Today in History: Bird Day

My bird of paradise. Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.
Today in History–May 4–the Library of Congress features Bird Day, first celebrated on this day in 1894. Pennsylvania school superintendent Charles Almanzo Babcock initiated this celebration, in conjunction with Arbor Day, to help encourage conservation training, particularly among young people. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more resources related to birds.

Bird Day: How To Prepare for It

Bird lore, vol. 1.

Citizen bird: scenes from bird-life in plain English for beginners, by Mabel Osgood Wright and Elliott Coues. With one hundred and eleven illustrations by Louis Agassiz Fuertes

Bird books, articles & printed ephemera

Birds image set

More birds images

Game birds of America image set

Roosevelt, friend of the birds (film)

U.S. Supreme Court Saves the Birds Iron County register. (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.), 08 July 1920

More migratory bird act historical newspaper coverage

Early 20th-century migratory bird legislation

Modern-day bird legislation

Bird sheet music

“Glad to See You, Little Bird“

“La pájara pinta”

“Mary was a Redbird” (lyrics)

“Mocking Bird”

“Red Bird in the Tree”

More bird songs and recordings

The First Bird Day America’s Library

From the Serial Set: Birds and the Law In Custodia Legis September 15, 2021

The Legal History of Pigeons In Custodia Legis September 15, 2021

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