World Migratory Bird Day 2026
Every Bird Counts: Your Observations Matter
WMBD is taking place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at the Frick Environmental Center, from 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM
World Migratory Bird Day is an international day of awareness for bird migration and conservation. The theme for World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2026, "Every Bird Counts - Your Observation Matter" highlights the role of public participation in collecting data on migratory bird populations and their habitats and factors that impact their populations and contribute to our knowledge about how to protect them. Community science, ranging from backyard bird counts to large-scale coordinated surveys/schemes, provide information on species distribution, abundance trends, migration timing, and breeding success.
On Saturday, May 9, in partnership with community organizations, we’ll host activities at the Frick Environmental Center celebrating the wonderful bird diversity in our backyards. Enjoy various activities for learners of all ages, from fledgling to adult and deepen your appreciation for our avian friends. All activities are free and open to the public.
Register for select events by checking out the day's agenda.
Thank you to our community partners!
The Agenda
Timed Events:
Early Birding with Intersectional Bird Club of Pittsburgh - 7:00 AM
Join Charity Kheshgi of the Intersectional Bird Club of Pittsburgh, Kate St. John from "Outside My Window" blog, and local young birder Ezra White 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 between the gatehouses at the front entrance of the Frick Environmental Center. Binoculars will be available for borrowing.
Morning Birding with Bob Mulvihill from The National Aviary - 8:00 AM
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.
PA Young Birder Outing - 8:00 AM
Join David Yeany from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy for a guided birding outing during the peak of spring migration. This walk is designed specifically for young birders ages 12-18, parents/guardians are welcome to attend as well. Binoculars will be available for borrowing.
Birds of Prey Family Program - 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM
Join Nick Stahlman from the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania for a family program on the birds of prey found in Pennsylvania. This one-hour program will be held in our amphitheater at 9:30am and 11:00am and will include hands-on touchable items in addition to live birds of prey.
No registration required.
Accessible Birding Outings
Details coming soon.
Ongoing Events - 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM:
- Hands-on family activities with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Pittsburgh Park Rangers, and National Aviary will be happening in the Frick Environmental Center Classrooms and Outdoor Discovery Space. Test your knowledge of bird feathers and eggs, investigate bird beaks, decorate a warbler, and more!
- Community partners tabling with Allegheny Goatscape, Building New Hope, DarkSky International, Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, and Three Rivers Waterkeeper will be located along the allee.
- Virtual bird banding with Nick Liadis and the bird banding crew at Bird Lab will be on zoom in the Frick Environmental Center Living Room! As birds migrate across the continent each spring, they encounter a wide range of landscapes along the way. Bird Lab studies these seasonal movements across local habitats, including their suburban site in Upper St. Clair. During this live Zoom session, Nick will talk through the banding process with birds that they catch and answer audience questions, offering a unique opportunity to compare which bird species are present at urban and suburban sites across Allegheny County. Banding is weather-dependent and may be canceled in stormy or excessively hot conditions.
- Explore Visual Bird Sounds in the Frick Environmental Center Living Room with John Rice from Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Explore the wonders of bird vocalizations and see how technology helps us see bird sounds. Test your ability to match a spectrogram (graphed wave form) to a bird's song or call. Birds make sounds primarily to communicate for survival and reproduction, such as attracting mates, defending territory, warning of predators or other dangers, and coordinating with their flock.