WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY
World Migratory Bird Day is a two-day event annually held on the second weekend of May to highlight the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats. The United Nations is one of the many organizations that support this global awareness campaign.
9-10 May 2015, Oluwamiranda joins the world in celebrating World Migratory Bird Day with the theme: "Energy- Make it bird-friendly".
Are you wondering how you can help? www.birdday.org has given us 20 ways we can help birds finish their migratory journey, have a successful nesting season, raise young, etc. These are:
1. Prevent Bird Collisions with Your Windows Collisions are one of the most frequent causes of bird deaths. Birds see nature reflected in the window or mistake houseplants inside the building for outdoor plants and fly into the glass. Putting up curtains or window decals helps make the window visible to birds.
2. Protect Birds From Pets Unleashed dogs and outdoor cats can harm birds by disturbing, chasing, and even killing them. Keeping your cat indoors and your dog from straying saves millions of birds each year.
2. Protect Birds From Pets Unleashed dogs and outdoor cats can harm birds by disturbing, chasing, and even killing them. Keeping your cat indoors and your dog from straying saves millions of birds each year.
3. Clean Your Bird Feeders Dirty feeders can spread disease. Disinfect and clean out old seed from feeders frequently and put fresh water in your bird bath every day.
4. Don’t Buy Illegally-Caged Birds Selling wild-caught birds as pets is illegal. Buy only captive-bred birds. Make certain that the breeder or pet store is reputable.
5. Use Cloth Grocery Bags and Reusable Bottles Birds that mistakenly eat plastic trash can become ill or even die. Avoiding plastic bags and bottles reduces plastic pollution and conserves resources.
6. Recycle Anything you recycle reduces litter and saves resources. Get creative! You can make a bag from used juice containers and bird feeders from old dishes and plastic bottles.
7. Restore Natural Habitat in Your Community Birds need a place to live and many bird habitats are disappearing. City parks and open spaces are natural places for birds. Work with your community to recreate the habitat that once existed in your area.
8. Keep Your Distance Birds need space for feeding, nesting, and other daily activities. Approaching too closely may cause them to become nervous and deplete much-needed energy reserves. During the nesting season, it may even result in loss of eggs or young to predators.
9. Leave Fledglings Where You Find Them Fledglings may spend several days on the ground after they leave the nest before they are able to fly. You can help by keeping people and pets away, so their parents can continue to care for them. If you think a bird is truly an orphan, call a rehabilitator for instructions.
11. Buy Bird Friendly Products You can help preserve bird habitat in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean by buying shade-grown coffee and chocolate. Shade coffee farms, which imitate native forests, have many more bird species than sun coffee farms.
12. Plant Native Native plants provide food, nest sites, and cover for birds.
13. Teach Others About Birds Talk to your friends about birds and start a club in your community to teach people about the challenges birds face. The more people know, the more they can do to help.
14. Get Outdoors and Enjoy Nature You can appreciate the bird habitat near your home. Find a local park and go for a walk or just stroll around your neighborhood.
15. Take a Friend Bird Watching Invite a buddy and see if you can spot more birds together.
16. Support Conservation. Join a bird club or other conservation organization to learn more and contribute to protecting birds. Volunteer with organizations that preserve habitat and help birds.
17. Be a Citizen Scientist Many projects need helpers to gather data on birds and their habitat. Contact your local Nature Center, library or conservation organization to volunteer.
18. Reduce Energy Use Riding your bike or walking reduces your carbon footprint and prevents pollution of bird habitats. Switching off the lights in your house not only shrinks your energy bill, but can also help prevent birds from colliding with your windows.
19. Avoid Chemicals Birds may accidentally eat pesticide and herbicide pellets or prey that have been poisoned. This can kill a bird or have toxic effects on their own health and that of their growing embryos, including deformation or suppressed immune systems.
20. Learn the Hunting Laws Federal and local laws protect sensitive areas and manage the harvest of birds to ensure healthy populations. Purchase a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. It contributes to habitat which benefits all birds.
CREDITS
http://www.birdday.org/birdday/themes/2012-twenty-years-of-imbd/20-ways-to-conserve-birds
http://www.greeningtheblue.org/event/world-migratory-bird-day-9-10-may-2015
NIce one.
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