Who is Missing from our Birding Community?

Birders. Photo: Camilla Cerea/Audubon

Jo Doumbia, NVBA Diversity and Inclusion Director

A Reflection for Latino Conservation Week 

From September 12–20, 2026, communities across the country will celebrate Latino Conservation Week, a time to recognize the important contributions of Latino communities to conservation and to encourage greater participation in protecting and enjoying our natural world.

For bird lovers, it is also an opportunity to ask an important question:

Who is enjoying the experiences our birding community offers and who may be missing?

Birding has a wonderful ability to bring people together. A cardinal at a feeder, the first warbler of spring, or the call of a barred owl can spark curiosity and create a lifelong connection with nature.

Latinos are a large and growing part of communities across our region. Many come from countries with extraordinary biodiversity and strong cultural connections to nature. Latin America is home to some of the richest birdlife on Earth. Yet Latino participation in organized birding and conservation activities in the United States often does not reflect the diversity of the communities around us.

The reason is not necessarily a lack of interest in birds or nature. Sometimes, the barriers are surprisingly practical.

Transportation can be one. Many of our favorite birding locations are difficult to reach without a car. An early-morning walk at a distant park may be routine for an experienced birder but inaccessible to someone who relies on public transportation.

Language can be another. Event announcements, websites, birding guides and programs are still predominantly in English. Even someone who speaks English comfortably may feel more welcomed when information is also available in their first language or when a bilingual leader greets them.

Then there is the perceived cost of birding. Binoculars, spotting scopes, field guides and specialized outdoor clothing can make a simple activity appear expensive. We know that enjoying birds requires little more than curiosity, but newcomers may not know that. We at NVBA offer loaner binoculars and free beginner programs can make an enormous difference.

Another barrier is simply unfamiliarity. If you have never heard of a bird alliance, Audubon chapter, nature center or bird club, how would you know that its walks are open to you? Terms such as “bird walk” or “field trip” may themselves suggest activities designed for experienced birders.

Representation also matters. When people look at our websites, newsletters, leadership, speakers and field trips, do they see people who look like them or share their experiences? Seeing Latino birders, naturalists, scientists and conservation leaders sends an important message: You belong here, too.

But perhaps the easiest barrier for all of us to change is also the most human:

Sometimes people have simply never been invited.

We often advertise programs and assume that everyone who might be interested will find us. But there is a significant difference between seeing an announcement and hearing someone say, “Come with me. You don’t need to know anything about birds. We’ll learn together.”

Latino Conservation Week gives bird organizations an opportunity to move beyond simply welcoming diversity in principle toward actively creating belonging.

That might mean offering bilingual bird walks, bringing programs into Latino neighborhoods, providing binoculars, partnering with community organizations and faith communities, featuring Latino conservationists, or inviting families to beginner-friendly events.

Most importantly, it means building relationships and listening.

Our birds already show us how interconnected we are. Many of the warblers, thrushes, orioles and hummingbirds we celebrate here spend part of their lives in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean or South America. Their survival depends on habitats and people across borders.

Perhaps our birding community can learn something from them.

During Latino Conservation Week, let us not only ask, “How can we get more people interested in birds?”

Let us also ask:

Who isn’t here? What may be keeping them away? And what can each of us do to personally invite them in?

Because sometimes the beginning of a lifelong connection with birds and with conservation is as simple as someone saying:

“Come birding with us. You are welcome here.”