National Bird Day (USA) Held On 5th January Every Year – History, Activities, Awareness & Celebration

National Bird Day United States

The first such holiday was established by Charles Almanzo Babcock, the Oil City superintendent of schools, 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 is an annual holiday with half a million adherents who celebrate through birdwatching, 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”.

National Bird Day History

National Bird Day is celebrated on January 5 of every year. National Bird Day is one of the holidays celebrating Birds. Birds are sentinel breeds whose plight serves as the barometer of ecosystem health and alert system for detecting global environmental ills.

Now, nearly 12% of the world’s 9800 species of bird may experience extinction including 330 species of parrots within the next century. Many of the Parrot species and songbirds are in danger of extinction due to pressures from the illegal trade of pet, habitat loss and diseases.

Now the survival and well-being of the world’s birds depend upon Pubilc Education and support for conservation. So National Bird Day is the day to create awareness or education about the physical and behavioral needs that need to improve the welfare of the millions of birds kept in captivity.

Origin Of National Bird Day

In 1894, Charles Almanzo Babcock, Superintendent of Schools in Oil City, Pennsylvania announced the first holiday to celebrate birds as National Bird Day in the United States. Initially, it is named after the International Migratory Day, although it is not related to National Bird Day.

Bird Day marks the end of the yearly Christmas Bird Number in the Middle of 21st Century. Christmas Bird Count lasts three weeks, and it is the longest citizen science survey in the entire world that helps us to monitor the health of our nation’s birds. Peoples and Birders go out and will count the birds as many as they can see.

Once the period ends, our focus will turn to captive birds, and January 5 is the day of the new beginning for captive birds. From 1979, Bird Lovers in the UK had taken the role in the Annual Big Garden Birdwatch. Up to nearly half a million of peoples had spent almost an hour to count the birds in the annual event organized by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

National Bird Day Sayings

“Everyone likes Birds, what wild creature is more accessible to our eyes, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird.”

– David Attenborough

When is National Bird Day 2020/ 2021/ 2022 / 2023?

National Bird Day has always been observed annually on January 5.

• National Bird Day 2020 is observed on Sunday, January 5, 2020
• National Bird Day 2020 is observed on Monday, January 5, 2021
• National Bird Day 2020 is observed on Tuesday, January 5, 2022
• National Bird Day 2020 is observed on Wednesday, January 5, 2023

National Bird Day Campaign 2020

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.

National Bird Day 2020

Nature lovers, bird lovers, and bird watchers across the country annually recognize National Bird Day on January 5 every year.

National Bird Day is one of several designated holidays celebrating birds.

Born Free USA emphasizes the importance of National Bird Day and lists it as a day to shine a spotlight on issues critical to the protection and survival of birds, both captive and wild.

National Bird Day was created to promote avian awareness.

According to Born Free USA, nearly 12 percent of the world’s almost 10,000 bird species are in danger of extinction. National Bird Day 2020

National Bird Day Activities 2020

• bird-watching
• studying birds
• educating others
• other bird-related activities
• A particularly important National Bird Day activity is bird adoption.  According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper article, many bird enthusiasts celebrate by adopting birds on this day and educating future bird owners about the special issues involved with taking care of birds, including the “proper care, cleanup, noise and biting, feeding, diet and their need for daily interaction.”

How Many Bird Species Exist On Earth?

There are approximately 10,000 species of birds.

How To Observe National Bird Day 2020?

Watch some birds and use #NationalBirdDay to post on social media.

National Bird Day History

In 2002 Born Free USA in coordination with the Avian Welfare Coalition launched the first annual National Bird Day.

Is National Bird Day Celebrated All Over The World?

Bird Day is the name of several holidays celebrating birds. Various countries observe such a holiday on various dates.

How to Celebrate National Bird Day?

Celebrate the National Bird Day by learning about the wonders of different birds. Create awareness or educate the peoples about the survival of birds depends on upon the public awareness as well as the support for conservation. Raise awareness on the social media’s about the existence of birds by using the hashtag #NationalBirdDay.

Thank you for reading the post. You can celebrate every day with  and Happy National Bird Day 2020

Social Awareness National Bird Day

Take the Pledge: Sign the Captive Bird Video Pledge and promise not to share videos of captive ‘pet’ birds with friends and family or on social media. We strongly encourage you to share this pledge on Facebook and Twitter!

5th January National Bird Day Celebration/ Awareness/ Activities/ History

National Bird Day is celebrated to create awareness among the people and to educate them to save birds all over the country.

National Bird Day marks as the issues relating protection and survival of birds both domestic and wild.

