Press Releases

Migration Celebration Spotlights Bird Habitat

Cornell Lab of Ornithology hosts activities for families and bird watchers

May 8, 2008

The Ithaca area’s second annual Migration Celebration is coming up Saturday, May 17, 10:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M. at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This is just one of many events taking place across the western hemisphere as part of International Migratory Bird Day which celebrates the spectacular long-distance journeys of migratory birds. This year’s theme is “Tundra to Tropics: Connecting Birds, Habitats, and People.”The goal is to raise awareness about the various kinds of habitat birds need, how these natural landscapes are disappearing, and what we can do to create bird-friendly spaces. Admission is free.

Visitors will learn how far-flung places are linked through bird migration—from the tropics in South America, to North American grasslands and coastal areas, to Boreal forests and Arctic tundra, to our own backyards and urban green spaces. Information will be available on creating habitat for birds: the best plants to use, where to place feeders and water, and how to ensure that the birds that visit your yard are safe.

Activities include guided bird walks, nest-monitoring, live birds from the Cornell Raptor Program, bird-banding demonstrations, hands-on activities for children, and multimedia presentations, including a new video production following the incredible migration of the Hudsonian Godwit between South America and the boreal forests of Alaska and the Yukon.

Volunteers are needed to assist with some of these activities. Two orientation meetings for volunteers will be held at the Lab: Thursday, May 8, 7:00-8:00 P.M. and Saturday, May 10, 11:00 A.M.-Noon. If you would like to help, contact Anne Rosenberg at baj3@cornell.eduor call 254-2109.

International Migratory Bird Day was created in 1993 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. The Lab of Ornithology is located at 159 Sapsucker Woods Road in Ithaca. For more information about the Migration Celebration visit . www.birds.cornell.edu/birdday or call (800) 843-BIRD.