Introducing

Black Birders Week 2025:

Grounded in Community

Black Birders Week is a bold and unapologetic reclamation of the Black community’s role in environmental spaces—a powerful celebration of our enduring connection to the earth and a resounding call to dismantle the oppressive systems that have excluded us.

For 2025, under the theme “Grounded in Community,” we are continuing a movement that centers Black joy, liberation, and collective power in the outdoors. This is a space where Black birders, scientists, and nature enthusiasts are not just participants but visionary leaders and changemakers, reshaping narratives and demanding equity in every arena.

Black Birders Week is more than birding—it’s a movement for liberation, healing, and the transformative power of nature as a force for resistance and reclamation.

And for our Bird Theme, we honor the Sparrow Family—resilient, adaptive, and thriving in connection. Like sparrows, we find power in community, lifting our voices together to transform the outdoors into spaces of belonging and liberation.

Often dismissed as "little brown birds," sparrows symbolize adaptability and community—qualities that deeply resonate with the Black community. Just as sparrows are frequently overlooked in favor of more "charismatic" species, Black birders have historically been underrepresented in environmental and naturalist spaces.

Sparrows represent our theme “Grounded in Community” emphasizing the shared need for visibility, respect, and action for both sparrows and the Black community. Through storytelling, education, and community building, our theme seeks to foster a deeper connection to nature and a more inclusive birding community, celebrating the vital contributions of both sparrows and Black birders to the future of conservation.

Exciting updates are coming your way as we count down to Black Birders Week!

Stay tuned for sneak peeks at events, activities, and ways to get stay engaged and get involved. You won’t want to miss what we have in store!

2025 SCHEDULE

The heart of Black Birders Week recognizes that our collective voice is our greatest strength.

  • Grounded in Community

    2025 Week Schedule

    MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2025

  • "Flock to Freedom"

    SUNDAY - MAY 25, 2025

    Birds symbolize movement, migration, and breaking barriers, mirroring our experiences as Black birders as we navigate and thrive in environments where we have historically been excluded. "Flock to Freedom" aims to provide space for empowerment, self-expression, and connection to ancestral roots while challenging stereotypes about who belongs in nature. Join us as we reconnect online and in person to rise, soar, and flock to freedom.

  • "Wings of Wisdom"

    MONDAY - MAY 26, 2025

    “Wings of Wisdom” builds on being “Grounded in Community” by honoring the intergenerational wisdom, scientific contributions, and lived experiences of Black birders, naturalists, and conservationists. Today, we uplift the stories of our elders, educators, and emerging leaders who guide us in understanding ecology, bird behavior, and environmental justice. “Wings of Wisdom” promotes a culture of learning because when we learn from the past, we can navigate the present with confidence and curiosity and be free to dream of a better future.

  • "United in Flight"

    TUESDAY - MAY 27, 2025

    Being United in Flight is a testament to the power of community. Migratory birds are able to navigate long distances and difficult journeys by drawing on the strength and collective knowledge of a mixed flock. Similarly, we aim to connect Black Birders across the diaspora to share resources, navigate challenges, and uplift each other to reach new heights in spaces where we have historically been underrepresented.

  • "Right to Rest"

    WEDNESDAY - MAY 28, 2025

    “Right to Rest” challenges the historical and ongoing policing of Black bodies in nature. It asserts that relaxation, observation, and connection with the natural world are not privileges, but fundamental rights. Today, we honor the restorative power of birding as a meditative, healing practice that allows Black communities to reclaim our relationship with the land on our terms. Slowing down is sacred, and in community, we protect its power to renew us.

  • "Birds, Bonds, & Belonging"

    THURSDAY - MAY 29, 2025

    “Birds, Bonds, and Belonging” aims to cultivate spaces where Black birders see themselves reflected in the birds we admire, the plants in our yards, the companions at our side, and the growing tapestry of our collective story. This subtheme celebrates how birding is more than a hobby; for us, it's a bridge between our people and the land. Today, we highlight how birding can nurture connections to each other, the natural world, and our deep-rooted legacy and relationship to the land. Here, belonging isn't questioned; it's intentionally cultivated.

  • "Murmurations of Color"

    FRIDAY - MAY 30, 2025

    Murmurations of Color challenges the false notion that nature and conservation are monochromatic spaces. Today, we showcase how Black folks bring dynamic energy, creativity, and cultural richness to birding. We hope that by highlighting the variety of ways birds are present in Black culture, art, and media, we can celebrate our creativity and shift the narrative about who belongs in nature and birding. Murmurations of Color is a testament to the magic that happens when Black creativity and nature come together.

  • "Community Chorus"

    SATURDAY - MAY 31, 2025

    The heart of Black Birders Week recognizes that our collective voice is our greatest strength. “Community Chorus” celebrates the symphony of Black joy in birding. Like birds calling across a forest, our love and excitement shine through when we communicate, educate, and uplift one another through shared knowledge and joyful outdoor encounters. Our community chorus is a joyful noise of wisdom passed down, barriers called out, and the future being sung into existence.  Here, every voice matters, and there is no policing of joy. One thing for sure and two things for certain: our community chorus will make sure the whole world hears about our song for the joy and protection of Black people and birds in wild spaces.