PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Jan. 5 marks National Bird Day, a holiday originally created in 2002 by Born Free USA and the Avian Welfare Coalition to promote avian awareness, according to National Day Calendar.
The U.S. alone is home to over 1,100 different species of birds, according to Wild Bird Revolution.
The goal of the Avian Welfare Coalition’s National Bird Day campaign is "to reduce the suffering of birds by raising public awareness of the destructive bird trade, the realities of cruel bird breeding mills, and ways to improve the welfare of birds already in captivity," as stated on their website.
For those eager to participate in this holiday and learn more about the different species of birds, here a few local activities going on around Pennsylvania.
Audubon Christmas Bird Count
This year marks Audubon's 122 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) that runs through Jan. 5. The CBC was originally established by several conservationists as a way to promote conservation through counting, rather than hunting birds on Christmas Day.
Ornithology news and discoveries from 2021
If you're looking for a way to enjoy this holiday from the comfort of your home, this online event hosted by the Kirtland Bird Club is for you. Dr. Andy Jones will be giving his annual talk highlighting recent findings from the world of ornithology, a branch of zoology that focuses on the study of birds.
Interested participants can register through the link listed on the event's Facebook page.
Bringing Climate Action Home
This online webinar is a great opportunity for people to learn more about Audubon’s work on climate change and test their impact in real time using a "Climate Action Simulation" model that was developed by MIT.
Interested participants can register for this event on Audubon's website.
Eagle Fest
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be holding an Eagle Fest at Chestnut Run Swim Beach on Jan. 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., where visitors can attend and learn about bald eagles.
All attendees will need to follow CDC guidelines and wear a mask.
For more information about this event, you can call 724-646-1124.
Wednesday Walk: Creek Trail
Little Buffalo State Park will be hosting an evening walk where participants will be able to scan the park for wildlife from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information about this event and where the wildlife lookout will take place, you can refer to their Facebook event page.
Winter Birdwalk
Audubon Pennsylvania will be holding a winter birdwalk in Philadelphia on Jan. 15 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at The Discovery Center, where visitors will be able to view the waterfowl that migrate down from Canada each winter.
