Birds of a Feather

I just got back from spending some seriously unplugged time in the Newfoundland wilderness. As soon as I turned my laptop back on I was met with an onslaught of AI debates, “you’re doing xyz wrong” style LinkedIn posts, and a dozen cold emails from tech sales folks about ‘cutting edge solutions’ that were eerily similar to each other. 

Which brings me to this… 

In a world obsessed with high-tech solutions and digital disruption, nature offers us the most profound lessons about building movements that last. Birds have spent millions of years perfecting strategies to protect not only themselves, but each other and their communities. 

Here are some lessons I took home with me from our feathered friends:

Puffins: Abandon Your Need for Perfection and Embrace Unique Skills

Puffins show us that we don’t need to excel at everything to be cherished members of our communities. The puffin's awkward flight pattern—requiring tremendous effort to achieve what other birds do effortlessly—mirrors the experience of many grassroots organizers who may lack formal training or institutional resources. Yet puffins are extraordinary underwater, using their wings as powerful flippers to dive up to 200 feet and catch multiple fish in a single dive. They remind us to not only be authentic with our own skills instead of ‘puffin’ up our credentials, but to notice other’s unique skillsets instead of trying to fit them into a box. One day you may reject someone for their terrible flying, only to realize you need an expert diver the next day.  

White-Throated Sparrows: The Power of a Persistent Message

The white-throated sparrow’s morning song is a gentle but powerful reminder that the strongest messages aren’t necessarily the loudest, or the biggest. Every morning on my trip I looked forward to this small bird’s morning song to welcome the day. Often sitting atop a tall tree with their chest puffed out, their song cuts through all other noise – their message is simple, clear, and repeated until the whole world wakes up. The sparrow's morning song ritual offers a model for sustained organizing. The power lies not in the size of the voice but in its consistency and the collective symphony created when many small voices join together.

Yellow Warblers: Protect Your Shine

These bright yellow birds seem vulnerable as they shine brilliantly against the greens and blues of their landscape, appearing to make themselves obvious targets for predators. Yet they have found ways to thrive precisely because of their visibility, building layered nests in dense thickets where their brightness helps them navigate while remaining protected. Sometimes being a "bright" spot in dark times isn't dangerous—it's necessary for helping others find the movement. However, like the yellow warbler, we need protective spaces to rely on when things get dicey. The yellow warbler’s layered nest systems protect their eggs from predators, the elements, and the occasional brown-headed cowbird attempting to parasitize their nest with foreign eggs. What does your personal nest structure look like?

Ravens: Building Trust Through Unlikely Connections

Ravens remind us that collaboration often flourishes when we connect across differences. By working alongside foxes, they show how shared goals and mutual respect can lead to creative partnerships. Ravens form relationships with foxes and wolves offering their aerial view to scout for prey their hunting partner wouldn’t normally see, and then share in the rewards of food they would not have been able to get themselves. However, when food scarcity is at a high or climate change is impacting survival they can turn on each other. Now the metaphor can get messy here as I dive into hunting tactics and carcasses… but what ravens show us is that when resources are tight we can ‘carrion’ with unexpected allyships and coalition building. The key is to ensure all partners benefit from collective victories rather than hoarding resources.

Belted Kingfishers: Reevaluate What You Think You Know

The belted kingfisher turns expectations on their head, with the female bird shining the brightest compared to their male counterparts. Birds are well known for the males usually being more brightly coloured, but the belted kingfisher reminds us that broad assumptions have always been outdated. Not only are the female birds more brightly coloured, they are also known for being more assertive and territorial. We can take our own lessons about challenging traditional roles here, but there’s a different lesson I’d like to highlight… 

The ‘Natural Order’ is often a right-wing speaking point that upholds bigoted views, but it’s time to reclaim that narrative. As a queer person one of the most liberating things for me was getting interested in nature and biology, because despite white conservatives would have you believe, nature is super gay. From the gender role reversal of belted kingfishers it’s just a short step away from talking bisexual moss, asexual mushrooms, and pregnant male seahorses. Get curious, challenge assumptions, and please send me your coolest nature fact. 

The birds of Newfoundland reminded me that thriving together isn’t about competition or struggle, but about affirmation, care, the joy of coming together – and sometimes just being authentic little weirdos. Whether we’re singing our morning song, shining in our own way, or building new connections, we are always stronger as a flock. Let’s keep lifting each other up and building a world where everyone belongs.