NVBA's Bird of the Year Webinar: Woodpeckers with Matt Felperin

Join us and special guest Matt Felperin for a virtual event on National Bird Day (Jan. 5th) to celebrate NVBA’s 2026 Bird of the Year. After a brief discussion on why NVBA chose the Pileated Woodpecker as our inaugural Bird of the Year, Matt will expand the conversation to woodpeckers as a whole. His presentation will include fun woodpecker facts, identification tips, where to find woodpeckers in Northern Virginia, and conclude with time for questions!

About NVBA's Bird of the Year: Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Each year, the American Birding Association (ABA), along with birding groups around the world, selects a “Bird of the Year” to represent their community in the upcoming year. Starting in 2026, NVBA is proud to join this tradition by naming the Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) as our chapter’s first-ever Bird of the Year!

A beloved native species to Northern Virginia, the Pileated Woodpecker has served as the NVBA’s mascot and has appeared in several variations of the chapter's logo. As such, we are excited to again recognize this remarkable species as our inaugural Bird of the Year. Just as Pileated Woodpeckers carve out nesting cavities that support countless other species, NVBA hopes to create opportunities for the communities we serve to connect, grow, and thrive together this upcoming year.

About the speaker:

Matt Felperin is a DC area local, raised in Takoma Park, MD. He is the Roving Naturalist with NOVA Parks, the regional park system of Northern Virginia. Matt has always been drawn to nature, and has been sharing his findings with anyone within earshot since his days as a small child looking for salamanders and crayfish in nearby Sligo Creek. He truly treasures the Chesapeake Bay and has enjoyed field work and naturalist programs in several types of habitat within the Chesapeake Watershed. He credits working under naturalist Greg Kearns for truly sparking his love of birds. As the NOVA Parks Roving Naturalist, Matt leads environmental education and recreation programs such as bird walks and kayak tours for the public. He views his wildlife photography work as one of the most useful tools to connect people with nature.

This virtual event is free to attend and open to ALL. RSVPs through Eventbrite are required to receive the Zoom link. Questions may be directed to NVBA’s Community Engagement Coordinator, McKenzie, at mckenzie@nvbirdalliance.org.