
Get a FREE Warbler Refresher
Join us in-person on March 23 for our Alliance Afternoon. Stay after to find out how you can volunteer to help birds and wildlife.
Photo: Black-throated Blue Warbler, Matt Felperin

30,000 Miles in Search of Godwits
Don’t miss the incredible story of one ornithologist’s journey in search of Godwits across 10 states and provinces. Tuesday, March 18, 7pm. $15-25.
Photo: Hudsonian Godwit, David Seidensticker/Audubon Photography Awards

Join Us for a Class or Workshop
We have some great events coming up, both in person and online.
Photo: Eastern Towhee, Calli Cook/Audubon Photography Awards

Wildlife Sanctuary Almanac: Wildlife-friendly Spring Garden Cleanup
Help insects and birds survive the winter by waiting to clean up the garden!
Photo: Common Eastern Bumblebee, Judy Gallagher

The Chimney Swift
Did you know that until the mid-19th century the Chimney Swift was called the American Swift?
Photo: Chimney Swifts, Ben Cvengros/Audubon Photography Awards

The Birds Are Coming - Will the Lights Be Out?
Migration season is approaching fast, and most birds migrate at night. Here’s why we need to turn out the lights for them
Photo: Baltimore Orioles, Eric Nie/Audubon Photography Awards

The Short-eared Owl, Another Winter Visitor
Some observant DC-area birders were fortunate to catch sight of Short-eared Owl in the DC-northern Virginia urban core late in December and early in January.
Photo: Short-eared Owl, Duke Coonrad/Audubon Photography Awards
Conserving and Enjoying Nature
Northern Virginia Bird Alliance is a chapter of the National Audubon Society.
Our mission is to engage all Northern Virginia communities in enjoying, conserving, and restoring nature for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people. We advance our mission through educational programs, citizen science, conservation initiatives, and advocacy initiatives. We envision a world where people, wildlife, and their habitats thrive.

President’s Corner
Our work is powered by our volunteers with direction from (and many hours of participation by) our NVBA committees. To encourage you to get involved, we would like to introduce you to those committees and the work they do.
Photo: Yellow-throated Warbler, Matt Felperin
News
The latest stories from NVBA. Looking for a particular topic? Try searching our site. We have hundreds of articles full of great information about everything from birds to advocacy to native plants.
Did you know that until the mid-19th century the Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) was called the American Swift?
The Virginia General Assembly adjourned sine die on February 22. It is scheduled to reconvene April 2 to address actions the governor may take on legislation sent to him.
If your property contains a stream, pond, or any sort of wetland, whether its flow is permanent or intermittent in nature, this article is especially for you!
As spring arrives in northern Virginia, we’re looking forward to Birdathon 2025, our annual event where teams collect pledges from friends and family and then record how many species they can identify during any 24-hour period between April 19 and May 18.
Judy Gallagher is an NVBA board member and a regular surveyor of local wildlife who also captures photos of what she sees, in particular the less common species.
If you followed the advice to forgo an annual autumn garden cleanup and instead left fallen leaves and dead plant stems in place to provide winter habitat for wildlife, your yard helped lots of local bugs and birds survive the winter and prepare for spring.
Monday Nature Mystery continues! Read on to learn who correctly identified our last mystery.
This month we have renamed Judy Gallagher’s monthly feature article, which provides her stunningly detailed photos of insects, along with fascinating information about their lives.
Migration season is approaching fast. Between March 15 and May 31, 100 million birds will pass through northern Virginia, most of them flying at night.
NVBA relies heavily on its members to execute its mission, and we’re currently looking for members interested in serving on our Board of Directors.
The results of the 43rd annual Manassas-Bull Run Christmas Bird Count are in! Over seventy birders counted 17,591 birds of 79 species in this 15-mile diameter circle on December 15, 2024.
Find more stories on our News page.
Upcoming Classes and Events
We have resumed some in-person bird walks and are holding our classes and events both in person and online. You can also watch recordings of past virtual events on our Online Programs page.