Every February I celebrate Black History Month, but I also recently discovered that February is Bird Awareness Month. I don’t know if you are aware, dear reader, but I am a birder. I discovered the pastime during lockdown when I spent almost two months living in Delaware. One of my goals for 2023 is to learn a lot more about the diverse birds that surround us and the myriad of ways they contribute to our ecosystems.
Whenever I tell people I bird, they quickly quip that the only birds in New York City are pigeons. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. Whether you’re in Central Park, Prospect Park, or strolling down the street, there is incredible bird diversity in New York City—just as diverse as the people and communities here.
I don’t know all of the different types of birds in the city, but I do know that because so much of the city is surrounded by water and there are also so many parks large and small, we have birds that prefer everything from marshlands to wooded areas.
I recently went birding with a dear friend in Central Park. As we strolled around the park discussing our families and our work, I thought of the millions of birds that migrate through New York City each year. I think of birds that fly for hours upon hours on end to make it to the American South, and even to the Caribbean and South America.
As I wandered through the park with my binoculars, I couldn’t help but think of all of the people imprisoned at Rikers Island. Rikers is technically located in the Bronx and is situated on a 413-acre island that houses over 10,000 people each year. This island is directly in a migratory route and is surrounded by water that so many different types of ducks, sparrows, and sea gulls call home.
I often wonder if the inmates at Rikers can look out of their small windows and see the beauty of nature just outside of their walls. I truly hope nature is a solace to so many people who are currently wrongfully imprisoned or imprisoned in inhumane ways by a city and state and country that is supposed to protect the sanctity of everyone within its borders. Rikers fails to protect men and women on a daily basis, and the hope of the jail closing seems like a distant memory. Being able to spend time in nature is a blessing, something we should not take for granted. Seeing a lone bird find a perch on a building, catching the sight of a hawk as it observes the people below, or even seeing a mundane pigeon with a fresh set of eyes reminds us there is beauty just above us if we look up.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an Associate professor at Fordham University, the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”, and the co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of The Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio.