This is Bird Note.

Have you ever heard the phrase,

their safety in numbers?

Or that it takes a village to raise a child?

These are sayings about the power of community.

Community can be described by geography,

shared values, and common goals.

For people, community offers physical, mental, and emotional support.

For birds, community is embodied through mixed flocks.

For example, many sparrows spend the winter and mixed flocks with other species for protection and feeding efficiency.

During spring and fall migration, warblers, shorebirds, blackbirds, and swallows often travel in mixed blocks.

Some birds, like the red cockated woodpecker, participate in cooperative breeding.

They form family flocks of mixed ages, where first-year birds help their parents raise the younger generations, instead of having their own.

We can see the power of community through the actions of birds every day.

And it's time we took a note from their book.

So the next time you see a group of birds of all shapes and sizes, flocking together, ask

yourself, who's in your community?

This week is Black Birders Week.

To learn how to participate, follow the hashtag Black Birders Week on social media and visit birdnote.org.

I'm Deja Perkins.