World Migratory Bird Day 2025
Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities
WMBD is taking place on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at the Frick Environmental Center, from 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Many of the bird species that sing to us all summer have winter homes farther south in Central or South America. Some birds pass through our region, and some settle in for the summer. World Migratory Bird Day celebrates the diversity of birds that live among us.
On Saturday, May 10, we’ll host activities at the Frick Environmental Center to engage your larger-than-bird brain and celebrate World Migratory Bird Day in partnership with: Allegheny Bird Conservation Alliance, Allegheny Goatscape, Bird Lab, BirdSafe Pittsburgh, Building New Hope, DarkSky International – Pittsburgh Chapter, Intersectional Bird Club of Pittsburgh, The National Aviary, and Pittsburgh Park Rangers. We will have various activities for learners of all ages, from fledgling to adult, that teach ways to appreciate and help birds in our backyards.
The Agenda
Please register for select events below.
[7:00 am - 9:00 am] Early Birding with Intersectional Bird Club of Pittsburgh
Join Charity Kheshgi of the Intersectional Bird Club of Pittsburgh and Kate St. John from "Outside My Window" blog in an early morning walk to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. The early bird gets the worm, and the early birder is often treated to a phenomenal dawn chorus during the peak of spring migration. Walk will meet at the fountain outside of the Frick Environmental Center. Binoculars will be available for borrowing.
[8:00 am - 9:30 am] Morning Birding with Bob Mulvihill from the National Aviary
Join Bob Mulvihill from The National Aviary on a guided birding walk to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. Clayton Hill has long been a prime stopover site for songbirds traveling through Pittsburgh - join an expert birder during the peak of migration in one of the best birding hotspots in town. Binoculars will be available for borrowing.
[9:00 am – 10:30 am] Morning Birding with Eric Hall
Join long-time birder Eric Hall on a guided birding walk to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. Clayton Hill has long been a prime stopover site for songbirds traveling through Pittsburgh - join an expert birder during the peak of migration in one of the best birding hotspots in town. Binoculars will be available for borrowing.
[10:00 am – 11:00 am] Jr Garden Buds Story Time
It's time to start planting in the From Slavery To Freedom Garden and we are looking for little hands to help. Come for a short storytime followed by planting veggies in the garden that you can visit all summer long! This event is part of World Migratory Bird Day. Space is limited to make sure to register in advance.
[10:00 am – 11:30 am] Accessible Birding
Experience birding at your own pace with accessible birding! Enjoy bird watching with an expert birder while sitting down or on paved surfaces. Click the link to learn more about different ways you can enjoy birding, based on your mobility needs.
Events Without Registration
The following events do not require registration and are ongoing for the duration of the event (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)
Virtual Bird Banding with Bird Lab
Nick Liadis of Bird Lab in a virtual bird banding demonstration. Nick will be conducting bird banding at a suburban site in Upper St. Clair and sharing his catches and answering audience questions via Zoom, giving folks a unique opportunity to compare what birds are present at urban and suburban sites across Allegheny County on the same day. Banding is weather dependent and may be cancelled in stormy or hot weather.
Location: Living Room
Egg Matching Game with Pittsburgh Park Rangers
Stop by and visit with your Frick Park Rangers, learn about bird eggs, and see if you can match the egg to the bird that laid it!
Location: Meadowview Pavillion
Bird Beak Challenge with The National Aviary
What bird has a beak like a pair of tweezers? How about like a colander? Birds eat many different types of food, from nuts, seeds, and fruit, to worms, insects, and nectar! During this activity, we'll put everyday tools and utensils to the test and try to pick up different foods like insects, seeds, or fruit.
By the end of this activity, you'll be a beak expert, knowing how these amazing tools help birds survive and thrive in the wild! So get ready to have some fun and discover the fascinating world of bird beaks!
Location: Discovery Pavillion
Discovery Time: World Migratory Bird Day
As a part of World Migratory BIrd Day, the classroom will have fun, engaging, bird-related activities for families with kids ages 3-9!
Location: Classrooms
Shared Spaces Tabling Activities
This year's theme is Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities. To elaborate on the different threads of the theme, we've invited partners to provide activities and opportunities to learn how to support birds in your neighborhood.
- Plant native plants in your community and remove invasives with Allegheny Goatscape
- Dim the Lights with DarkSky International - Pittsburgh Chapter
- Make windows visible with BirdSafe Pittsburgh
- Protect insects with Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
- Purchase sustainable foods with Building New Hope
Location: Front Lawn
Bird-Friendly Initiatives in Pittsburgh: Exhibition + Talk
Curious about how to make your home, neighborhood, or city safer for birds? Join Bird Lab and Carnegie Museum of Natural History for an afternoon celebrating bird-friendly design! Enjoy a cup of bird-friendly coffee from Redstart Roasters as you explore an exhibition curated by Bird Lab’s Nick G. Liadis, showcasing innovative bird-friendly designs that protect migratory birds. This year’s World Migratory Bird Day underscores the importance of designing environments where birds and people can thrive together. The event will also feature a talk by Nick G. Liadis, Executive Director of Bird Lab, and Jon Rice, Urban Bird Conservation Coordinator at CMNH, exploring why birds collide with windows and what we can do to change that. Whether you're a bird lover, designer, or just curious, you'll leave inspired to take action in your own space!
1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. : “Shared Space: Designing for Birds and People” exhibition
2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. : Lecture by Nick G Liadis and Jon Rice
Location: Classrooms
Thank you to our community partners!
