Natural History Wanderings

from Cornell Lab of Ornithology

5 Take-Home Messages from Black Birders Week

Last week, a social-media movement known as #BlackBirdersWeek helped Black birders voice the experiences and challenges they face as birdwatchers. Across some 9 hours of livestream discussion, thousands of questions, and 50,000 viewers, themes ranged from weighty to whimsical—from personal safety to favorite bird song mnemonics. Most importantly, the discussions aired important ideas worth the attention of all birders.

Why Are We Sharing This? We believe everyone has the right to enjoy the outdoors in peace and safety. Recent events have highlighted, once again, that this is not the case for Black birdwatchers. Fairness and equity are integral to the pursuit we as a community love—and we join the many voices in support of those values. Please read our full statement here.