One Bird’s Biography
One early May, I watched a pair of Baltimore Orioles courting in my backyard. Before long, the female was weaving an intricate nest in the sugar maple outside my bedroom window.
This year, Bird City Network (BCN), an initiative of ABC and Environment for the Americas, is welcoming six new state programs into the fold. BCN leaders are guiding teams from Alabama, Idaho, Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, and Tennessee through program design and integration. They will join existing programs in 13 other states and three Latin American countries.
BCN recently celebrated St. Louis as the first community in Bird City Missouri and the first in the network with dual recognition from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Urban Bird Treaty program, BCN’s partner program in the federal government. The Urban Bird Treaty recognizes more than 25 cities nationwide for their bird conservation and habitat improvement strategies in urban and suburban areas.
Another recent first: The small coastal city of Yachats, Oregon, became the first Bird City on the Pacific coast and in the state. The program’s projects include banding migratory Purple Martins and supporting efforts to convert streetlights to Dark Sky standards, as well as hosting speakers and conducting birding events.
In 2025, more than 275 communities participated in BCN within its 16 programs. They completed more than 3,500 actions to improve habitat, reduce threats, engage people, and promote sustainability.
