All About Birds Weekend, June 7-8
PHILADELPHIA,
May 13, 2014
Bird watching is the most popular sport in America, and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University is the place to be on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8, to learn all about those modern-day dinosaur descendants. All About Birds Weekend features close encounters with live birds, the adventures of an expert birder, and bird games and crafts for the whole family. All About Birds is free with museum admission.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says more than 51 million Americans consider themselves birders, and the number continues to grow. All About Birds Weekend provides an opportunity to examine the Academy’s own live birds up close and to have your questions answered by the museum’s ornithologists and educators. Since the earliest days of its founding in 1812, the Academy has conducted ornithological research around the world and today houses more than 200,000 bird research specimens, some of which will be on display during this special weekend.
For a full list of activities, visit ansp.org. Here are some highlights:
Saturday and Sunday
11 a.m. Feathered Friends Live Animal Show
Meet some of the Academy’s 20 live birds—including hawks, parrots, and owls—and learn about their lifestyles, habits and habitats.
3 p.m. Birds of the Gods Film
This hourlong film, narrated by David Attenborough, features the rare and beautiful birds-of-paradise in the rainforests of New Guinea.
All day, Meet the Birds
Examine the beautiful and varied feathers from a variety of bird species.
All day, Birds 101
Learn what makes a bird a bird. Explore beak basics; peck, scoop and pry your way through a birdy buffet; examine a wing, and test your grip against a bird’s talons.
All day, National Geographic’s Birds of Paradise: Amazing Avian Evolution
This highly interactive exhibit, on view through Sept. 1, features nature’s most elegant example of extreme evolution: birds-of-paradise and their elaborate mating rituals.
Saturday only
1 p.m. Bizarre Birds
Intrepid Academy bird photographer and author Doug Wechsler will give a fascinating illustrated talk about the odd adaptations of birds he has photographed on his many expeditions to tropical forests around the world.
Sunday only
1 p.m. Field Tested
In this interactive stage show, get set for an adventure as you help prepare would-be scientists from the audience for an expedition.
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To download an image, visit: http://ansp.org/about/press-room/photos/programs/
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