April 1 - International Bird Day

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Every year, on April 1, the International Bird Day is celebrated around the world. An unusual holiday appeared a long time ago - in 1894, at the initiative of the quartermaster of Oil City, Charles Babcock (Pennsylvania, USA). Initially, it was a children's celebration, the holding of which meant listening to musical works devoted to birds, as well as participation in educational programs aimed at protecting birds of the wild nature.

Soon, the initiative of Charles Babcock was approved and supported by the American Society of Ornithologists. And at the beginning of XX, the Day of Birds was held throughout the United States, gradually spreading throughout the world, including the Russian Empire. With the onset of the revolutionary period, it was temporarily forgotten, and in 1924 the Day of Birds was revived thanks to the vigorous activity of young naturalists at the Moscow Central Biological Station under the guidance of teacher N. Dergunov and P. Smolin.

In the subsequent historical period, the Day of the Birds, then forgotten, then revived again. In modern Russia, it has been held since 1994, thanks to the efforts of enthusiastic ornithologists from the Union of Birds of Russia. Today, in many countries of the world, it is recognized as an ecological day, which takes place within the framework of the UNESCO biological program “Man and the Biosphere”. Its main goal is the preservation of species diversity and the number of birds on our planet.

The date of the holiday was not chosen by chance. As a rule, migratory birds gradually begin to return from warm edges on April 1. Therefore, on this day, it is customary to equip the habitats of waterfowl birds, hang out summer feeders and, of course, birdhouses. After all, very soon, the squash come back from warm countries to engage in the active fight against harmful insects and delight us with their singing.

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