National Bird Day - January 5th

National Bird Day:
A Challenge to "Think Outside the Cage"

2007's National Bird Day on January 5 was the biggest and most successful yet.


Blessing Mia's Place
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For the 5th year running the Animal Protection Institute (API) in coordination with the Avian Welfare Coalition (AWC) called on activists and bird lovers across the U.S. to take action on behalf of captive and wild birds on January 5 — National Bird Day.

National Bird Day aims to educate consumers on the abuse of birds in the retail pet industry, the difficult reality of caring for birds as companions, and to expose the shocking effects of the wild bird trade on wild birds.

National Bird Day Proclamations

In 2007 mayors in 9 cities officially proclaimed January 5th as "National Bird Day," issuing proclamations urging citizens to take action on behalf of wild and captive birds. Cities issuing proclamations included Madison, WI; St. Louis, MO; New York, NY; Johnstown, NY; Port St. Lucie, FL; Los Angeles, CA; Sedona, AZ; Bellevue, WA; and the county of Hawaii.

National Bird Day Posters

API's 2007 "Think Outside the Cage" posters featured a cheerful lovebird and whimsical art by artist Patrick Williams — both were extremely popular — ten times as many posters were sent out in 2007 compared to 2006! Nearly 1,000 posters were sent to teachers, activists and individuals around the country and to international destinations including India, Russia, and Argentina.

National Bird Day Special Events

Dozens of school teachers, nature center directors, and libraries hosted educational displays and bird-related educational activities in honor of National Bird Day. For example, the Children's Museum in Oak Lawn, IL awakened children to the plight of birds with bird-related craft projects; and teens from the SODAT Teen Center in Woodbury, NJ planned and hosted National Bird Day activities for the children at the Woodbury Child Development Center.

In addition, the following special events were held:

In New York, the Avian Welfare Coalition and the Mayor's Alliance for New York City Animals hosted "The Survival of Parrots: From Conservation to Animal Control," a presentation and panel discussion to explore the many complex and challenging aspects of parrot welfare and conservation. The Mayor's Alliance for NYC Animals & NYC Animal Care & Control and the AWC also hosted an "Avian Care Workshop" to educate New York area shelter workers on how to care for unwanted exotic birds surrendered to their shelters. The workshop was presented by Eileen McCarthy, Executive Director of Midwest Avian Adoption and Rescue Services (MAARS). Both events were well attended and generated much interest in the plight of captive birds.

In honor of National Bird Day, the Animal Protection Institute presented the second annual "AVES: A Celebration of Birds in Art," hosted in 2007 by the Body Tribe in downtown Sacramento. The show was on display through January and featured more than 15 different artists who donated portions of their sales to API. In coordination with this event a youth coloring contest was held and co-sponsored by API and the Pet Gazette, a local monthly newspaper for animal lovers.

The Institute of Ecotourism in Sedona AZ, hosted a "Blessing Ceremony" with KPC — the local Buddhist Community — at "Mia's Place," a wild bird habitat. In addition, the Institute hosted National Bird Day activities including bird feeder construction, showings of Wild at Heart: Exotic Birds and the Pet Trade, and talks on caring for wild birds in your backyard.

EU Bans Wild Bird Imports

Putting the icing on the cake of a successful 2007 National Bird Day activities was the announcement on January 11, 2007, that the European Union will ban the importation of wild caught birds for the pet trade. As a result, millions of wild parrots and other exotic birds will be spared from suffering and death from the cruel trade.

Thanks to all of those who participated in National Bird Day 2007.

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