Bird Day is the name of several
holiday
A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
s celebrating
birds
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
. Various countries observe such a holiday on various dates.
International Migratory Bird Day
International Migratory Bird Day is a conservation
initiative
In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a pu ...
that brings
awareness
Awareness is the state of being conscious of something. More specifically, it is the ability to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be cognizant of events. Another definition describes it as a state wherein a subject is aware of some inform ...
on conserving migratory birds and their habitats throughout the Western Hemisphere. This program is dedicated to international conservation efforts and environmental education in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Originated by the
Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center
The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center is a research program dedicated to fostering greater understanding, appreciation, and protection of bird migration. It is located at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
History
This Smithsoni ...
, it is now coordinated by Environment for the Americas.
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International Migratory Bird Day
() officially takes place on the second Saturday in May in the U.S. and Canada and on the second Saturday of October in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean each year. Recognizing that this date does not work well for all places or for the migratory birds themselves- sites host these programs at their convenience throughout the year.
This program engages the general public to care about maintaining healthy bird populations and protecting breeding, non-breeding, and stop over habitats used by migratory birds. International Migratory Bird Day programs often are Science education, informal science education or informal science learning activities such as bird walks, art competitions, nature based festivals, and presentations. These programs take place in a variety of settings such as zoos, aquariums, protected lands, biospheres, museums, and schools.
Every year International Migratory Bird Day has a new conservation theme with corresponding artwork, educational materials, and activities.
*2000: Focus on the Falcon, Artist Roger Tory Peterson
*2001: Taste of the Tropics, Artist Terry Issac
*2002: Exploring Habitats, Artist Charley Harper
Charley Harper (August 4, 1922 – June 10, 2007) was a Cincinnati-based American Modernist artist. He was best known for his highly stylized wildlife prints, posters, and book illustrations.
Born Charles Burton Harper in F ...
*2003: Catalysts for Conservation, Artist Gerald Sneed
*2004: Conserving Colonial Birds, Artist Ram Papish
*2005: Collisions, Artist David Sibley
*2006: The Boreal Forest, Artist Radeaux
*2007: Birds in a Changing Climate, Artist Louise Zemaitis
*2008: Tundra to Tropics, Artist Eleazar Saenz
*2009: Celebrate Birds In Culture, Artist Andy Everson
*2010: Power of Partnerships, Artist Bob Petty
*2011: Go Wild Go Birding, Artist John Muir Laws
*2012: Connecting People to Bird Conservation, Artist Rafael Lopez
*2013: Life Cycle of Migratory Birds, Artist Barry Kent MacKay
*2014: Why Birds Matter, Artist Elias St. Louis
*2015: Restore Habitat, Restore Birds, Artist Amelia Hansen
*2016: Spread Your Wings for Bird Conservation, Artist Lionel Worrell
*2017: Stopover Sites, Artist Rocio Landivar
*2018: Year of the Bird, Artist Paula Andrea Romero
*2019: Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution, Artist Arnaldo Toledo
*2020: Birds Connect Our World
*2021: Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!
*2022: Light Pollution
Major Partners: U.S. Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...
, Partners in Flight, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Nature Canada
Nature Canada is a member-based environmental organization headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. Its supporters include more than 100,000 individuals and over 800 affiliated organizations, including local and provincial naturalist clubs.
The orga ...
, Birds & Beans, Pepco Holdings, Get To Know, US Geological Society, Ornilux, Birdzilla, Optics for the Tropics, and Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds.
World Migratory Bird Day
In 2006, the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
established World Migratory Bird Day to be held on the second weekend of May every year. The event was founded as an effort of the UN's to raise awareness of the migratory linkages between regions of the globe. World Migratory Bird Day events have been held in 118 nations. Each year, the United Nations announces a uniting theme for official events.
Bird Day and National Bird Day (United States)
Bird Day was established by Charles Almanzo Babcock
Charles Almanzo Babcock (1847 – 1922) was a late-nineteenth-century superintendent of schools in Oil City, Pennsylvania. He is credited with launching Bird Day, a day to celebrate birds in American schools, on May 4. The first Bird Day was ...
, the Oil City superintendent of schools
In the American education system, a superintendent or superintendent of schools is an administrator or manager in charge of a number of public schools or a school district, a local government body overseeing public schools. All school principa ...
, in 1894. It was the first holiday in the United States dedicated to the celebration of birds.[ Babcock intended it to advance bird conservation as a moral value.][HistoryCooperative.org](_blank)
, Armitage, Kevin C. (2007) "Bird Day for Kids: Progressive Conservation in Theory and Practice" ''Environmental History'' 12(3): pp. 528–551 It is celebrated on May 4 of every year.[
National Bird Day is an annual holiday with half a million adherents who celebrate through ]birdwatching
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...
, studying birds, and other bird-related activities. Bird adoption is a particularly important National Bird Day activity. According to the newspaper ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'', many bird enthusiasts celebrate by adopting birds[ and by educating future bird owners about the special issues involved with taking care of birds, including their "screaming, biting, constant cleanups, the need for daily interaction and a varied diet". The Avian Welfare Coalition's National Bird Day campaign aims to improve the welfare of parrots and other birds by discouraging their purchase as pets, and encouraging the support of wild bird habitat conservation programs and captive bird rescue organizations and sanctuaries. National Bird Day takes place every year on January 5.]
Bird Day (United Kingdom)
Since 1979, bird lovers in the United Kingdom have taken part in the annual Big Garden Birdwatch. In the annual event coordinated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment throug ...
, up to half a million people spend an hour counting birds. In 2009 the Big Garden Birdwatch was referred to as "Bird Day" ''The Scotsman
''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...
'' newspaper.
References
External links
NationalBirdDay.org
* Suggestions for Bird-Day Programs by C. A. Babcock in ''Bird-Lore
''Audubon'' is the flagship journal of the National Audubon Society. It is profusely illustrated and focuses on subjects related to nature, with a special emphasis on birds. New issues are published bi-monthly for society members. An active bl ...
'', Vol. I, (1899)
* A Bird-Day Program by Elizabeth V. Brown in ''Bird-Lore
''Audubon'' is the flagship journal of the National Audubon Society. It is profusely illustrated and focuses on subjects related to nature, with a special emphasis on birds. New issues are published bi-monthly for society members. An active bl ...
'', Vol. I, (1899)
*{{Gutenberg , no=21266 , name=Bird Day; How to prepare for it
January observances
May observances
October observances
Birds in popular culture
Types of secular holidays
Bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...
Sunday observances
Holidays and observances by scheduling (nth weekday of the month)
Bird conservation