National Bird Day Motive

On National Bird day, people educate themselves and aware people as to how to protect birds.

National Bird Day Activities

The main activity that is marked on this day is people adopt birds of different species and educating others about the special issues involved in taking care of the birds.

The special issues are feeding, proper care, diet, clean-up, and other issues.

National Bird Day started in the USA for the first time 2002 when the USA in coalition with Avian Welfare Coalition launched first annual National Bird Day.

National Bird Day Story

My dad gave me a really great bird feeder for Christmas (thanks, Dad!), and I am hoping to put it up today since it is National Bird Day! It is supposed to rain today, so that should make the ground nice and soft for getting my bird feeder and post into the ground. My dad has the same birdfeeder and pole, and he says it attracts lots of beautiful birds to his backyard.

My birdfeeder, the Homestead Triple Bin Party Bird Feeder, looks great because it can feed large birds like cardinals and blue jays, and because it has three separate bins, so you can fill it with three separate seeds to attract different birds if you like. Food high in oil and fat — like peanuts, sunflower seeds and Nyjer are all good choices for feeding birds in the winter (when food sources are more scarce for birds).

Like my dad, I have always enjoyed watching birds. I have a goldfinch birdfeeder just outside my home’s living room bay window, and my daughters love watching the beautiful, vibrant-colored birds feed just outside our window! I have been wanting to put a bird feeder just outside our other living room window (which happens to overlook my home’s new perennial garden, which I hope to see new blooms in next spring), so the feeder my dad gave me is just perfect!

National Bird Day Celebration

National Bird Day takes place annually in early January. This year, it’s tomorrow, January 5. National Bird Day is a time to think about birds, how they live, what they need, and how we treat them.

Why We Celebrate National Bird Day?

• The beauty, songs, and flight of birds have long been sources of human inspiration.
• Today, nearly 12 percent of the world’s 9,800 bird species may face extinction within the next century, including nearly one-third of the world’s 330 parrot species.
• Birds are sentinel species whose plight serves as a barometer of ecosystem health and alert system for detecting global environmental ills.
• Many of the world’s parrots and songbirds are threatened with extinction due to pressures from the illegal pet trade, disease, and habitat loss.
• Public awareness and education about the physical and behavioral needs of birds can go far in improving the welfare of the millions of birds kept in captivity.
• The survival and well-being of the world’s birds depend upon public education and support for conservation.

Significance Of National Bird Day

Significance Of National Bird Day, We take time to appreciate the native, wild birds flying free outside our windows, but we also reflect on how we treat the wild, native birds of other countries (namely, the birds we most often see in cages). Even when these birds—parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, cockatiels, lorikeets, etc.—are bred in captivity, they are not domesticated pets.

Unlike dogs, who split from their wolf ancestors more than 30,000 years ago, and cats, whose domestic roots may go back even farther, the parrot and parrot-like species we see in millions of homes today are no different from their wild relatives, with the exact same instincts and behaviors. These bird species, called Psittacines (a nod to their scientific order, Psittaciformes), are not equipped for life in captivity. This is evidenced by the frequent practice of wing clipping and pinioning, which denies these birds their most basic, ingrained instinct: flying.

Keeping and caring for—both emotionally as well as physically—a wild bird in captivity is anything but easy. In fact, it can be next to impossible! These birds need constant affection, enrichment, variety, and social contact. Even if all of that can be provided, they are still prevented from living full, natural lives with open skies and a flock, mate, and offspring of their own.

Yet, each year, thousands of birds are sold as pets to individuals who believe the myth that a bird will make a perfect, domestic companion. And we are increasingly seeing this myth promoted through online videos featuring captive birds. These videos inevitably, if inadvertently, promote wild birds as cute, low maintenance pets.

With each social media share, and with each video that goes viral, we become ever more concerned that we will see a corresponding surge in the purchase of birds from well-intentioned but ill-informed individuals. When they learn the truth of how impossible it is to keep a wild bird healthy and happy in captivity, the tragic result will be countless wild animals suffering a lifetime of neglect, loneliness, and displacement.

Therefore, for this year’s National Bird Day, we ask you to look at captive bird species from a different point of view: their point of view. Think twice before watching and sharing an online video of a captive bird; while they may be cute to you, these videos often showcase birds who are confused, frustrated, lonely, or distressed. These are birds living unfulfilled lives, even in homes where they are loved and pampered.

Global Activities On National Bird Day

Born Free USA, in conjunction with Avian Welfare Coalition, is asking popular websites and the public to stop sharing online videos of birds in captivity. While possibly entertaining to some, videos of captive parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, and others inadvertently promote the myth that birds are domesticated pets. The reality is that birds are wild, intelligent animals with emotional and physical needs that cannot be met in captivity.

