National Go Birding Day

National Go Birding Day is an American holiday dedicated to bird watching. It is one of the earliest and yet most effective methods of studying birds. Researchers can track the behavior of birds in their natural habitat by making necessary conclusions. The holiday is celebrated every year on the last Saturday in April.

History

For a long time people have watched birds for specific purposes: to find their nest, to take the eggs for their own sustenance or for hunting purposes. From about the 16th to the middle of the 18th century came the popularity of collecting the feathers of various birds. However, there is evidence, based on the work of G. White, D. Montague, D. Clare and others, which shows that from the 1860s bird watching began to take on an aesthetic character.

The final departure from the past purposes of this action, occurred at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1901, the expression “birdwatching” appeared in E. Selous’ book. At the same time optical lenses began to appear. They came into the hands of scientists, who could no longer kill birds to find out what species they were looking at, but could recognize them from afar.

Today, birdwatching is an important part of scientists’ work. Such a passion is also characteristic of photo hunters, who track birds to create unique photographs!

Interesting facts

• According to scientists, the ancestors of birds were dinosaurs.
• The mass of the total feather layer in birds exceeds the mass of the skeleton.
• Researchers concluded that parrots give their chicks names by chirping. This conclusion was reached through observation of the birds and the use of sensitive sound devices, which made it possible to detect the same set of sounds when parents find or meet their chicks.

How to celebrate

Explore more interesting birding fats. Visit national parks to see many rare bird species live. If you’ve been thinking about getting a pet, look out for parrots!

Spread the word about the holiday on social media. Find out from users which bird they like best.

When is National Go Birding Day celebrated in 2024?

National Go Birding Day is observed on the last Saturday in April.

Observations