New Orleans,
07
November
2016
|
11:36 AM
America/Chicago

Audubon Zoo Hosts Gulf Bird Fest

Celebrating 100 Years of Bird Conservation

Summary

Gulf Bird Fest will take place all across Audubon Zoo from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 12, as Audubon's bird and education departments offer a range of family-friendly games, entertainment and educational opportunities.

Birds will be the word on Saturday, November 12, as Audubon Zoo joins fellow members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other organizations to mark a century of bird conservation with a variety of activities celebrating the winged wonders.

Gulf Bird Fest will take place all across the Zoo from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. as Audubon's bird and education departments offer a range of family-friendly games, entertainment and educational opportunities.

The event commemorates the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty between the United States and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada) that was signed on Aug. 16, 1916. The treaty and three others that followed form the cornerstones of efforts to conserve birds that migrate across international borders.

The Migratory Bird Treaty connects the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service with federal, state, private, non-government, tribal and international partners who share a long, successful history of conserving, protecting and managing migratory bird populations and their habitats.

Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman
"Audubon Zoo is proud to host Gulf Bird Fest in recognition of this important treaty. This is a wonderful opportunity to have Zoo visitors gain a deeper appreciation for the conservation work Audubon and so many other organizations do to ensure that migratory birds are protected for generations to come.''

 
Audubon Nature Institute President and CEO Ron Forman

After receiving a Gulf Bird Fest passport, Audubon Zoo visitors can collect stickers at participating partner activity stations that will offer lessons on backyard birding, bird rehabilitation, bird feeding and bird banding.

In additiion guests can learn about the ground-breaking Audubon Nature Institute breed and release program that has helped bring the criticially endangered Mississippi sandhill crane back from the brink of extinction.

Visitors also will get to meet New Orleans Pelicans dancers and Swoop Troop members and team mascot Pierre the Pelican.

Gulf Bird Fest is sponsored by Entergy, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the North Mississippi Refuges Complex.

Audubon Zoo is located at 6500 Magazine Street. For more information on Gulf Bird Fest, click here.

Gulf Bird Fest Activities Schedule:

Cooper Plaza

  • New Orleans Pelicans dancers and Swoop Troop members (10 a.m. to 12 p.m.) 
  • Meet Pierre the Pelican team mascot (10 a.m. to 11 a.m.)
  • Learn about backyard birding from the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex
  • Learn about the Mississippi sandhill crane release program from the Missisippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuges
  • Visit with experts from the Orleans Audubon Society
  • Learn about bird rehabilation fom Audubon Zoo animal care staff
  • Experience bird banding with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
  • Spin the Bird Call Karaoke Wheel
  • Learn about bird feeding from the Wild Bird Center of Covington
  • Take selfies with an owl mascot or a wingspan banner

Bambu Village

  • Dissect owl pellets with assistance from Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex

Shell Wildlife on Stage

  • Potawatomi Native American dance performance with a discussion of historical and ceremonial uses of migratory bird feathers (11 a.m.)
  • Make a bird mask

Pelicans' Nest

  • Fly tying with Bud Guidry

Audubon Marketplace Gift Shop

  • Petit Pierre and the Floating Marsh book signing with illustrator Heather Stanley (2 p.m. to 3 p.m.)

Cajun Ballroom in the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit

  • Jr. Duck Stamp exhibit

Migratory Birds Are Important Because They:

  • Connect people with nature and add beauty, sound and color to the world.
  • Provide countless opportunities for enjoyment by birders, hunters and outdoor enthusiasts and have cultural and spiritual importance.
  • Contribute environmental benefits, including pollination, insect and rodent control and seed dispersal.
  • Are good indicators of environmental health because they are so visible and are relatively easy to study. Studying birds can give us a picture of what is going on in the natural world.
  • Play a key role in the economy by supporting recreational opportunties that create jobs that generate billions of dollars in revenue.
Audubon Nature Institute

Audubon Nature Institute operates a family of museums, parks and research facilities dedicated to celebrating the wonders of nature. Through innovative live animal exhibits, education programs, and scientific discovery, Audubon makes a meaningful contribution to preserving wildlife for the future. Audubon Nature Institute flagships include Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Entergy Giant Screen Theater, Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, Audubon Louisiana Nature Center, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Woldenberg Riverfront Park and Audubon Wilderness Park. Ron Forman is President and CEO of Audubon Nature Institute.