National Bird Day

January 5, 2016 9:29 AM

Every January 5th, dozens of children in the United States wake up excited by the prospect of birdwatching. National Bird Day, now in its 14th year, is dedicated to the enjoying and preservation of our fine feathered friends. This year, organizers are encouraging people to take the “captive bird video pledge” and promise not to share videos of captive “pet” birds. Parents taking care of their babies
posted by JujuB (16 comments total)

I've seen that image #3 many times before, always captioned "Under the Mother's Wings" or some variant. But that is most definitely a male Pink Necked Green Pigeon protecting his young.
posted by rocket88 at 9:49 AM on January 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

Image #4 is not actually a mother bird either. That is a single juvenile bird, mutated to have multiple legs. You may have seen the adult bird, fully dressed and cooked, on TV during the annual Thanksgiving football game in which the Detroit Lions inevitably lose to whomever they have the unfortunate luck to play against.
posted by caution live frogs at 10:09 AM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

Parents taking care of their babies
for your consideration: Pied-Billed Grebe
posted by mcstayinskool at 10:25 AM on January 5, 2016

Just not in eastern Oregon.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:26 AM on January 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

Those were great, but dozens of children?
posted by klausman at 10:29 AM on January 5, 2016 [3 favorites]

Dozens!
posted by mudpuppie at 10:31 AM on January 5, 2016 [3 favorites]

At least ten.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:52 AM on January 5, 2016

SQUEE
posted by Melismata at 11:03 AM on January 5, 2016

I'm an avid birdwatcher, but I got quite a chuckle out of "dozens". Just ask the people sitting near me in this airport restaurant. Got a few strange looks.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:17 AM on January 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

Taking an animal that can fly and preventing it from flying has always seemed grotesque to me. (Except, perhaps, where it's necessary to preserve a species.) Speaking out against caged birds isn't a hard sell. But, as someone who's never shared a bird video, I'm not sure telling my [Decision Maker] that I'm pledging not to share a captive bird videos makes much of a statement.

One could ask why I pay special attention to flying, and not hunting, or for that matter peeing on lots of different things. I can only plead laziness and anthropomorphism.
posted by eotvos at 3:26 PM on January 5, 2016

I'd like to know more about that pledge. I may have unusually diligent bird-owning friends, but all three of them take incredibly good care of their birds, physically and psychologically. In fact, just watching them take care of their birds convinced me that I should never attempt to have a pet bird unless I wanted to do it the way they did.
posted by acrasis at 4:17 PM on January 5, 2016

I think I understand the pledge.

Parrots are very emotionally attached, social creatures. Watch the Nature episode "Parrot Confidential" to see how bird rescue and sanctuary organizations are offered dozens of birds every week when their owners no longer want them or can take care of them.
posted by surplus at 4:49 PM on January 5, 2016

I was curious about the pledge, too, and I found this series of articles about it.
posted by ernielundquist at 4:52 PM on January 5, 2016 [2 favorites]

1000% here for birb family photo #7 hang on are these changing rank live because I am here for the owls, not that I am not partial to other birbs

also how delightfully fitting that my birthday is also national birbday, I like this very much, more owls please
posted by Hermione Granger at 12:34 AM on January 6, 2016

OK, let's talk about #5. On the one hand: super cute birbs. On the other: look, we all knew that kid in school who lived in a house that smelled like feet, or maybe were that kid.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:38 AM on January 6, 2016

It's a gorgeous picture, but I'm wondering if #1 is staged. Wouldn't a chick that young still be in a nest, not perched on a log? And that log is suspiciously photogenic. Anyone know the source, if it's a reputable wildlife photographer?
posted by tavella at 1:36 PM on January 6, 2016