NYC Audubon Society Clips Wings of Namesake, Flies Forward as NYC Bird Alliance

This spring as trees bud in Central Park and flowers bloom, NYC Audubon hatches a new name, dropping the local chapter of the National Audubon Society’s longtime moniker for their new title, NYC Bird Alliance.

The organization has been in the process of changing their name for almost two years, officially announcing they would be dropping Audubon in March 2023 in response to their namesake’s controversial past.

The new title went into effect on June 6 when the New York Secretary of State accepted the amended certificate of incorporation, with NYC Bird Alliance revealing a refreshed logo, new website name and social media handles.

“We embarked on a robust and thoughtful process to make sure the name we chose was the right one to represent our organization and its work,” said Jessica Wilson, NYC Bird Alliance executive director. That process included crowdsourcing name suggestions from a wide audience of members, supporters, volunteers and partners, totaling 250 suggested names.

The organization’s board ultimately voted on the top name, gaining final approval from members.

“NYC Bird Alliance is the right name for the organization because it speaks to our work focused on protecting wild birds and habitat along with our geographic focus in New York City,” said Wilson. “The word alliance is broad, referring to the partnerships and alliances we have with New Yorkers, volunteers, conservation organizations and other chapters of the Audubon network across the country.”

Wilson also notes out of the nearly 400 local independent chapters of the National Audubon Society across the county, many have opted to drop Audubon from their title and opted for “Bird Alliance”.

“This was not a decision we took lightly,” said Wilson. “We have a rich history of 45 years of success with the Audubon name and we wanted to make sure the name we chose represents us well and represents that historic work.”

Conversations about the organization’s namesake John James Audubon and a potential name change began to be discussed in earnest by staff and board members of the NYC Bird Alliance in 2020. Through a public feedback process, the ornithological group determined the name was “a barrier to entry” and many viewed the society’s namesake as “harmful and offensive.”

Audubon, born in 1775 in the then French colony of Saint-Domingue (today’s Haiti), was a painter whose book Birds of America, printed between 1827 and 1838, documented North American birds through a collection of 435 life-size watercolors. Advocating for the protection of birds and their natural habitats, his work inspired the first bird conservation groups to memorialize his name.

This legacy was achieved through Audubon owning and selling of slaves. The naturalist continued to defend slavery even after Northern states adopted laws abolishing slavery. New York state began its process of gradual abolition in 1799; with all former slaves freed by July 4, 1827.

Audubon is also associated with a collection of human skulls owned by Dr. Samuel George Morton who developed deeply racist theories on skull size and intelligence. One memorable— and frightening— example this type of thought is expressed by Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino’s slavery-era western starring Jamie Foxx as the title character recently freed from bondage.

As local chapters across the country came to contend with their namesake’s discomfiting past, the National Audubon Society announced in March 2023 following a year of deliberation it would be maintaining its historical title. Audubon CEO Dr. Elizabeth Gray stated in an open letter that “the organization transcends one person’s name”.

“We expect over the next few years, we will see more chapters change their name or announce intentions to change their name,” said Wilson, noting that about 50 already have. “We also recognize that organizations will do it on their own schedule, and they will do what makes sense for their communities and for their work,” continued the executive director.

The change to NYC Bird Alliance is significant as the organization founded in 1979 is one of the largest independent local chapters in the Audubon network. At this year’s June 5 Annual Meeting, members voted in an overwhelming majority to ratify the new name, breaking records for member participation.

While the Bird Alliance believes its name change is a step forward for inclusion, this is just one avenue the organization has taken to promote accessibility for all New Yorkers.

NYC Bird Alliance offers hundreds of free guided bird outings annually through city parks, accessible for all levels of experience. Their Nature to Nature Program offers guided bird outings in New York City’s public housing campuses in partnership with the Public Housing Community Fund.

They offer programs in multiple languages, including Spanish and Mandarin, and host bird outings focused on physical accessibility, with one coming up on June 22 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and another on July 6 in Fort Tryon Park in upper Manhattan. Throughout June, they will also be celebrating Pride Month with their series “Let’s Go Birding Together” in Central Park and Governors Island for members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies.

“We will be continuing and building on the work we’ve been doing for 45 years, engaging all New Yorkers, including communities of different backgrounds, to enjoy birds and take action to protect them,” said Wilson. “Our values remain the same as we work to protect wild birds and habitat. We’ll just going to be doing it with a new name.”

A full calendar of events can be found at www.nycbirdalliance.org/calendar.