Nature lovers, bird lovers, and bird watchers across the country annually recognize National Bird Day on January 5th. It’s also one of several designated holidays celebrating birds. In 2002, Born Free USA in coordination with the Avian Welfare Coalition launched the first annual National Bird Day to promote avian awareness.
Each year, millions of birds are captured from the wild or produced in captivity for commercial profit or human amusement, only to languish in conditions that fail to meet the instinctive behavioral and physical needs of these wild animals. National Bird Day is celebrated with the aim to reduce the suffering of birds by raising public awareness of the destructive bird trade, the realities of cruel bird breeding mills, and ways to improve the welfare of birds already in captivity.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are almost 10,000 different species of birds. Out of these species, almost 900 of them are on the verge of extinction and 4 have been ruled as extinct in the wild. Archaeopteryx lithographical is believed by scientist to be the earliest known bird. It was a transitional animal that spanned the gap between reptiles and birds, and as such had features of both. The largest species of birds on the planet is the ostrich. These birds can reach a height of nine feet tall and weigh up to 350 pounds. While these birds cannot fly, they can run up to 45 miles per hour.
5 STEPS to Better Bird WELFARE
- FRESH FOOD! Provide a healthy and varied diet– not just seeds, but grains, beans, vegetables (cooked and raw) formulated pellets, and some fruit. (Harmful foods include chocolate, avocado, highly processed or overly salted foods, human junk food and caffeine)
- FLIGHT Provide daily exercise and ample out-of-cage time, preferably to include free flying in a safe supervised environment. Give your bird the largest enclosure possible.
- FUN Provide toys and enrichment activities. No more barren cages. Birds love toys that can be chewed up – this means buying or making bird toys frequently
- FLOCK Provide plenty of socialization with other birds and/or human caretakers. Birds are social flock animals. In the wild they are rarely if ever alone.
- FRESHEN UP Birds need access to water for bathing. Some birds prefer to bathe in a shallow dish while others will enjoy being misted with a water bottle – some may enve enjoy to perch in a cool human shower