Sacramento’s Audubon Society changes name to Bird Alliance, joining national trend
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- The Sacramento Audubon Society voted to change its name to Sacramento Bird Alliance.
- About 67% of 223 voting members approved the name change after a board recommendation.
- Close to one-third of more than 500 local chapters have changed their names since 2023.
The Sacramento Audubon Society voted to change its name to the Sacramento Bird Alliance after members voted to change the organization’s name, joining a growing number of local chapters seeking to distance themselves from John James Audubon, the naturalist whose legacy has come under scrutiny because of his support for slavery.
The organization announced the results Saturday.
About 67% of the 223 members who cast ballots voted to change the name after the group’s Board of Directors recommended the move last year, the Sacramento Bird Alliance said on its website.
Nearly one-third of the National Audubon Society’s more than 500 local chapters have changed their names since the organization’s national Board of Directors rejected a name change in 2023, the Sacramento chapter said. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the national board's president at the time said Audubon's name was too intertwined with the organization and the conservation movement to remove.
What is Audubon’s legacy?
Audubon’s most notable book, “The Birds of America,” published in the early 1800s, is considered one of the most influential works in American conservation history, documenting bird species and inspiring conservation efforts.
But his legacy has come under scrutiny for his actions and beliefs outside of conservation. According to the Sacramento Bird Alliance, Audubon was “a slave holder and a racist that produced some unethical and questionable scientific products.”
Chapter leaders said “Bird Alliance” has become the most common replacement name among local chapters because it emphasizes the organization’s mission rather than an individual.
“These facts are a distraction from our mission and may keep some people from knowing about our work and learning about birds through our work,” Cliff Feldham, the Sacramento Bird Alliance’s president-elect, said in the announcement of its new name. “With our new name we will distance ourselves from that distraction and keep the focus on birds.”
What is the Sacramento Bird Alliance?
Feldham said the group will legally change its name and update its website and social media accounts this summer. He added that anyone with concerns about the name change can contact him or the chapter’s Board of Directors.
The Sacramento chapter was founded in the 1950s, decades after the national organization was established in 1905.
The volunteer-run organization advocates for local conservation efforts, provides education about birds and bird conservation, and organizes birdwatching events.
The Bird Alliance also leads field trips, hosts conservation workdays and offers other community events.
The Sacramento chapter calls the capital region a “birder’s paradise” because of its proximity to the Sierra Nevada, the Pacific coast, foothills and major waterways. More than 290 bird species can be found in the greater Sacramento area, the organization said.
“I truly believe the name change, along with some new, younger volunteers, will allow the organization to grow and flourish,” outgoing President Paul Miller said in an article about the end of his tenure at the helm.
