Putting on a feathery façade

Children from around Dunedin celebrated bird week in style by making their very own masks at Tuhura Otago Museum on Saturday.

Elsie O’Sullivan, 3, of Dunedin, holds her feathered mask to her face after spending the morning crafting the mask.

The museum dedicated the entire day to birds, also holding bird book time with Bridgette Birdot, and a specialist talk with a representative from the Orokonui Ecosanctuary.

The day was a prelude to the New Zealand Garden Bird Survey and gets children and visitors ready to spot the various birds in their own backyard.

The survey will run from June 29 to July 7, and asks people to pick up a bird ID and tally sheet from the museum, and spend a day bird-watching in their backyard ticking off how many of the listed birds they spot.