essay on the importance of birds

Essay on Birds

500 words essay on birds.

Birds are very special animals that have particular characteristics which are common amongst all of them. For instance, all of them have feathers, wings and two legs. Similarly, all birds lay eggs and are warm-blooded. They are very essential for our environment and exist in different breeds. Thus, an essay on birds will take us through their importance.

Importance of Birds

Birds have different sizes and can be as small as 2 inches and as big as 2.75 metres. For instance, bee hummingbird (smallest) and ostrich (largest). Bird’s existence dates back to 160 million years ago.

There are different types of birds that exist which vary in characteristics. For instance, there are penguins that cannot fly. Further, there are birds that are known for their intelligence like Parrots and Corvidae.

Moreover, we have peacocks which are beautiful and symbolize rain and good weather. Next, there are bats and vultures as well. Birds connect very closely to the environment and are quite intuitive.

They can predict the weather conditions and some are kept near coal mines for the prediction of a mine explosion. It is because they are sensitive to the release of high levels of carbon monoxide. They are quite social and enjoy singing as well. Birds enjoy the freedom of moving anywhere without boundaries.

My Favourite Bird

My favourite bird is the parrot. It is a colourful bird that is present in many parts of the world. It comes in many shapes, sizes and colours. Parrots are famous for having vivid colours.

Some have a single, bright colour while others have a rainbow of different colours. Parrots are usually small and medium in size that mostly eats seeds, nuts and fruits. The lifespan of a parrot depends on its species.

Larger ones like cockatoos and macaws live for 80 years while the smaller ones like lovebirds live for around 15 years. In fact, parrots are quite intelligent. They have the ability to imitate human speech which is why many people keep them as pets.

Consequently, they are also the most sought-after type of bird for commercial purposes. All over the world, people are taking measures to ensure parrots get nice treatment. Many cultures also consider them sacred.

Parrots are highly intelligent and thrive at their best when they are free and not captured in cages. I used to have a parrot when I was little and I never kept it in a cage. It used to sit on my shoulder wherever I went and never flew away. Parrots are my favourite bird.

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Conclusion of the Essay on Birds

Due to hunting, poaching and disruption of the ecological balance, many birds are getting extinct. As a result, birds living in water like swans, ducks and more are also falling drastically in number because of pollution. Thus, we all must take proper measures to help the birds live and save them from extinction. Birds are vital for our ecosystem and its balance, thus we must all keep them safe.

FAQ of Essay on Birds

Question 1: How can we save birds?

Answer 1: We can save birds by doing little things like providing a source of water for them to drink. Further, we can elevate bird feeders and plant native plants and trees for them. Similarly, we can put up birdhouses and garden organically so that birds can feed on insects and worms.

Question 2: Why birds are important in our life?

Answer 2 : Birds are significant for our environment as well as for human beings as they play an important role in every living thing present on earth. Birds are one of the seed dispersers for plants who deliver us food, shelter and medicines and more.

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Essay on Birds

Birds are exceptionally unique creatures with distinctive traits that they all share. For instance, they all have two legs, wings, and feathers. In a similar vein, all birds have warm blood and lay eggs. They come in several breeds and are highly important to our ecology. Here are a few sample essays on the topic ‘Birds’.

100 Words Essay On Birds

Birds are the only vertebrates with feathers, making them a form of a vertebrate with a backbone. They can keep their body temperature constant regardless of the temperature of their environment because they have warm blood.

Birds can consume insects and other small creatures with the help of their beaks. Some birds, like parrots, can grab fruit or nuts with their beaks. Most birds construct nests in which they lay their eggs and live in flocks (in groups).

Birds are intriguing animals that have a lot to teach us about nature. We may learn about the ecology of our mother earth and the significance of protecting the environment by studying them.

200 words Essay on Birds

The field of ornithology, the study of birds, is so vast that it is impossible even to guess the number of distinct species of birds that exist worldwide. There are about 10,000 different species of birds around the globe. Scientists believe there may be even more out there that is still unidentified or undiscovered.

Birds are present on every continent and in every environment, from the Arctic to the tropics. They have a wide range of stunning colours. Common bird species include chickens, ducks, hawks, eagles, finches, sparrows, and crows. While each bird has unique characteristics, all birds share some common characteristics.

As an illustration, every bird has feathers and can fly (except a few bird species that have lost this ability). Their ability to fly, made possible by their wings, is one trait that sets them apart from other creatures.

