For the last four years it’s has been a pleasure and an honor to be NVBA’s president. I want to take this opportunity to thank the great folks on our board, on our staff, in our volunteer ranks, and among our members and communities – and to highlight how, working with these groups, NVBA has been able to strengthen and grow its bird and nature conservation efforts. 

Why is that Northern Cardinal bald? We all have bad hair days. Birds have bad feather weeks every late summer as they go through molt. Some, like Northern Cardinals, take the process to the extreme. 

The 2026 Winter Waterfowl Survey, sponsored by NVBA, was conducted on February 14 and 15. Nearly 70 participants monitored areas along the Potomac River from western Loudoun County to Quantico Marine Base in Prince William County.

Depending on its position and angle, planting a slope isn’t always easy. But the rewards can be considerable.

One of my favorite sights (and sounds) of spring is my first Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) of the season. I’ve always found them elegant-looking, with a sleek, slaty body, jaunty black cap and rusty patch under the tail. 

Judy Gallagher is an NVBA board member and a regular surveyor of local wildlife who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.

There are both native and non-native dogwoods available in the nursery trade, as well as hybrid crosses. It is important to know that all dogwoods are not created equal when it comes to their value to wildlife.

Join us for a class, workshop or event! Here are some of our upcoming offerings.

Black Birders Week changed my life. It changed the way I see myself in environmental spaces. It was the reason I joined the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance board and gave me the opportunity to meet Black birders, photographers, artists, conservation leaders, and other Black nature enthusiasts. 

Join Alan Ford of Virginia Native Plant Society at 10:30 AM on Sunday, May 17, or Sunday June 7 for a walk adjacent to an acidic seepage swamp, recognized as a globally rare ecosystem in Fairfax County.

National Geographic defines citizen science as “the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge.” Projects usually do not require specialized knowledge, and volunteers often train new ones.

The equinox is a reminder that things begin again. Birds feel it before we do, returning, singing, coming back to the spaces they need. And that's exactly what I want us to think about this May during spring migration and the local nesting season: who gets to be in those spaces with them?

National Wildlife Refuges are entering a period of uncertainty that could undermine the vital protections they offer to around 800 bird species across the country. Northern Virginia’s refuges are not immune from the looming pressures, but area refuges outside the federal system are thriving.

It’s the time of year when more of us are spending time outdoors, watching and photographing birds. It’s also a good time to review the principles of ethical birding.