Celebrate World Bird Day

May 4th is Bird Day—the oldest avian holiday. According to the Library of Congress, the first Bird Day was observed in 1894. 

Bird Day was first established by Charles Almanzo Babcock, the superintendent of the schools in Oil City, Pennsylvania. The original intent was to teach students about the importance of wild birds. 

In the present day, we use Bird Day to foster interest in birds and advance bird conservation. to celebrate, we are launching three new bird-themed designs to help foster interest in wild birds. Continue reading to learn more about Owls, Penguins, and Hummingbirds—the three designs that are available now! 

The Wise Owl

There are around 250 species of owls in the world. They can be found on all of the Earth's continents except Antarctica. 

Owls have three basic needs:

• Food
• Somewhere safe to roost
• A place to nest

Owls spend a majority of the time they're awake hunting for food. When they're not hunting for food, they're trying to find somewhere to roost. Roosting is where owls go to rest when they aren't hunting. When they're ready to mate, they'll settle down to find somewhere to nest. 

Humans pose a threat to an owl's basic needs. When we clear out native vegetation and destroy habitats, there are fewer places for an owl to nest and roost. There is also more competition for depleting food supply amongst owls. 

What Do Owls Symbolize?

You might commonly associate owls with wisdom. In Ancient Greece, owls were associated with the goddess of wisdom, Athena—leading them to be seen as holy birds. This is how they became symbols of wisdom. 

In Hinduism, owls are associated with the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. They are believed to be a sign that good luck is imminent. 

In the present day, we universally see owls as symbols of personal growth, wisdom, and transformation. If you were to spot an owl, which would be uncommon since most species are nocturnal, it is believed that you should focus more on your intuition and inner knowledge. 

Based on these associations, we decided that these CONQUERing designs really represent owls: 

• The Owl Element—this is a no brainer. The Owl Element features an etched-version of an owl and encourages the person who wears it to raise awareness for deforestation and its effects on their habitats. 
• The Howlite Round Crystal Element—Howlite is one of our crystal elements that is associated with wisdom. Since owls are associated with wisdom, it only makes sense that we would choose a crystal that is believed to amplify wisdom. 
• The Angel Symbol Element—Owls are associated with angels. If you frequently see them, or if they're commonly following you, it is believed that they are acting as your guardian angel. 

Now that you know more about owls, we hope you take this World Bird Day to learn more about the species and how you can participate in conservation efforts. 

The Loyal Penguin

There are currently 18 recognized species of penguins around the world. They primarily live in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Penguins are flightless birds! However, they are experts when it comes to swimming. They are able to propel themselves throughout bodies of water to hunt for food. They spend their time with their families, raising their young, and protecting themselves from predators. 

The biggest threat posed to penguins right now is climate change. Penguins rely on sea ice to access their food. Climate change has caused a lot of the world's sea ice to melt, which means there are fewer places for penguins to hunt. This has already led to a decreased access to food supply leading to a decreased population of penguins. 

It's important that we are aware of how human-caused climate change is drastically impacting the world's population of penguins. By understanding our own carbon footprint, we can begin to reverse the effects and save the penguins!

What Do Penguins Symbolize?

Universally, penguins symbolize adaptability, survival, loyalty, and teamwork. They are known for having a strong sense of family—as mentioned above, they stick together in colonies to protect from predators and raise their young. Penguins also mate for life, taking turns raising their eggs and chicks. 

Penguins also have different meanings in different cultures. In Native American cultures, they are seen as a symbol of love and community. African cultures see them as symbols for teamwork—encouraging people to work as a team to overcome challenges. Asian cultures associate them with new beginnings and relationships. New Zealand cultures see penguins as a representation of family and spirituality. 

We decided that a penguin best aligns with these CONQUERing designs: 

• Penguins Element—the penguin element is designed to encourage people to spend their World Bird Day learning more about penguins and how to protect their habitats
• Blue Lace Agate Round Crystal Element—The Blue Lace Agate crystal is associated with harmony, hope, and optimism. Since penguins are so team-oriented, a crystal that is believed to amplify harmony felt perfect to represent the species. 
• FAMILY Element—it only makes sense for the penguin to claim the family element. Penguins stick together in a colony, mate with their partners for life, and protect one another from predators. 

The Happy Hummingbird

There are over 350 known species of hummingbirds. They can be found in the Americas. 

Hummingbirds are known as the smallest migrating bird and the only bird that can fly backwards. Their wings can flap up to 200 times per second. 

Hummingbirds are also important pollinators. They drink nectar, picking up pollen and spreading it across their habitats when they fly. This is why it is vital taht we protect this species. 

The biggest threat to hummingbirds is habitat loss and destruction. As humans tear down tress and other greenery, they take away the homes of hummingbirds, and many other birds. This leads to a decrease in food supply which will increase competition amongst the bird for food. 

What Do Hummingbirds Symbolize?

In Native American cultures, it is believed that hummingbirds bring good luck. When they're seen, especially during challenging times, it is a sign that good fortune is coming. 

Generally, hummingbirds symbolize happiness, good luck, healing, and renewal. These birds truly are a breath of fresh air. They are also an ultimate symbol of beauty—their appearance causes so many to stop for a second and just take their beauty in. 

People have also taken their fast flying skills and translated it to "staying afloat". This means that it's important to always be present in the moment. 

We decided that a hummingbird would be represented by these CONQUERing designs: 

• Hummingbird Element—this design is a reminder to celebrate and learn more about hummingbirds on this World Bird Day.
• The Moonstone Round Crystal Element—Moonstone is one of our crystal elements. It is associated with happiness, abundance, good fortune, and new beginnings. All of which are what hummingbirds have symbolized. 
• The BE HAPPY Element—their beauty and fast flying is enough to make anyone smile. We think that hummingbirds should always serve as a reminder that you need to take a step back and enjoy your surroundings to find true happiness at times. 

Start Celebrating

If you'd like all three bird elements, you can get them in a set of three. 

We hope this post inspired you to do some more research on our avian friends. While owls, penguins, and hummingbirds are all incredibly important, they aren't the only birds that we should be paying attention to this World Bird Day. 

Take this time too figure out what birds are found where you live and how you can contribute to conservation efforts to save them.