such as USDA zones and native plant lists to guide planning. Mike also highlighted the important role residential and municipal landscapes can play in supporting rare and declining bird species, offering real‑world examples and resources to help translate ecological principles into effective habitat improvements.

Supporting Birds Through Community Action

Access to nature is a fundamental right, and every community has the power to help shape a healthier ecological future. With this message in mind, Mike outlined a variety of ways residents and municipalities can support bird species of greatest conservation need, including implementing building standards that incorporate bird-safe features, expanding education on responsible pet practices such as keeping cats indoors, ensuring feeding stations remain clean, and adding decals to windows around the home to prevent bird strikes. He emphasized the importance of expanding and enhancing public parks and green spaces, particularly in underserved areas, and supporting programs that foster stronger connections between people and the natural world.

About the Presenter: Mike McGraw, CSE, QAWB, ACE

Mike McGraw is a Certified Senior Ecologist and Wildlife Biologist with more than 20 years of experience conducting ecological assessments, wildlife surveys, and conservation-focused research across the United States and Canada. His work spans ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture research, and master planning for large landscapes. He teaches Avifaunal Ecology at the University of Pennsylvania and serves on several municipal and land trust committees. Some of Mike’s research on regenerative agriculture has been documented in film.

About the Host: Bird Town Pennsylvania

The webinar was hosted by the Bird Town PA Education Committee of Bird Town Pennsylvania, LLC. Bird Town PA partners with communities to promote sustainable practices, habitat conservation, and public education aimed at supporting Pennsylvania’s bird species. Through workshops, citizen science initiatives, and municipal programs, they empower people to make informed decisions that benefit both wildlife and human well-being. Learn more at birdtownpa.org.

Watch the Full Presentation

If you missed the live workshop, have no fear! You can watch the full workshop on demand by clicking the video link below:

• Landscape Architecture
• Climate Change
• Environmental Action
• Environmental Education
• Natural Resource Management
• Resiliency