BIRDS ON THE NIAGARA: A Winter Celebration

Bird life along the Niagara River Corridor is fascinating year-round, but during wintertime, birds flock to the river from all corners of the world. On January 25th and 26th, Buffalo Audubon, Tifft Nature Preserve, Friends of Times Beach, Pollinator Conservation Association, Niagara River Greenway and NYS Parks will launch a weekend celebration of all things avian, from Buffalo to Lewiston. This FREE, family- friendly event will include guided bird-watching activities, hands-on workshops and demonstrations, and keynote address by Twan Leenders, President of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History (RTPI) in Jamestown, New York.

The weekend’s events will highlight the Niagara River Corridor as a designated Globally Significant Important Bird Area, due to the diversity of habitat and migratory bird species that call the river home throughout the year.

species that can be found only here, and we’re hoping to share that story with a broader audience,engaging new folks in birding as an accessible activity that can be enjoyed in any part of the region, any time of year.”, said Melissa Fratello, Executive Director, Buffalo Audubon.

“This festival is an important way to both recognize the significance of the Niagara River Globally Significant Important Bird Area and the species that use it, its conservation needs, and the importance of this resource to an eco-tourism economy.”, said Jay Burney, Friends of Times Beach and the Pollinator Conservation Association and Festival Co-organizer. “Our programming will include important lessons about how and where to see winter birds, and provide ethical guidelines for both bird watchers, the general public, and photographers that work hard to capture the beauty of our incredible diversity of winter birds in the Niagara River strait.”

“This is a great event that uplifts natural assets that all of us benefit from. The incredible natural biodiversity that depends on the Niagara, including the many species of birds and fish that help make our local and global natural systems healthy and productive, and the very valuable economic development contexts that involve tourism, quality of life, and conservation will all be on display during this festival.

https://www.tifft.org/event/birds-on-the-niagara/

January 25th

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM – Birding the Buffalo Harbor: Gulls, Fowl and Owls! Meet at Buffalo Harbor State Park Parking Lot

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Celebration Kickoff at Tifft Nature Preserve: Why WNY is a Big Deal in the World of Birds, and Be a Responsible Birder!

7:00 PM – Owl Prowls with Chuck Rosenberg and Tom Kerr, Tifft Nature Preserve January 26th

9:00-10:00AM -BeaverIslandBirds:MorningGuidedWalk Meet at the Casino

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM OR 12:00 – 1:00 PM – Birding for Families Guided Walk at Tifft Meet at in the Nature Center at Tifft

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Goat Island Gulls Meet at Parking Lot 3

12:00PM-5:00PM -TheBirdHub:Workshops,Vendors,DemonstrationsandSpecialGuests, Niagara University, St Vincents Hall 4th Floor

2:00 PM – 2:45PM – So You Want to Be a Birder? Optics, ID Workshop for Beginners with Tom Kerr OR WNY Wildlife Rehab with SPCA Erie County

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM – Community Science/E-Bird

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Keynote Speaker Twan Leenders of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Niagara University St Vincent’s Hall

*There will be warming stations at the WNY Welcome Center at Alvin Rd, Grand Island from 8AM –12PM and at Niagara University, St Vincent’s Hall, 4th Floor from 12PM – 5PM on Jan 26th

The Buffalo Audubon Society is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that promotes appreciation and enjoyment of the natural world through education and stewardship.