The Rouge River Bird Observatory was established in 1992 to explore an understudied yet increasingly critical area of research: the importance of urban natural areas to birds. In our rapidly urbanizing world, habitat fragments in metropolitan areas become more critical to birds. Understanding how birds use them is essential for conservation. We are the longest-running, full-time urban bird research station in North America.
Michigan Audubon supports the primary focus of RRBO, which is to better understand the importance of urban areas as migratory stopover sites for birds. For many bird species, migrations are crucial times in the annual cycle, and events during these periods can have great influence on their populations. Birds traveling thousands of miles on their way to or from breeding and wintering sites need safe places to stop and refuel. Increasingly, they encounter urban areas. Yet little long-term research has been done to determine how birds use urban habitats during migration, whether urban migratory stopovers provide adequate resources, and what resources are most important.