Press Releases

Migration Celebration at Sapsucker Woods

May 10, 2007

Ithaca, NY—The Ithaca area's first celebration of International Migratory Bird Day takes place on Saturday, May 19, 9:00 A.M.–2:00 P.M. at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Visitors can take guided bird walks, explore interactive exhibits, participate in hands-on activities for children, see multimedia presentations, and learn more about how to reduce the impact of global climate change on birds and the environment—the theme of this year's event. Admission is free.

Migration Celebration interactive exhibits will highlight the phenomenal migrations of birds and the Lab of Ornithology's cutting-edge work in science and conservation. Visitors will be invited to listen to the mysterious calls of birds migrating in the dark, see how scientists search for endangered Ivory-billed Woodpeckers and other birds with the latest technology, and find out how their own bird sightings can help scientists. Scheduled events include bird walks, multimedia presentations, and a workshop on drawing birds from life. Activities for children include family-oriented bird walks, migration obstacle course, book readings, face-painting, and a "passport" that children receive to guide them through the exhibits. The festival also offers free refreshments and prize drawings. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is at 159 Sapsucker Woods Road in Ithaca.

This year's theme will raise awareness of how a changing climate is affecting many bird species. Conservationists are concerned that although some species may adapt, others may not, including long-distance migrants. Researchers have found that the ranges of some birds are shifting northward as temperatures become warmer; others are returning to their breeding grounds and laying their eggs sooner. With unprecedented seasonal changes, some species may lose out when they experience a mismatch between the timing of peak insect food availability and peak food demands as the birds raise their young. These species have shown precipitous drops in population sizes over the past two decades.

International Migratory Bird Day was hatched in 1993 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center. Events around the western hemisphere celebrate the spectacular long-distance journeys of migratory birds. To learn more, visit http://www.birdday.org/.