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!