A bird’s nest is as much a work of art as it is a means of survival. Instinct motivates birds to build nests strong enough to shelter their babies, but individual birds refine their nests as they gain experience from season to season. Over time, they create nests that are both stronger and more beautiful.
A female Wood Thrush carefully weaves elements of the world around her into a nest: leaves, dead grasses, the stems of plants, and even paper and plastic are intertwined for strength. She lines her nest with mud before laying a lining of rootlets for comfort.
Similarly, male and female ʻAkikikis weave nests out of the mosses and lichens they find in their rainforest habitats on the island of Kauaʻi. Severe threats such as avian malaria, non-native predators, and shrinking habitat mean there are fewer than 500 individuals left — each new nest is a cause for celebration.
Nests vary widely from place to place, and we find this variety both beautiful and inspiring. Baltimore Orioles generally build flexible hanging nests that sway like crocheted purses in the forest canopy. Closely related Orchard Orioles tend to build more rigid, cup-shaped nests in open woods and shrublands. Warbling Vireo nests are hanging cups that may include cobwebs, horsehair, dry grass, cocoons, birch bark, cotton thread, and paper.
In 2026, inspired by such acts of artistry and innovation, we are focusing on Weaving Together the work that ABC staff, fellows, partners, and seed grant recipients have envisioned and implemented over the past six years. We have used research, art, education, and outreach to expand how we envision and understand bird conservation. We celebrate ethical and creative approaches to conservation and recognize the importance of supporting the individuals pursuing such work. This work currently comprises ten strands:
- Wellbeing and the Wild (mindfulness, navigating burnout, inclusive birding)
- Understanding Loss (extinction, ecological grief, and sustaining hope)
- Mutual Flourishing (Indigenous lifeways, interconnectedness, reciprocity)
- Sankofa (the Afrofuturism Collective)
- A Charm of Cognition (neurodiversity)
- Beyond Binaries (queer ecologies, questioning, curiosity)
- Our Relatives (multispecies kinship)
- Stewardship and the Sacred (honoring place, acknowledging change)
- La Frontera (migration stories, wayfinding)
- Wonder and Joy (the arts and environmental education)