And, in celebration of National Bird Day 2016, Barry Kent MacKay, Senior Program Associate for Born Free USA and lifelong bird enthusiast, is writing a special five-part blog series.

National Bird Day Essay

National Bird Day is a day to appreciate not only the birds we share our neighborhoods with but also to think about and appreciate all birds, everywhere. Unfortunately, birds are exploited in a number of ways with little thought about their welfare.

They are used in research but are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act as other animals are, and they are killed for food, yet not included under the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act. Additionally, each year, millions of birds are captured in the wild or bred in captivity for commercial profit, use as pets, and entertainment, leaving these animals to languish in misery.

Bird Day is a time to commit to improving the lives of birds in captivity and supporting efforts aimed at protecting birds in the wild. How much do you know about wild birds? Take our quiz and find out. Get all the answers correct, and you’ll win a FREE screensaver!

Inspiring National Bird Day Stories

Birds are mean and they do not like me. I have been bitten by an African parrot that the pet shop owner swore had never bitten another living soul and bitten by a goose when my sweet mother suggested I stick my hand through the fence to see if it would bite. Even my own bird (Solstice) that I rescued from a grocery store parking lot barely tolerates me. National Bird Day Story

My dad, on the other hand, has been a bird watcher ever since I can remember. I don’t take this personally. In fact, for years I thought he belonged to a car club when he went to his Audubon Society meetings. This seemed odd since he had never shown a lick of interest in cars. National Bird Day Story

We did spend a lot of time in the car during my childhood years, looking for the elusive chicken or the yellow-bellied striped horned polka-dotted red bird. I would love to tell you this experience instilled in me a love of birdwatching—but that would be lying. Really, I just wanted to hop on that super freeway and do 90 to nothing, towards our final destination.  I thought birding was for the birds. National Bird Day Story

Later in life, I did appreciate the majestic eagles we saw in Alaska and the cranes we watched soar over the Grand Canyon, and Cole and I enjoy the brilliantly red cardinals that frequent our backyard.

The Christmas bird count just took place, and my dad headed out to help and add to his very impressive life list of birds. When I was growing up we usually hosted the potluck that followed the Christmas bird count—that experience deserves its own blog post. National Bird Day Story

Today we celebrate responsible pet bird ownership and appreciation for our fine feathered friends. I may even buy our bird Solstice a special treat…and ignore her when she dives at my hand with her sharp little beak as I try to put it in her cage. But I can’t promise I won’t yell…here kitty, a kitty as I walk away from her cage. National Bird Day Story

Thoughts On National Bird Day

• Maintaining a bird in a cage is destructive of freedom and the rights of the birds that I do not like it, they like do not have feelings. birds must fly free, not in brackets
• I advocate bird awareness. Living in the U.K it’s noticeable that small birds such as the Blue tit and Robin are on the decline. The huge whether variations have a huge impact. We’ve had more rain this year than any other on record.
• I woke up this morning and actually listened to all the birds in my area. I live on the East Coast of Australia Near Sydney, and I was stunned by the number of birds singing their songs. Its funny, but you don’t hear them day to day… but sometimes its great to “wake up and smell the roses” so to speak.
• It’s unbelievable how humans treat animals that they admire so much and gain so much happiness from, yet in the bigger picture, we have no concern for their well-being or continued survival.
  Bless those people who organize days like these. I would like to organize an associated event in Toronto perhaps…

Importance Of National Bird Day

Jan. 5 is National Bird Day, an event launched 10 years ago to highlight both the importance and fragility of wild birds. Organized by nonprofit group Born Free USA, National Bird Day promotes the idea that birds are “non-domesticated animals that belong in the wild, where they can fly free and express their natural behaviors.”

Born Free’s slogan is “Keep wildlife in the wild,” and one of its main goals for National Bird Day is to discourage pet bird sales. While domesticated dogs and cats can make great pets, the group argues that keeping birds in captivity is a bad deal for everyone involved.

“National Bird Day is about appreciating wild birds flying free outside our own windows, and also focusing on birds native to other countries who are captured in the wild or bred in captivity, fueling the captive bird trade,” says Monica Engebretson, a wildlife biologist and senior program associate for Born Free USA. “Whether a bird is wild-caught or bred in captivity, it is very difficult to meet their needs in a home environment as they are intelligent, highly social, flight-adapted animals.”

