World Migratory Bird Day – 2021

Program : This is the 18th of a series of virtual zoom panel discussions hosted by America Sri Lanka Photographic Art Society Los Angeles California, USA. (ASPAS); Member of Photographic Society of America (PSA) and The International Federation of Photography of Art in France (FIAP). The objective of the series is to showcase the beauty of world fauna and flora and promote environmental conservation in the context of nature photography and tourism, with a special focus on the grandeur of Sri Lanka’s natural habitat. This program will commemorate World migratory bird day 2021.

Panelist: Dr. Sampath Seneviratne

Sampath Seneviratne has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Ecology from the Memorial University in Canada. He is a Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Department of Zoology and Environment Sciences, University of Colombo. He is also the President of the Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Ecological Association. He is a Consultant Biologist (Evolution | Conservation Genetics | Ornithology). He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Bird Studies Canada, Pacific Wildlife Research Centre in Canada, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Vancouver, Canada, and a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, in Canada. He has been carrying out research at the Avian Evolution Node Laboratory, Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan endemic birds using phylogenetic sister pairs, and has been credited with the discovery of four new species to science including a bird, a tree snake, and two parasites.

THEME: “Sing, Fly, Soar — Like a Bird!” is the theme on May 08, 2021 celebrations of the World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), the only international education program that celebrates the migration of hundreds of bird species between their nesting habitats and their seasonal resting grounds thousands of miles away. In this 27th year of the event, WMBD will inspire the activity of birdwatching, a past time enjoyed by some 86 million Americans, with deeper meaning. WMBD will teach participants at more than 700 locations how to identify birds, how to connect with them, and how to delve deeper into bird biology, investigating such topics as the difference between birdsong and call, the mysteries of migration, and the astounding power of flight., this year’s WMBD will explore what makes birds unique and how and why so many of them make long migrations. With approximately 10,400 bird species globally and approximately 900 bird species in the United States, birds are ambassadors of the natural world. They help us connect with nature and understand the interconnections among all things. They sing. They fly. Join us on May 8th to celebrate the Day! #WorldMigratoryBirdDay2021