A Houston bird conservation group is dropping a name it has carried for more than half a century.
The Houston Audubon Society announced Wednesday that it is becoming “Birds Houston,” the first name change since the organization was incorporated in 1969.
The rebrand comes after years of debate within the birding community over the legacy of John James Audubon and whether the well-known name still fits conservation groups trying to reach a broader audience.
Houston Audubon began reviewing a potential name change in 2023, citing two concerns: that “Audubon” did not clearly communicate its work protecting birds and habitat, and the history of its namesake. Audubon, the famed ornithologist and author of The Birds of America, was also an enslaver who opposed abolition…