A bird is an omnivore since it frequently eats both plants and animals. Birds eat a variety of foods, depending on their species. Hummingbirds, for example, eat on floral nectar. Vultures and other birds eat decaying meat, and the crow will eat almost anything. Additionally, we have peacocks, which are lovely and represent rain and fine weather. Birds have a strong sense of intuition and connection to their surroundings.

500 Words Essay On Birds

Birds are essential to the environment and humans because they support every living creature on Earth. They are among the people spreading the seeds of the plants that give us food, shelter, and medicines. They also transport the plants to new islands in addition to restoring the environment that has been devastated. Earth’s ecosystem balance would be disrupted if birds were to go extinct. Because birds consume insects, they are also known as environment cleaners.

For example, vultures devour decaying bodies, which can affect the environment. Without birds, the population of insects will soar quickly. But today, birds are going extinct due to deforestation—because birds depend on trees for their habitat and food. Thus, they must reside in regions humans have created, which causes a decline in bird species.

Interesting Facts About Birds

Birds can be as small as 2 inches or as large as 2.75 metres—the ostrich, for instance, and the bee, the smallest hummer (most prominent). The existence of birds dates back 160 million years.

Birds come in many different varieties, each with its unique qualities. As an illustration, certain penguins cannot fly. Other birds with a reputation for intelligence include parrots and Corvidae.

We also have beautiful peacocks that stand in for rain and good weather. Then there are the bats and the vultures. Birds are highly intuitive and highly connected to their environment.

Some of them are kept near coal mines so they can foresee mine explosions and weather conditions. They are sensitive to high carbon monoxide release, which is why. They enjoy singing and are friendly people. Birds enjoy having unrestricted, unhindered flight.

My Favourite Bird

Birds have always piqued my interest. I spent hours watching them fly and play in the park close to my house when I was younger. The parrot is one of my favourite birds. I even kept a parrot as a pet for a while named Barry. I never kept Barry in a cage. It used to sit on my shoulder everywhere I went and never flew off. I used to feed him and play with him a lot. He had beautiful feathers.

Parrots are vibrant birds that may be seen all over the world. It comes in a variety of forms, dimensions, and hues. Vibrant colours are a common characteristic of parrots.

While some have a single, vivid colour, others have a spectrum of hues. Parrots typically range in size from small to medium, and they prefer to consume seeds, nuts, and fruits. A parrot's lifespan is determined by its species.

Lovebirds, smaller than cockatoos and macaws, only survive for about 15 years on average. Parrots are intelligent. They can mimic human speech, so many people keep them as pets.

As a result, they are the most sought-after species of bird for trade. People are trying to guarantee that parrots receive good care throughout the world. They are regarded as sacred in many civilisations. Since they are knowledgeable, parrots do best when living in the wild without being kept in cages.

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• Why Are Birds Important?

They Contribute More To Our World Than You Might Think!

By Richard Worden

When considering the value birds add to our environment, several important factors come to mind. Likewise, human beings rely on birds for a wide variety of purposes. So, why are birds important?

Birds are important because humans rely on them as a food source, for pest control on farms, for economic growth, and for innovation. Environmentally, birds play essential roles in pollination, seed dispersal, fertilization, cleaning up the environment, and spreading nutrients in the ocean.

This article will dive deeper into the importance of birds to humans and the environment. Continue reading to discover enlightening facts that motivate you to engage in habits that make the world more habitable for these valuable creatures.

Why Are Birds Important to Humans?

Across the world, different cultures and groups have found different uses for domesticated and wild birds. Not only do we rely on birds for essential functions, but also for recreation and leisure purposes.

Birds are important to humans because they make for an essential food source and help fertilize our land and reduce pest infestation. Moreover, they hold recreational and economic importance, all while inspiring innovation. Essential Food Source

Another reason why birds are important is because they provide an essential food source as they provide both meat and eggs, which are a staple in many diets. Edible bird meat is a rich source of the following nutrients:

• Protein (specifically lean protein)

The most famous bird meat (worldwide) is chicken meat, and this is due to the following reasons:

• Relatively cheap to raise
• It is rich in lean protein (low in fat).
• Chicken meat is diverse and can be incorporated into a variety of recipes.
• Acceptable by most cultures and religions
• It is pretty tasty and relatively easy to prepare.

Overall, birds contribute to food security by providing an affordable and nutritious food source to millions worldwide.

Bird Droppings Fertilize Land

Farmers rely on bird droppings as a source of inexpensive, organic fertilizer that effectively improves crop yields. Moreover, it is an environmentally friendly option and poses no threats to animals.

These bird droppings enrich the soil with phosphorus, which plays a significant role in photosynthesis and, subsequently, plant growth. Nonetheless, you should note that the proper way to fertilize with bird droppings is to compost them and not to add them directly to the soil, as they can burn young plant roots and shoots.

