World Waterfowl Day

The Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy at 55 Duck Pond Road is throwing its gates open Friday, January 17, inviting the public to celebrate World Waterfowl Day. World Waterfowl Day is celebrated annually to raise awareness of waterfowl, their habitats, and the need to conserve them.

From 10AM to 2PM the conservancy’s aviaries will be open for self-guided tours. From 11AM to 1PM there will be enrichment and feedings with the aviculturists. The aviaries are outside and visitors are advised to dress warmly and wear boots.

The event is weather dependent and those planning to attend should check the website for updates.

Hot chocolate and hot cider will be served. Pre-registration is requested for the free event but not required.

Protecting waterfowl is crucial. While waterfowl are adaptable and thrive in almost any environment that is near water, there are causes of waterfowl decline that people do not know about. In 2024, Sylvan Heights Bird Park, home to one of the world's largest waterfowl conservation centers, approached National Day Calendar to propose add a new International Day to the calendar. World Waterfowl Day is the result of those first interactions.

The waterfowl family comprises more than 170 species of ducks, geese and swans in the order Anseriformes. Twelve species are currently considered endangered or critically endangered in the wild.

The Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy began in the 1920s when as a teenager S. Dillon Ripley, later considered to be one of the 20th century’s outstanding figures in ornithology and wildlife conservation, began building a collection of waterfowl in Litchfield,

Dillon and his wife, Mary Livingston Ripley, an entomologist, were partners in most activities and recognized the potential for their waterfowl collection and preserve to become a valuable conservation resource. In 1985, they donated much of their land to a non-profit foundation dedicated to waterfowl conservation, research and education.