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Build a Birdhouse!: Maker's Day 2024

Learn about Centenary University's goal for Maker's Day 2024 and the fauna your birdhouses will shelter.

New Jersey Makers Day 2024

Each year since 2014, New Jersey Makers Day encourages library communities across the state to participate in STEM and maker culture. In the spirit of this library's mission to "Cultivate Curiosity and Creativity," Taylor Memorial Library will host a "Build a Birdhouse" event for Makers Day 2024. We hope the campus community and any other enthusiastic makers will join in the fun and learn something new about the bird cultures of New Jersey, too!

Peregrine Falcon

Turkey Vulture

Barn Owl

Osprey

Eastern Screech-Owl

Great Horned Owl

Scarlet Tanger

Cedar Waxwing

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Canada Goose

Wild Turkey

Tundra Swan

Blackburnian Warbler

Red-Tailed Hawk

Pileated Woodpecker

Cooper's Hawk

Northern Cardinal

The emblem bird of the United States - the bald eagle.

American Robin

Mourning Dove

New Jersey's state bird - the American goldfinch.

Goals

  • Promote Biodiversity: The installation of birdhouses in our community will provide shelter and nesting spaces for local bird species.
  • Community Engagement: Building together will foster a sense of community pride and environmental responsibility.
  • Education and Awareness: Community members will be educated about local bird species, their importance to the ecosystem, and the role of birdhouses in conservation efforts.
  • Sustainable Practices: The project will emphasize the use of sustainable materials and practices in constructing birdhouses, promoting eco-friendly habits within the community.

Birds in Taylor Memorial Library

Librarian

Bird Fun Facts!

  • New Jersey's state bird is the American goldfinch.
  • As of 2021, there are 485 species of birds living in New Jersey.
  • The closest living relatives of birds are crocodiles.
  • A bird's eyes take up 50% of their head. Compare that to the 5% which an eyeball takes up on a human head.
  • Birds are descended from dinosaurs. The modern chicken is actually the closest living relative of the T-Rex.
  • The goose was the first bird to be domesticated by humans--they were kept for their meat and down feathers.
  • Ducks have a single-brain sleeping pattern (half of their brain sleeps, while the other stays awake and alert). When ducks sleep in a group, any ducks on the outer rim will keep one eye open and on the lookout for danger.
  • Birds have a tremendous effect on their ecosystems; they act as pollinators by carrying seeds from region to region, protect crops by eating pests, and their waste is used as fertilizer.
  • A woodpecker can peck 20 times a second and at the speed of 15mph. They can peck 12,000 times per day!
  • The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird on Earth, diving at 242 mph.