Bird Day
Encyclopedia
Bird Day is the name of several holiday
s celebrating birds. The first such holiday was established by Charles Babcock
, the Oil City
superintendent of schools
, in 1894.
school superintendent Charles Babcock
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. It is celebrated on May 4 of every year.
, studying birds, bird drinking games including 'bird date' and other bird-related activities. Bird adoption
is a particularly important National Bird Day activity. According to the newspaper Atlantic 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". National Bird Day takes place every year on the fifth day of the first month.
n countries it is celebrated on the second Saturday in October; in Colombia
it is celebrated in October, and Costa Rica
celebrates in April.
celebrate their version of National Bird Day on January 22.
Holiday
A Holiday is a day designated as having special significance for which individuals, a government, or a religious group have deemed that observance is warranted. It is generally an official or unofficial observance of religious, national, or cultural significance, often accompanied by celebrations...
s celebrating birds. The first such holiday was established by Charles Babcock
Charles Babcock
Charles Babcock was a United States architect, academic, Episcopal priest and founding member of the American Institute of Architects....
, the Oil City
Oil City, Pennsylvania
Oil City is a city in Venango County, Pennsylvania that is known in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. After the first oil wells were drilled nearby in the 1850s, Oil City became central in the petroleum industry while hosting headquarters for the Pennzoil, Quaker...
superintendent of schools
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
, in 1894.
Bird Day
Bird Day is a holiday established by Oil City, PennsylvaniaOil City, Pennsylvania
Oil City is a city in Venango County, Pennsylvania that is known in the initial exploration and development of the petroleum industry. After the first oil wells were drilled nearby in the 1850s, Oil City became central in the petroleum industry while hosting headquarters for the Pennzoil, Quaker...
school superintendent Charles Babcock
Charles Babcock
Charles Babcock was a United States architect, academic, Episcopal priest and founding member of the American Institute of Architects....
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. It is celebrated on May 4 of every year.
National Bird Day
National Bird Day is an annual holiday with half a million adherents who celebrate through birdwatchingBirdwatching
Birdwatching or birding is the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are...
, studying birds, bird drinking games including 'bird date' and other bird-related activities. Bird adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
is a particularly important National Bird Day activity. According to the newspaper Atlantic 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". National Bird Day takes place every year on the fifth day of the first month.
International Migratory Bird Day
International Migratory Bird Day is a holiday dedicated to the celebration of migratory birds, and to conservation awareness. Originated by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, it is celebrated annually on the second Saturday of May in the United States and Canada. In most Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n countries it is celebrated on the second Saturday in October; in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
it is celebrated in October, and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
celebrates in April.
Bird Day in the United Kingdom
There is also a proud tradition of Bird Day in the United Kingdom. For example, ScotsScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
celebrate their version of National Bird Day on January 22.