But that doesn’t mean bird owners should just release their pet cockatiels and cockatoos. As National Bird Day organizers acknowledge, more than 4 million U.S. households already own pet birds, many of which couldn’t survive on their own in the wild. (Even if their wings aren’t clipped, pet birds often struggle to fly after years in a cage. Exotic birds also face a big disadvantage outside their native habitats.) And since avian sanctuaries can’t take in that many birds, National Bird Day is also about “reducing suffering and improving the welfare of captive birds.”

The National Bird Day website offers tips for making pet birds healthier and happier, such as feeding them a varied diet, providing the largest cage possible, establishing daily exercise and play routines, and making sure they have access to unfiltered sunlight or full-spectrum lighting.

The day is primarily meant to inspire respect and protection for wild birds, though, and it offers several ways to participate. One of its main targets is window collisions: An estimated 1 billion birds die in North America every year after striking glass windows, a statistic that National Bird Day aims to reduce. “When birds see a window, they see the reflection of trees or sky and think they can fly through,” Engebretson says. “Putting a few stickers on the glass does not solve the problem — despite popular belief — because birds perceive that they can fly between the stickers.”

How To Take Initiative For National Bird Day

• Using taut exterior “bug screens” to break up the reflection and cushion the blow if a bird does hit it.
• Placing vertical exterior strips of tape on the glass, no more than 10 centimeters apart, or painting patterns with tempera paint.
• Installing frosted or etched windows that are less reflective, or installing an awning or sun shade above them.
• Positioning houseplants and flowers away from windows, so birds outside don’t see them as potential sources of shelter or food

National Bird Day Holiday

Coming at the end of the annual Christmas Bird Count conducted in conjunction with the Audubon Society, National Bird Day turns the focus from wild birds to those kept in captivity while also raising awareness of the dangers that threaten many species with extinction.

Today’s observance highlights the special behavioral and physical needs of birds and works to ensure that all birds—whether kept as pets or on farms or living in their natural environments—are treated compassionately. Now that winter has set in, make sure your pets and the birds that frequent your yard are cared for.

National Bird Day Facts

This information I found out while surfing the internet and I was not aware of such day which is dedicated to birds. I found out interesting and happy to share with others who love birds.

In order to draw attention to the exploitation of other countries’ native birds by the pet industry in the United States and to call on activists to take action on behalf of captive birds, National Bird Day (January 5) has been instituted by two United States organizations: Born Free USA United with Animal Protection Institute (the union of two recently united animal protection groups) and the Avian Welfare Coalition (AWC).

These organizations seek as well to educate the public about the difficulty of being a good caretaker of pet birds, the damage done to wild bird populations by the pet industry, and the importance of keeping birds wild. This week, to mark National Bird Day, Advocacy for Animals presents an article, written by bird expert Monica Engebretson of Born Free USA, on the effects of captivity on exotic birds.

Wild at Heart National Bird Day

Whether captive bred or wild caught, birds are not domesticated animals. Domestic animals are animals that have been bred for hundreds of years to live in the care of humans and are distinct from their wild ancestors. Birds commonly kept as pets are no different than their wild relatives—they are the native species of other countries.
Those who acquire birds as companion animals soon discover that parrots, including lovebirds, budgies (parakeets), and cockatiels, are noisy and messy, and they can be destructive.

Vocalizing (squawking, chirping, talking) is an important part of any parrot’s social communication; birds eat continually throughout the day, dropping and discarding bits of food everywhere; birds are instinctively programmed to chew and shred wood, whether it is a perch, toy, picture frame, or furniture. Birds will also chew electrical cords, paper, and curtains.

Parrots are also extremely intelligent and social—they have been compared to human toddlers in the needs of their emotional and social lives, but, unlike children, they never grow up. Birds are meant to fly and to be with other birds. Confinement in cages can lead to neurotic behavior, excessive screaming, feather plucking, self-mutilation, and other destructive habits.

As a result, very few people are capable of caring for the special needs of exotic birds or comprehend the seriousness of the commitment for the birds’ lifespan—20 to 70 years or more depending on species. Each year thousands of birds are sold into the pet trade to individuals who are under the mistaken impression that a bird will make a “cool” pet. Eventually, whether due to frustration, disinterest, or concern, many people attempt to rid themselves of the responsibility of caring for their birds.

Unfortunately, few of these birds will find a loving home, and most will spend their days isolated and confined to their cages. Others will bounce from home to home as “owners” tire of them, and some may be abandoned at local shelters and birds rescues or set free to fend for themselves.

National Bird Day Statistics: How Many Caged Birds?

