From BirdLife:
The Beijing Bird Watching Society’s (BBWS) World Bird Festival events included an Olympic theme.World Bird Festival in Dominican Republic: here.Among the mascots that will welcome visitors to the 2008 Games in Beijing is Nini the swallow.
“We organised the event, ‘to protect swallows in Beijing, to welcome the Olympics’, in Daxing Milu Garden,” explained Fion Cheung, BirdLife’s China Programme Officer.
“Visitors could not only watch the Barn Swallow, the character of the festival, and see the end of their southern migration, but also enjoy a variety of activities including a display of artificial nests, and kite-making. The idea was partly to show Beijing citizens how they can take part in conservation activity.”
More than 40 volunteers helped, and more than 1,200 people took part in the event.
Beijing’s Olympic swallow mascot – known as Nini- reflects the popularity of the swallow shape among Beijing’s traditional kite-flyers. Because of the swallow’s graceful aerobatic flight, Nini has also been chosen to represent gymnastics among the Olympic events.
Nini is one of five mascots, or “Fuwa”, along with Beibei the Fish, Jingjing the Panda, Huanhuan the Olympic Flame and Yingying the Tibetan Antelope. Together, the first syllables of their names spell out Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni - Welcome to Beijing.
In the Americas: here.
Birds in Phoenix, USA: here.
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Comment by fateh ali — September 13, 2008 @ 11:12 am
Dear fateh ali,
Please, what is the relationship to the World Bird Festival?
Comment by Administrator — September 13, 2008 @ 11:45 am
In, 1975, My wife and i Had the privilege of having a working vacation on Fishers Island New York. We saw swarms of Swallows blackining the sky. They would fly towards each other and somehow fly through each other’s swarm. I don’t know how they did it without hitting each other. It was beautiful. They to me are the best flyers in the bird world. They waould fly down close to the ground at the beach. It was very rocky with large rocks. They would dart in and out between the bolders and could turn on a dime. I will never forget it. Truley amazing. I love all nature, can’t stand violence. God Bless all!!! Dupree
Comment by Cactass Dupree — June 21, 2009 @ 4:16 am
Hi Cactass Dupree, thanks for your comment! Was that a spring or autumn migration on Fishers Island?
Comment by Administrator — June 21, 2009 @ 9:57 am