Ornithology Month Takes Flight
PHILADELPHIA,
June 5, 2012
Bird lovers unite! June is Birds of a Feather: Ornithology Month at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, and there is no better time to stretch your wings and indulge your flights of fancy.
The fun starts this weekend, June 9 and 10, with Bird Fest, a daylong extravaganza for bird lovers of all ages. Visitors can meet ornithologists, learn to identify local birds, watch as bird specimens are skinned and prepared for storage, decorate binoculars to take home, and more. Also, have your picture taken with Eddie, the Academy’s new T. rex mascot. Bird Fest is free with museum admission and takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bird Fest activities include:
Free Flight Bird Shows, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., both days
Birds fly—indoors!—in these shows by the Animal Behavior and Conservation Connection LLC.
Ornithology Field Work Talks, 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., both days
Bird experts will give 20-minute talks about their adventures in the field, peregrine falcons in Pennsylvania, bizarre birds, and birds and army ants in the rain forest.
Bird Banding, all day both days
Find out how and why birds are banded.
Bird Skinning, all day both days
Watch as bird specimens are skinned and prepared for storage in the Academy’s collection.
Specimen Displays, all day both days
See rare and extinct bird specimens from the Academy’s collection and specimens displayed by guest exhibitors from Audubon Pennsylvania, Delaware Valley Ornithology Club, John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, The Historical Society of Haddonfield, and Haddonfield High School.
Bird Artists, all day both days
Watch Dana and Alex Cohen create bird illustrations.
For more events, visit www.ansp.org.
More for bird lovers throughout June:
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Throughout June (but not on June 9 and 10) as part of its 200th anniversary celebration, the Academy is offering behind-the-scenes tours of its Ornithology Collection of 200,000 bird specimens from around the world. The 20-minute tours are offered at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Thursdays through Mondays, for visitors ages 8 and older. Tickets are sold at the museum on the day of the tour or in advance by calling 215-299-1167. The fee is $5 for members and $7.50 for nonmembers.
Photography Exhibit
New in the Art of Science Gallery is a stunning exhibit of photographs from the Academy’s Visual Resources for Ornithology (VIREO), among the world’s best bird image collections. Flirtatious Feathers: A Colorful Collection of Academy Bird Photographs features a kaleidoscope of colored feathers and shows how birds use them in flight or in song to charm mates. The exhibit was created in collaboration with exhibit design students from Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. On view through Sept. 23.
Bird Skinning
Watch as ornithologists skin bird specimens and prepare them for storage in the Ornithology Collection for future study. Weekdays 1-3 p.m. and weekends most of the day.
Admission Discount on June 21
Enjoy 2-for-the-price-of-1 admission on June 21 as part of the Academy’s Bicentennial.
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