The Cornell Lab of Ornithology welcomes the Ithaca community on Saturday, Sept. 13 for its annual Migration Celebration. The free, family-friendly event commemorates the fall bird migration.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors can explore the interactive exhibits, spectate performances and mingle with scientists, artists and conservationists who work in the world of cutting-edge avian research in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
“This is a one-day, annual event that’s been happening for more than a decade,” said Lisa Kopp, visitor experience manager at the Lab. “We throw open the doors of the Lab and invite the public to learn straight from our researchers and staff about all the cool things happening here.”
The celebration spans the Lab’s visitor center, trails and outdoor spaces in Sapsucker Woods. Attendees will find nature walks, science demonstrations and interactive workshops woven throughout the event. For early risers, the Cayuga Bird Club will lead a birdwatching walk at 8:30 a.m. before the main festivities begin at 10 a.m.
One of the event’s biggest draws each year is seeing live birds on display. The Cornell Raptor Program showcases live eagles, hawks, falcons and owls under a tent near the visitor center entrance. For some visitors, the intimate encounters with these birds are unforgettable.
“I saw these huge raptors … they were so cool,” wrote Claire Chiu ’28, who attended last year’s event, to The Sun. “The staff were really enthusiastic and told us a lot about how they took care of the birds.”
The presentations inside of the visitor center offer perspectives on birds and nature. At 10:15 a.m., Haudenosaunee storyteller Perry Ground ’91 will share traditional legends in Stories from the People of the Longhouse. Later, local artist Jane Kim — known for her Wall of Birds mural — will lead a sketching workshop in the woods and guide a collaborative mural painting in the afternoon.
Migration Celebration places a strong emphasis on interactive learning. Visitors can try out the popular Merlin Bird ID app, a bird identification app which was developed at the Lab. They can also test binoculars with Wild Birds Unlimited and explore wildlife sound analysis with the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics. Some exhibits will also cover new topics this year, such as how to make windows safer for birds and how to create bird-friendly habitats at home.
“Migration Celebration will be very exciting,” said Tara Pollock ’27, who will be tabling at the event alongside other Cornell representatives of the Bird Collision Prevention Alliance — who seek to spread awareness about bird-window collisions — and BirdCast — who use weather radar data to monitor and predict bird migration patterns in North America. “We will discuss bird friendly initiatives, especially with regard to glass as it is one of the top killers of birds.”
Bird banding demonstrations will also offer attendees closer insights into how scientists track and study bird migration patterns by placing identification rings on their legs, while the tours of the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates will showcase varied taxidermied specimens such as birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and mammals.
“It’s a really special day,” Kopp noted. “Everybody who comes shares a love for nature. You leave feeling inspired and hopeful, knowing you’re part of something bigger.”
Beyond attending, visitors can support the Lab’s mission by joining citizen-friendly, bird-watching science projects like eBird, Project FeederWatch or the Great Backyard Bird Count.
For students looking for transportation to the event, TCAT Route 77 provides flag-zone weekend bus service to the Lab. There will also be a shuttle for transporting students running between the Lab, Robert Purcell Community Center and Baker Flagpole on West Campus throughout the day. The shuttle will leave the Lab and stop by those two locations at every hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with extra rounds running at peak times of 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
For Hannah Rams ’27, an active member of the Cornell Raptor Program who volunteered to present live birds last year and also enjoyed the event’s activities, Migration Celebration serves as an inviting event for students interested in the world of birding, no matter their prior knowledge of birds.
“It’s super beginner-friendly,” Rams said. “[The activities, live birds and interactive exhibits] put on by the Lab make it a really enjoyable experience.
Correction, September 11, 6 p.m.: This article was updated to include information about the Lab shuttle schedule.
Rowan Wallin is a member of the Class of 2027 in the Nolan School of Hotel Administration within the SC Johnson College of Business. He is a senior writer for the news department and can be reached at rwallin@cornellsun.com.
