Every Tuesday morning, third-year University of Virginia student Sydney Wong leads local birdwatchers on a 90-minute walk, hoping to spot some of the species that make their way through Charlottesville.
As seasonal migration occurs, more birds than normal can be found across town. (Photo by Ellen Daniels, Contemplative Sciences Center; illustration by Meredith Michael Smith, University Communications)
Wong, an economics student and avid birdwatcher, launched the weekly walks in April 2025 during the annual spring migration. The program paused when Wong studied abroad in Siena, Italy, for a semester and resumed this year.
Bird Sightings
The tours often include the grounds of the McCormick Observatory, where several bird species are commonly spotted. Click on the birds at right to see where they were found. (Interactive map by Peyton Sorah, University Communications)
“I first developed an interest in birds over COVID, when I had a lot of free time to admire the outdoors from my porch and a lot of free time to do artsy things,” Wong said. “I painted a really awful cardinal and figured I should learn a little more about these beautiful creatures before I gave it another go.”
What began as a seasonal activity has since grown into a weekly series organized through UVA’s Contemplative Sciences Center.
Mourning doves, right, are capable of recognizing individual humans after repeated contact. (Photo by Ellen Daniels, Contemplative Sciences Center; illustration by Meredith Michael Smith, University Communications)
The group meets Tuesdays at 8 a.m., weather permitting, giving UVA and Charlottesville community members a chance to explore the outdoors and learn more about local birdlife. Anywhere from three to 41 students, staff and community members participate every week, according to Ellen Daniels, the center’s associate director of communications.
The program is one of several student-led initiatives at the Contemplative Sciences Center. (Photos by Ellen Daniels, Contemplative Sciences Center)
Sam Cole, the Contemplative Sciences Center’s assistant director of student engagement, oversees its peer-led programs and helped expand the birdwatching walks. Cole works with a group of about 18 students who initiate programs related to their well-being.
“I wanted to do more outdoors-related activities because, even though our building is really beautiful, we also have a lot of lovely outdoor spaces on Grounds,” Wong said.
In addition to the walk, participants get breakfast bagels. (Photos by Ellen Daniels, Contemplative Sciences Center)
On the walks, the team said they regularly see a variety of bird species, including blue jays, northern cardinals, red-bellied woodpeckers and northern flickers.
The summer tanager is North America’s only completely red male bird. (Photo by Ellen Daniels, Contemplative Sciences Center)
“It really is a contemplative activity because you have to always refocus your attention, just like with meditation,” Daniels said. “You are trying to fine-tune your perception, your abilities to perceive tiny things in that huge tree.”
