ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan’s fine-feathered friends are taking center stage on May 20 during Nichols Arboretum‘s NeoTropical Bird Migration Festival and Birdathon. The fund-raising event will spotlight warblers and other migratory birds and educate people on how to protect and preserve natural bird habitats.

Because May is the biggest month for migration, Inger Schultz of Nichols Arboretum says it’s the perfect time for the Birdathon. In past years, birders have identified as many as 80 different species on one morning in the Arb. There may be as many as 25 different species of warblers spotted in the Arb as these birds make their way from Central and South America to Canada.

Local birders Dea Armstrong, City of Ann Arbor ornithologist, and Michael Kielb, author, columnist and lecturer, will join in the Birdathon fun and are the “Arb team.” They will be on hand to get everyone started on their search, to tally the species sighted and Kielb will present a talk on bird migration in the Arb. Birders are encouraged to see how many bird species they can find in the Arb during the three-hour period, matching their skills with Armstrong and Kielb.

Money raised during the Birdathon will support bird-related educational programs, help preserve and develop bird habitat in the Arboretum and help develop instructional materials and brochures about birds in the Arb.

The Arb gates open at 7 a.m. for those who want to bird, others can meet up at 10:30 a.m. for the brunch and bird discussion. The entire event costs $25, or just come for the brunch and talk for $15. Register by May 17 and get your pledge form filled.

There will be prizes donated by local merchants and artists for identifying the most species of birds, discovering a bird not found by the Arb’s birding team and for the best Arb birding story and more. Café Verde will donate coffee for the “early birds.” Their blend is a shade grown coffee, meaning it’s grown ecologically.

For more information on the Neo Tropical Bird Migration Festival and Birdathon, call Inger Shutlz at (734) 998-9542, email Arb@umich.edu.

Pager: (888) 761-6263
 

Nichols ArboretumArb@umich.edu