Angelenos on May 7 will celebrate the birds of Southern California and LA's Biodiversity at the second annual Bird LA Day, a series of decentralized bird- and nature-themed events throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Bird LA Day shines the spotlight on nature, and reminds the world that Los Angeles is a lot more than just film and fashion and celebrities.
From Debs Park in downtown LA to The G2 Gallery in Venice; from the Natural History Museum to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and many other locations – there will be more than 50 events for every level of birder, from the uninitiated to the expert.
“It’s easy to forget that Los Angeles has deserts, mountains, beaches, rolling hills – an amazing diversity of habitats. And all this creates one of the most fascinating collections of birds you’ll ever see,” said Brigid McCormack, executive director of Audubon California. "Bird LA Day opens people’s eyes to the natural world around them.”
"We've designed the day so that there's something for everyone – from bird walks and talks to photography classes and bird bars with bird-themed drinks," said Susan Gottlieb, Audubon California Board Member and one of the key organizers. "The good news is that nearly all the activities are free."
Highlights include birding tours through the gardens of the Museum of Natural History of Los Angeles County, explorations of the Ballona Wetlands, excursions in the Santa Monica Mountains, yoga classes to bird sounds at the G2 Gallery in Venice, urban birding in South Los Angeles, and getting to know the volunteers at International Bird Rescue in San Pedro.
For a complete listing of events, visit: birdladay.org.
Historically, more than 500 different bird species have been spotted in Los Angeles County, which is more than half of all the species ever spotted in the United States. While that’s a lot of birds, Los Angeles County also boasts an even larger number of birders – the county’s Audubon membership is the highest in the state. Los Angeles County also recently led all U.S. counties in the number of checklists submitted to the Great Backyard Bird Count, a national event that encourages people to report the birds they have seen during the period of Feb. 14-17.
Angelenos are encouraged to share their sightings and photos on the Bird LA Facebook page, or on Twitter using the hashtag: #BirdLADay.
Below is a list of all Bird LA Day partners (we’re adding to this list constantly):
- Aquarium of the Pacific
- Audubon California
- Audubon Center at Debs Park
- Chilao Visitor Center
- Dan Cooper, Ecological Monitoring, Inc.
- Dave Collins Images
- Descanso Gardens
- El Dorado Audubon Society
- Friends of the Ballona Wetlands
- Friends of Griffith Park
- Friends of the Los Angeles River
- Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens
- International Bird Rescue
- King Gillette Ranch
- Los Angeles Audubon Society
- Moore Lab of Zoology, Occidental College
- National Park Service
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
- NatureBridge
- Palos Verdes/South Bay Audubon Society
- Pasadena Audubon Society
- Pomona Valley Audubon Society
- Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority
- Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden
- San Fernando Valley Audubon Society
- The Bay Foundation
- The G2 Gallery
- Theodore Payne Foundation
- UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
- UCLA Bruin Naturalists Club
- U.S. Forest Service
- Wild Wings Backyard Nature Store
About Audubon California
Audubon California is building a better future for California by bringing people together to appreciate, enjoy and protect our spectacular outdoor treasures. With more than 200,000 members and supporters in in California and an affiliated 48 local Audubon chapters, Audubon California is a field program of the National Audubon Society.
More information is available at www.ca.audubon.org.
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