Birds of a feather flocked together at the 67th Annual Conference of Mayors when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the New Orleans Mayor Marc Morial, and Warner Brothers’ legendary animated canary, Tweety, joined forces to sign the first Urban Treaty for Bird Conservation.

The Urban Treaty pilot program, designed to help cities conserve migratory bird populations and their habitat through voluntary partnerships, recognizes the crucial role that urban communities can play in migratory bird conservation efforts.

Mayor Marc Morial said that the Urban Treaty program will help his city expand bird conservation education in urban schools and improve habitat for birds. "The unique birds of New Orleans, immortalized by the paintings and impressions of naturalist John James Audubon, have always been a precious resource," said Mayor Morial. The Mayor also went on to state that the education programs for young people that will be offered as part of the Urban Treaty program will "help to strike another blow against youth violence."

Paul Schmidt, Deputy Assistant Director for Refuges and Wildlife of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, signed the Urban Treaty with Mayor Morial. In signing the document, Mr. Schmidt stated that ì by taking steps to conserve birds and their habitats, we can also make our communities better places to live."

As part of the program, Tweety will share his wit and wisdom to raise awareness of steps that can be taken to ensure survival of birds in the urban environment. "The lovable cat and canary team of Sylvester and Tweety has entertained audiences over the years with their cat-chasing antics. Tweety has proven to be an expert at survival and, on behalf of his feathered friends, will help educate the American people on the importance of urban bird conservation," said Dan Romanelli, President, Warner Brothers Consumer Products.