PHILADELPHIA, April 18, 2013

More than 10,000 species of birds command the sky, some migrating across the planet to the rhythm of the seasons. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University celebrates these amazing animals with its second annual Bird Fest on Saturday, May 11. The festival includes live bird flight shows, family-friendly activities, and more.

Visitors to Bird Fest will learn about our feathery friends around the world and meet up close some of the fabulous birds of prey from the Live Animal Center. Teacher-naturalists will be strolling the halls throughout the day answering questions about the different species of birds perched on their hands. For hands-on fun, visitors can build their own nests and decorate model birds to take home. Specimen displays will reveal the secrets of a bird’s anatomy and behavior.

Bird Fest celebrates not only birds, whose ancestors were dinosaurs, but also a topic at the heart of the Academy’s 200-year history. The Academy’s research program and extensive Ornithology Collection of more than 200,000 specimens, including birds collected by John James Audubon, dates back to the earliest days of the institution’s founding.

Bird Fest is free with regular museum admission. Here are the activities to look for:

• Watch bird expert Phung Luu, owner of Animal Behavior and Conservation Connections LLC, lead special shows of birds in flight at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• Participate in a bird scavenger hunt in the dioramas and win a prize.
• Discover the differences between a bird and its close prehistoric relative, the dinosaur.
• Learn from the John James Audubon Society the importance of a bird’s feathery coat.
• Find out about the birds in our area from the Pennsylvania Audubon Society.
• Enjoy crafts and face painting.
• Pose for pictures with Academy mascot Eddie the T-rex.

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