Migratory Bird Day on Saturday,
May 14, with Festivals, Bird Walks and Boat Tours
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
With the arrival of spring, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several conservation organizations made an historic announcement on April 28. The Ivory-billed woodpecker, a species that has been thought to be extinct for more than 60 years, had been rediscovered in “The Corridor of Hope” in eastern Arkansas near Cache River National Wildlife Refuge. The rediscovery gives Americans a special reason to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day this Saturday, May 14, with festivals, bird walks, and birder’s boat tours throughout the Southeast.
“International Migratory Bird Day is celebrated annually on the second Saturday in May to focus attention on migratory birds, their journey between their winter and summer homes, and the importance of their conservation,” said Sam D. Hamilton, the Service’s Southeast Regional Director. “We encourage people to visit their local national wildlife refuge or natural area to enjoy a bird walk or boat tour and learn more about the migratory birds they see in their area.”
The theme for this year’s International Migratory Bird Day is “Collisions: Clear the Way for Birds.” To explore the human-related obstacles that birds may encounter in flight and the steps people can take to minimize the impact, please visit http://www.fws.gov/birds/imbd/2005theme.html
Several refuges and communities are offering activities in recognition of International Migratory Bird Day. Here is a sampling of Service activities in the Southeast:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System that encompasses 544 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices, and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores national significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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Our national home page is at: http://news.fws.gov/newsreleases/.Atlanta, GA 30345