USPS: Release Stamps Honoring National Bird
Friends of the National Eagle Center – we have an exciting day planned for May 14 and we hope that you will be able to join us!
As the United States celebrates its 250th Anniversary in 2026, the U.S. Postal Service will honor our National Bird, the Bald Eagle, with a commemorative Forever stamp titled “Bald Eagle: Hatchling to Adult”. Designed by Derry Noyes, the stamps feature original paintings by preeminent ornithologist, illustrator and field guide author David Allen Sibley. The Postal Service has selected the National Eagle Center to host the first-day-of-issue ceremony at 11 a.m. in the Riverfront Amphitheater. The ceremony is a FREE to the public, but anyone who arrives before 11 a.m. and attends the ceremony will receive complimentary admission to the Center for the day, covered by the Postal Service. If you plan to attend the first-day-of-issue ceremony, we ask that you RSVP by clicking the link below.
But the excitement doesn’t end with the stamps.
After lunch at 2 p.m. that afternoon, the Center will host
a Q&A session with famed ornithologiest David Allen Sibley!
This will be also be a FREE event to attend, and YOU have the opportunity to submit any questions you have for Mr. Sibley in advance. The session will be held in the Riverfront Amphitheater and last about an hour with a rain-site available if needed.
Please RSVP if you plan to attend and Feel free to send any questions you’d like considered to Scott Mehus by emailing scott@nationaleaglecenter.org or by clicking the link below.
This is an exciting opportunity, and we hope you will be able to join us for this conversation with Mr. Sibley!
Notice: In case of inclement weather programs will move to the St. Felix Auditorium.
About David Allen Sibley
David Sibley began watching birds at a very young age and was only seven when he began drawing them. He spent most of the 1980s and 90s traveling all over the North American continent in search of birds. It’s only natural for him to be a birder as he’s the son of Fred Sibley a Yale ornithologist and has been birding since his childhood in Connecticut.
With The Sibley Field Guide to Birds, a New York Times bestseller, Sibley was immediately hailed as heir to the great birder and artist Roger Tory Peterson, placing him in a long line of artist-naturalists that leads straight back to John James Audubon Used by millions of birders, from novices to the most expert, The Sibley Guide to Birds is the standard by which natural history guides are measured. He is the author and illustrator of several books including The Sibley Guide to Birds, The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Hawks in Flight, and his most recent book, What it’s like to be a Bird. In total, he has sold more than 1.75 million copies of his books to date. Mr. Sibley creates all his work from his home in Concord, Massachusetts.
In 2002, he received the Roger Tory Peterson Award from the American Birding Association for lifetime achievement in promoting the cause of birding.
Please note:
To protect the health and safety of our visitors, staff, and resident eagles we do not allow pets inside the National Eagle Center. Service animals are permitted but are restricted from the resident eagles’ enclosure area and programs. Our federal permits state that there are no animals allowed, including service dogs, in the same room as our eagles.
You will receive an email receipt upon completion of your purchase.
PLEASE DOUBLE-CHECK YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS ON THE ORDER.
If you do not receive an email receipt, please contact us here.
Accessibility and Visitor Policies
Parking
Parking is available on the street and in public lots in downtown Wabasha.
Accessibility
We are fully handicapped accessible with an elevator and can provide a wheelchair for the duration of your visit.
Animal Policies
To protect the health and safety of our visitors, staff, and resident eagles we do not allow pets inside the National Eagle Center. Service animals are permitted but are restricted from the resident eagles’ enclosure area and programs. Our federal permits state that there are no animals allowed, including service dogs, in the same room as our eagles.
Food and Beverages
We ask that you refrain from bringing open food or beverages into all resident eagle areas.
Smoking and e-cigarettes
Smoking, e-cigarettes, vapor cigarettes, or similar are not permitted inside the National Eagle Center.
No solicitations
In order to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all guests, staff, and volunteers, it is the policy of the National Eagle Center to exclude public solicitations at the National Eagle Center. Visitors who engage in such behavior will be asked to leave.