Join Us for National Bird Day

January 5, 2012

Why 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 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 depends upon public education and support for conservation.

This is the reason for National Bird Day. Join us!

Enter Our Inaugural Free Bird Photo Contest!

In collaboration with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and the DVD/Blu-ray release of its comedy about birding, "The Big Year," we have hatched a Free Bird Photo Contest! E-mail a picture you have taken of a bird in the wild by the end of the day Jan. 31, 2012, and you will be eligible for the top prize: a new pair of powerful binoculars and a bird feeder made out of recycled materials. The top 20 entries each will receive a DVD or Blu-ray copy of "The Big Year," which stars Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson.

Here are the contest rules and prize details:

• Please send images in jpeg format.
• No more than three entries per person.
• Entrant must confirm that she/he took the photo, and provide her/his name, hometown and state, and (in case we have questions) a phone number.
• Born Free USA may use the photo in any fashion, but we always will credit the photographer, who reserves all rights.
• Deadline for submissions is midnight Pacific time on Tuesday, Jan. 31.
• Entries will be judged by Born Free USA staff and we intend to announce the winner(s) in February.
• The top contestant will win a pair Visionary 8x42 waterproof binoculars and her/his choice of one of Born Free USA's two birdfeeders or one birdhouse made of recycled materials. Second- and third-place winners also will receive one of these eco-friendly and bird loving items.

Get Our 2012 Posters

See our posters from previous National Bird Days!

Bird Blog

NBD Special (Part IX): We Can Save Millions of Wild Birds, and Here’s How

NBD Special (Part VIII): The Plight of Scarlet Macaws

NBD Special (Part VII): Rare Birds, Birders, Conservation and the Media

Born Free USA in coordination with the Avian Welfare Coalition (AWC) is calling on activists around the U.S. to take action on behalf of captive birds by drawing attention to the exploitation of other countries' native birds by the U.S. pet industry on January 5 — National Bird Day.

"National Bird Day" is not only a good day to take time to appreciate the native wild birds flying free outside our windows, it is also a perfect time to reflect on how we treat the native birds of other countries. While we have enacted laws to protect our native birds — such as blue jays, cardinals, and crows — from commercial exploitation, we fail to recognize the inconsistency in allowing the pet industry to exploit the birds of other countries.

Even when bred in captivity, exotic birds are not considered domesticated animals, and all their inherent behavioral and physical needs remain intact. Sadly, when it comes to birds, deprivation of their natural behaviors (to fly and flock, for example) is an inescapable component of their captivity.

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 perfect 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 their caretakers tire of them, and some may be abandoned at local shelters and birds rescues, set free to fend for themselves or euthanized.

Next:  10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Bird Happy »