Greenville County
Bird Club

Upstate South Carolina

Greenville County Bird Club

Upstate South Carolina

Resources and Links

We've compiled resources and links below to help you become a better birder and get more involved in the birding community.

General Resources

Injured or orphaned birds
Follow this link if you've found a bird in need of help.

Checklists and Literature
We've compiled a list of some literature relevant to birding in our area.

Birding Basics
We are all varying grades of beginner.

eBird
eBird is an online database of bird observations from around the world, operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Rare Bird Reporting
Follow this link to report a rare bird to the SC or NC State Bird Records Committee, or for publication in the Carolina Bird Club's quarterly, The Chat.

Birding Organizations

Carolina Bird Club
The Carolina Bird Club encompasses North and South Carolina. The CBC has three seasonal meetings each year, at which there are guided field trips, speakers, and social events. The CBC website has loads of useful information for birding in the Carolinas and beyond.

American Birding Association
The American Birding Association represents the North American birding community and supports birders through publications, conferences, workshops, tours, partnerships, and networks.

Keowee-Clemson Bird Club
The Keowee-Clemson Bird Club is another Upstate SC bird club with regular outings and activities.

National Audubon Society
In addition to the National Audubon Society are SC Audubon as well as chapters in Spartanburg, Columbia, Aiken, Hilton Head, Waccamaw, and Charleston. North Carolina has NC Audubon and chapters in Asheville, Highlands, Boone, Charlotte, and several farther east.

Birds Georgia
Birds Georgia (formerly Georgia Audubon) has been doing great work for years in nearby Georgia. Their website is loaded with resources, and they offer regular field trips as well as an annual birding festival in the spring.

Bird Identification

All About Birds
Bird identification website operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Birds of the World
Formerly Birds of North America
Paid subscription website with detailed accounts of species world-wide. Operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Audubon Bird Guide
Very well done online guide to North American birds by the National Audubon Society.

David Sibley's Website
The author of many well-respected birding books has several excellent articles on his website.

BirdWeb
This is a cool online guide provided by the Seattle Audubon Society.

Giff Beaton's Warbler ID Page
Warbler ID tips from a prominent GA birder.

The Feather Atlas
This feather image database from the US Fish & Wildlife Service is great for feather ID.

Surfbirds
This website has some detailed articles about some of the more difficult identification questions in birding.

Conservation

To care about birds is to care about conservation. Follow the links below for articles on how to help the birds and how to better understand the challenges they face.

Seven Simple Actions to Help Birds
This article from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology outlines some concrete steps that can be taken to help protect birds. Please take the time to read it.

Climate Change Impacts
This article from the National Audubon Society details the impacts of climate change on North American birds.

Buy a WMA Permit
Over one million acres of public land in South Carolina are supported and managed using funds from the sale of hunting licenses and Wildlife Management Area (WMA) permits. These lands and waters include the largest, most diverse and contiguous bird habitats and birding destinations in the state. Consider buying a WMA permit to help support these important bird habitats using this link for South Carolina and/or this link for North Carolina.

Buy a Duck Stamp
Like the WMA Permits, they're not just for hunters. Funds from duck stamps go to the the National Wildlife Refuge system. Stamps can be bought via the American Birding Association.

Buy Coffee Responsibly
Many of the birds we enjoy spend a large portion of their lives in Central or South America, where the beans for much of the coffee we drink are also grown. Most coffee plantations are in areas that were clear-cut from the rainforest. Buying certified shade-grown coffee, although more expensive, can help alleviate this problem. There is a somewhat bewildering array of labels and certifications found on coffee packages. This article from Cornell provides some clarity. The Smithsonian Institute's Bird Friendly certification has the most stringent requirements, and is also the most difficult to find. This web page at the Smithsonian Institute can help find a source for coffee certified to their standard. Birds & Beans Coffee is one brand of SI Bird Friendly coffee that the webmaster feels comfortable recommending.

Conservation Organizations
We are very fortunate in the SC Upstate to have several conservation organizations with dedicated people who have worked tirelessly for years to protect the natural beauty of the place we call home. Please consider supporting some of the following organizations: