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Join Us for National Bird Day
January 5, 2009
January 5, 2008 marked the 6th annual National Bird Day celebration. This was the biggest and best yet with multiple events taking place around the country including special 4 bird-themed art shows, bird day proclamations, e-cards and special NBD T-shirts, including an exclusive design by cartoonist Dan Piraro, of "Bizarro" fame.
For a complete list of 2008 events click on Events and Artists.
In addition with the help of advocates like you, we helped to keep wild parrots in the wild by:
- Collecting 15 pairs of new and used binoculars for our Binoculars for the Birds program to be used in educational programs for Indonesian schoolchildren aimed at teaching an appreciation for birds in the wild and learning the cruelties of the bird trade
- Raising emergency funds to aid in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of more than 1,200 African grey parrots in Cameroon, Africa who were captured in the wild, crammed into crates, and destined for the pet trade.
The 2008 National Bird Day posters featured art by Caia Koopman. Check back in October for the release of the 2009 National Bird Day poster designs.
Remember, its never too early to start planning for your event for National Bird Day 2009!
Born Free USA united with Animal Protection Institute 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.
Meanwhile pet stores across the country including Petco and PetsMart continue to treat birds like merchandise peddling them into the pet trade. The in-store care of animals in pet shops is always suspect because store managers are often faced with conflicting responsibilities of caring for animals, even when the animals are sick, and making a store profitable. Since the cost of veterinary care can easily exceed the commercial value of an animal, common sense leads to the conclusion that profits and animal care inherently conflict, especially in a retail environment.
Next: 10 Things You Can Do to Make Your Bird Happy »