Interested in taking action to protect horseshoe crabs in Massachusetts? Migrating shorebirds depend on their eggs for critical migration fuel and there are multiple ways you can get involved as a concerned citizen:
Take action today!
– Share comments on a current proposal to list the Horseshoe Crab as a Species of Special Concern
Comments are due by April 23rd at 5pm and may be sent via email to susan.sacco@mass.gov to the attention of the Fisheries and Wildlife Board
– Participate in the proposal to close Plymouth, Kingston, and Duxbury Bays to the Horseshoe Crab Take
Contact the Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance (contact: Sharl Heller)
Ways to get involved:
– Massachusetts Horseshoe Crab Collaborative
Visit their website to learn more and join over 2,000 Massachusetts residents who have gone on record as wanting an end to taking horseshoe crabs for bait, even as they come ashore to spawn. Also visit their facebook page or contact Sharl Heller at the Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance.
– Manomet
See their website and examples of their critical work with horseshoe crabs. Volunteer, make a donation, and more.
– Horseshoe Crab Recovery Coalition
Visit their website to learn more and take action.
Resources to learn more: (curated by the MA Horseshoe Crab Collaborative)
– When the Horseshoe Crabs are Gone, We’ll Be in Trouble. Deborah Cramer, The New York Times.
– Horseshoe crabs have roamed the planet for 450 million years, but they could be running out of time, Renée Loth, Boston Globe.
– The Horseshoe Crab Saved Us. Can We Save the Horseshoe Crab? I am BIO Podcast.
– Connecticut’s 2023 elimination of horseshoe crab commercial harvests and Governor Lamont’s call for neighboring states “to join this growing coalition and enact similar laws to protect the population in their waters.”
– Fishermen capturing spawning horseshoe crabs—Horseshoe Crab Capture: Video by Raymond MacDonald.
11/19 Pelagic Webinar: Pinch me! …. Did We Just Discover a New Species?!
On November 19 at 7PM please join us to hear from Alvaro Jaramillo, about the discovery of new species of seabirds.
11/14 Webinar: Birding in Italy
As a natural north-south bridge between Europe and Africa, Italy is a vitally important region for more than 550 bird species, both migrants and breeders. More than 20% of the “Boot” is under environmental protection
October 2026 BBC Big Day Report
October 2026 BBC Big Day Report On Saturday, October 10 over 50 BBC members submitted 133 checklists for Massachusetts as part of our BBC Big Day event (with a few more from NH, VT and [...]
Roberts on Raptors – Golden Eagles Coming
Think Migrating Golden Eagles: The weather forecast for this Saturday (October 17) suggests birders should brush up on their eagle identification.
Bring Back Bobolinks!
Bring Back Bobolinks! 2026 has been the inaugural year for our Endangered Species Program. Each year we plan to focus on a single bird species facing serious threats in Massachusetts and elsewhere. With this effort [...]
BBC Record of Bachman’s Warbler Sighting
BBC Record of Bachman's Warbler Sighting Club Statistician David Scott recently added a new record to the club's life list stemming from a 1961 week long club trip to Bulls Island, SC. We learned about [...]
11/19 Pelagic Webinar: Pinch me! …. Did We Just Discover a New Species?!
On November 19 at 7PM please join us to hear from Alvaro Jaramillo, about the discovery of new species of seabirds.
11/14 Webinar: Birding in Italy
As a natural north-south bridge between Europe and Africa, Italy is a vitally important region for more than 550 bird species, both migrants and breeders. More than 20% of the “Boot” is under environmental protection
October 2026 BBC Big Day Report
October 2026 BBC Big Day Report On Saturday, October 10 over 50 BBC members submitted 133 checklists for Massachusetts as part of our BBC Big Day event (with a few more from NH, VT and [...]
Roberts on Raptors – Golden Eagles Coming
Think Migrating Golden Eagles: The weather forecast for this Saturday (October 17) suggests birders should brush up on their eagle identification.
