As Easter approaches, we invite Vilnius residents and visitors to welcome spring in a meaningful way – on 4 March at 2 pm, the exhibition “Photographic Exhibition of Wild Bird Eggs”, prepared by the Tadas Ivanauskas Zoological Museum in Kaunas, will open on the 5th floor of the Shopping Centre CUP.
The exhibition features no fewer than 27 stunning photographs of wild birds and their eggs, revealing the diversity and fragile beauty of nature. Each egg is a unique work of natural art, distinguished by its distinctive patterns, colours and shapes. The exhibits captured in the photographs form part of the museum’s extensive collection, which was first assembled during the time of Professor Tadas Ivanauskas. Today, the museum can boast of possessing more than 80 percent of all known examples of bird eggs from all bird species in Lithuania.
Exhibition curator Saulius Rumbutis points out that the colours and patterns of the eggs are not intended merely for aesthetic pleasure. This is a survival strategy: some eggs are plain white, placed in nests or nesting boxes, whilst others are marked with spots or stripes, helping them to blend in with their surroundings. Visitors will be able to examine these subtle solutions of nature in detail through photographs.
Free educational programmes will take place during the exhibition opening, with a particular focus on families and children – they can look forward to interactive activities, the chance to get up close to nests and egg samples, and to learn more about bird migration and conservation. The community of the Antanas Martinaitis Art School in Kaunas also contributed to the exhibition, creating artistic installations of eggs that complement the exhibition with creative accents. The creation of these works was inspired and guided by the teaching staff Rita Grigauskienė and Roma Kotryna Jukienė, who encouraged the pupils not only to explore their creative potential, but also to experience the beauty of tradition.
It is no coincidence that the exhibition is opening on 4 March, as this day is known in Lithuania as Kovarniu Day. It is believed that at this time, rooks (Corvus frugilegus) return from their wintering grounds – harbingers of spring. These birds often arrive even earlier than skylarks, and some of them spend the winter in our towns. Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) – birds of the corvid family, living in colonies in close proximity to humans. Rooks are highly intelligent and social birds, feeding on insects and other invertebrates.
The event will be photographed and filmed.
