Dates in 2025: — May 10 (spring) — October 11 (fall)
Theme: Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities The theme emphasizes the importance of designing urban and suburban environments that support birds—balancing human development with wildlife needs.
Why It Matters & Goals
The purpose is to raise awareness about migratory birds, their challenges, and the role of people and communities in protecting them.
The 2025 theme aims to highlight how cities and neighborhoods can be more bird-friendly: reducing threats (like building collisions, light pollution), restoring habitat, providing food sources, and fostering coexistence.
What You Can Do: Bird-Friendly Actions
The announcement suggests many practical steps individuals, communities, and building owners can take to help migratory birds:
Plant native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses — native vegetation supports local insects, which feed birds.
Reduce collisions with buildings/glass — using window treatments, putting decals or films, changing lighting.
Turn off lights between dusk and dawn, especially during migration seasons.
Leave leaves & natural
debris — dead leaves and natural litter support insects, a vital food source for birds.
Phase out pesticides/herbicides — chemicals reduce insect populations and harm birds directly.
Protect and restore habitats such as woodlands, wetlands, meadows.
Participate in citizen science / bird monitoring (e.g. eBird, Christmas Bird Counts)
Support conservation via programs like the Federal Duck Stamp (which funds wetland conservation)
Events & Examples
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is hosting several events around the country in May 2025.
Birding walks, identification events, lectures, public outreach.
Examples include events at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge, Anchorage, and a lecture by author Timothy Beatley titled “Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities.”