Bring Back Bobolinks!
Bring Back Bobolinks! 2026 has been the inaugural year for our Endangered Species Program. Each year we plan to focus on a single bird species facing serious threats in Massachusetts and elsewhere. With this effort [...]
BBC Record of Bachman’s Warbler Sighting
BBC Record of Bachman's Warbler Sighting Club Statistician David Scott recently added a new record to the club's life list stemming from a 1961 week long club trip to Bulls Island, SC. We learned about [...]
11/19 Pelagic Webinar: Pinch me! …. Did We Just Discover a New Species?!
On November 19 at 7PM please join us to hear from Alvaro Jaramillo, about the discovery of new species of seabirds.
11/14 Webinar: Birding in Italy
As a natural north-south bridge between Europe and Africa, Italy is a vitally important region for more than 550 bird species, both migrants and breeders. More than 20% of the “Boot” is under environmental protection
October 2026 BBC Big Day Report
October 2026 BBC Big Day Report On Saturday, October 10 over 50 BBC members submitted 133 checklists for Massachusetts as part of our BBC Big Day event (with a few more from NH, VT and [...]
Roberts on Raptors – Golden Eagles Coming
Think Migrating Golden Eagles: The weather forecast for this Saturday (October 17) suggests birders should brush up on their eagle identification.
Bring Back Bobolinks!
Bring Back Bobolinks! 2026 has been the inaugural year for our Endangered Species Program. Each year we plan to focus on a single bird species facing serious threats in Massachusetts and elsewhere. With this effort [...]
BBC Record of Bachman’s Warbler Sighting
BBC Record of Bachman's Warbler Sighting Club Statistician David Scott recently added a new record to the club's life list stemming from a 1961 week long club trip to Bulls Island, SC. We learned about [...]
News Categories
Upcoming Field Trips
Field Trips / Events
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Fresh Pond, Cambridge
Cambridge - Fresh Pond - TD Bank 235 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA, United StatesAn easy 2-mile walk through pondside meadows and forest paths at Fresh Pond. The over-wintering waterbirds have started to arrive, and we may see Ring-necked Ducks, Ruddy Ducks and both Hooded and Common Mergansers. Meadow and forest species may include year-round residents as well as seasonal visitors from the north (e.g. White-throated Sparrows, Juncos).
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Franklin Park – Scarboro Pond (Early Birders Series)
Boston - Franklin Park Tennis Courts (Meeting Spot) MA, United StatesJoin fellow birders in their 20s-30s as we visit Franklin Park! Located in Roxbury, Boston’s largest open space is home to a plethora of natural features, including miles of trails, playing fields, a pond, and plenty of birds! Here we will look for all sorts of songbirds, including late fall migrants and early winterers. Whether [...]
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An Oasis for Birds at Belle Isle Marsh
East Boston - Belle Isle Parking Lot 1399 Bennington Street, Boston, MA, United StatesLed by DCR staff. We will search on foot up to one mile, on flat, easy terrain for snowy owls and other raptors, native sparrows, finches, waterfowl, and other birds. This is a traveling program by car or bike. Prepare for ticks. Ages: Adults and kids 8 years+ with adult chaperone. Binoculars recommended. Cosponsored by [...]
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RESCHEDULED to 11/15 Arlington Reservoir with Arlington Open Space Committee and Arlington Reservoir Committee RESCHEDULED to 11/15
Lexington - Arlington Reservoir 210 Lowell Street, Arlington, MA, United StatesDue to expected rain, we are rescheduling this walk to November 15, same time and place.
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Millennium Park
Boston - Millennium Park Canoe Launch 300 Gardner Street, Boston, MA, United StatesJoin us to observe resident birds and winter migrants in a unique urban habitat that is a favorite for many bird species, including uncommon and rare birds. Birders of all levels will enjoy this walk. The trails are (generally) flat. A water bottle, water proof clothing including a hat, gloves, and trail shoes are recommended. [...]