According to a 1998 article printed in the Journal of the American Veterinarian Medical Association deemed the most extensive demographic study of pet birds conducted to that date, the US pet bird population has been estimated between 35 million and 40 million. While this estimate of “pet” birds is lower than estimates for companion dogs and cats, the population of dogs and cats has remained relatively stable over time while “pet” bird populations have skyrocketed in recent years.

According to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), there were 60.8 million cats in 1990 and 66.15 million in 1996, with dogs numbering 52.1 million and 58.2 million respectively. According to the same industry document, there were 11.6 million “pet” birds in 1990, and by 1996 there were 40 million—a 244.8% increase!

The growing problem of unwanted exotic birds is very much a hidden crisis because most humane societies do not accept birds, and unlike abandoned cats and dogs, abandoned birds generally do not roam the streets as strays or establish feral colonies.

National Bird Day Captive Breeding

One of the most common assertions made by breeders is that captive breeding is necessary to keep parrots from becoming endangered. Breeding parrots in captivity are not going to save the species in the wild. Most birds are bred outside of an official conservation program, as such the vast majority of birds bred in captivity are bred for purely commercial purposes.

Captive breeding fails to address the leading causes of wild bird population decline: habitat loss, pollution, and the pet trade. Moreover, captive release programs are nonexistent for most species and are largely unsuccessful in practice.

Breeding contributes to overpopulation since it results in breeding more baby birds for the pet trade. Breeding facilities often resemble nothing more than warehouses of birds for production purposes. Breeder birds are routinely placed with a mate in small cages with nothing more than water, food, and a nest box.

A misconception perpetuated by the bird industry is that only “baby birds” will bond with people. This is untrue. Building a nurturing relationship with a parrot begins when the bird learns to trust—no matter what his or her age. The main reason that the pet industry encourages hand-weaning is that taking “baby birds” from their parents encourages them to produce more young. Keeping young parrots with their parents slows production and is less profitable for breeders.

Many breeders and stores will sell unweaned baby birds, claiming that finishing the weaning process by the purchaser will “guarantee” a hand-tame bird. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that many birds who have not successfully completed weaning may not learn to eat on their own and can actually starve to death.

Many baby birds die or suffer from physical injuries such as burned or punctured crops (stomachs) and infections from inexperienced hand-feeders. Unweaned chicks are sold because hand-feeding is labor intensive; it is far more profitable to sell the chicks quickly despite the risks to the young bird.

National Bird Day Homeless Birds

Since finding a qualified caretaker can be difficult and many bird rescues are overburdened with an influx of unwanted birds, those wishing to give up their birds are encouraged to consider other alternatives before making a final decision.

Avian behaviorist or specialist, local bird club or avian rescues can be helpful in providing educational materials, advice, and referrals on bird care, housing, diet, behavior, and veterinary services. Sometimes a change in environment, diet, or behavior modification can make all the difference in creating a happier living situation for a bird and his or her caretaker.

If the reality is that care can no longer be provided, it is imperative that the bird is placed in a stable, responsible, and loving home. A hasty decision can result in the bird ending up in the wrong hands, or being bounced from home to home, or being neglected, abused, or abandoned.

If you must find a new home for a bird: Do not place an ad in the newspaper or on the Internet. There are many unscrupulous people who look to buy or adopt free birds so they can turn around and sell them.

Write an agreement for the adopter to sign. If for any reason they don’t live up to their obligation, include a provision that the bird will be returned to you.

Never place a bird with a breeder or anyone who wants to breed birds. Ask for the assistance of an avian adoption service, local bird club, or avian rescue organization.

National Bird Day Sanctuaries and Rescues

There are currently over 90 self-described bird rescues or sanctuaries in the United States, many of which have come into existence in just the last few years. Some of these facilities are non-profit organizations, while others are merely caring individuals who have opened their homes to unwanted birds.

Due to a large number of birds in need, most rescues or sanctuaries are unable to accept every bird they are offered. However, be wary of rescue organizations that will not accept smaller birds. They may simply be looking to acquire larger birds to sell or adopt out at higher fees.

Before giving a bird to any rescue, check them out thoroughly. A true rescue organization does not profit from animals that have been rescued nor do they contribute to the overpopulation problem by breeding more birds for the pet market.

National Bird Day Events

On a lighter note, National Bird Day also tries to foster a more general appreciation of native U.S. birds. Events are being organized around the country today to do that, and organizers also hope to popularize the hobby of bird-watching year-round. To help National Bird Day take flight beyond Jan. 5, Born Free will hold an inaugural bird photo contest this year; contestants must email their shots of wild birds by Jan. 31 to enter.

Wondering where we find all of these Days, or if they are even real? or if you have any information about National Bird Day, or maybe you want to create your own! If we have missed something useful, or if you still have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.



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