We, Mary and Cade Coldren, are The Backyard Bird Pros, and we bring to this site almost 60 years’ experience watching birds far and wide, but mostly in and near our own backyard. Let us tell you a little about ourselves.
We met in college, with both of us there to study wildlife ecology, in particular birds. But we had more than just an interest in birds; instead we were passionate about birds. All birds. Even the common ones found in the backyard.
Eventually, we both earned graduate degrees studying birds (Mary with a master of science degree, and Cade with both master and doctoral degrees). Work has not always focused on birds, but our love of birds has never wavered. Our kids know more about birds and nature than the vast majority of their peers.
Our interests in birds are wide-ranging, but each of us has chosen to focus more on certain aspects than the others. Cade loves studying the science of birds, but enjoys sharing his knowledge as widely as possible. Mary’s passion has always been about helping people appreciate the magic of nature that surrounds them, from teaching preschoolers about nature in their backyards to sharing bird banding techniques with retired people.
So that’s who we are – two bird lovers and scientists, with a passion for sharing our knowledge.