You can harvest bird droppings from domesticated birds.

Globally speaking, birds are dying off in record numbers...but why? Is it caused by man? or is it a part of a natural cycle? We discuss the question of Why Are Birds Dying Off in this article of ours.

Birds Are Great For Pest Control  

Perhaps we can say that one man’s poison is another bird’s food because that is how birds help us to control pests that threaten crop yields: by feeding on them. These species are known as insectivorous birds.

An interesting fact about birds is that their breeding season happens when insect populations are at their peak. This alignment is constructive in mitigating the effects of these destructive pests because there are now more birds to prey on them and reduce the infestation.

Insectivorous birds feed on insects at each growth stage, making them quite effective at pest control.

Recreational Importance of Birds

Here are the main ways that birds are used for recreation:

• Bird watching
• Bird hunting

Bird watching is a relaxing recreational activity that many describe as an avenue for connecting with nature. Additionally, it is very beneficial to your mental health because you can unwind and disconnect from the daily stresses of everyday life as you enjoy the thrilling sights and sounds of birds.

Bird hunting is another recreational activity that some enjoy. Various government conservatories allow the hunting of birds such as ducks, geese, and pheasants for their meat (or just for the thrill of it). In addition to collecting revenue from these acts, some proceeds go toward environmental conservation efforts due to the federal duck stamp issued in 1934.

Birds also encourage ecotourism, where people travel to new places to engage in environmental conservation in one way or another. Ecotourism creates environmental awareness and promotes positive environmental practices by both tourists and hosts.

Here's a great video from the National Audubon Society further explaining why birds are so important...

Economic Importance of Birds

There are several ways that birds make a positive contribution to the economic growth of individuals and countries, and most of these have to do with the buying and selling of birds and their byproducts. 

Whether for food, pets, or ornamental purposes, bird breeding creates employment opportunities and serves as a source of income for individuals, businesses, and countries.

Food industries rely on bird meat, bones, and eggs as core ingredients for their products. Additionally, pillow and garment industries rely on bird feathers because they provide lightweight, durable, and warm stuffing for these items. 

Bird watching and bird hunting activities are also employment creation and income-generating opportunities for both governments and individuals. 

Because birds are natural predators of common plant pests, they reduce the cost of pesticides incurred by farmers when controlling pest populations. Furthermore, they contribute to better plant yields by preying on these destructive pests.

Birds Inspire Innovation

If you have ever seen a plane flying in the sky and thought it looked just like a bird, you were not wrong. In many aspects, birds have inspired the design and operation of airplanes.

Here are some ways in which airplane engineers borrow inspiration from birds:

• Wings that adapt to different types of flight
• Streamlined shape to overcome air resistance
• Light framework
• Flaps that mimic feathers

Birds have also been the inspiration for the engineering of drones.

Why Are Birds Important to the Environment?

Birds are important to the environment because they aid pollination, seed dispersal, fertilization, and help clean up the environment while also spreading nutrients in seas and oceans. Pollination

Pollination is the transfer of pollen (male gametes) from the male part of a flower to the female part. This process leads to plant fertilization and seed production, enabling plants and trees to reproduce.

Birds play a significant role in pollination and, more so, nectar-sucking birds. As birds reach in to suck nectar, pollen grains get attached to their bills and feathers. They are then transferred to the female parts of the same or other flowers during movement, fertilizing them.

Seed Dispersal

Seed dispersal is the process by which seeds are distributed from the mother plant to grow elsewhere. It ensures that plants grow a healthy distance apart, so they do not compete for nutrients and water.

Birds facilitate seed dispersal in various ways, as highlighted below:

Fertilization

• They ingest the seeds and pass them in different locations during excretion
• Seeds may also attach to the birds’ feathers as they move during feeding and drop off elsewhere as the birds move about.
• Birds may also shake seeds off the plant as they feed on the nectar or through contact with the plants while in transit.

Similarly to farmed plants, plants and trees in the wild also benefit when fertilized by bird droppings. As stated previously, bird droppings are rich in phosphorus, essential to photosynthesis and plant growth. This, along with other factors, helps sustain wild plants and trees, positively impacting the environment which is another reason why are birds important.

Cleaning Up the Environment

When animals die in the wild, their carcasses begin to decompose due to the presence of bacteria and fungi. If the animal dies from an infectious disease, the pathogens responsible are likely still present in the carcass and can easily spread to other animals.

Thankfully, scavenger birds such as crows and vultures feed on dead animal carcasses. By doing so, they clean up roadsides and prevent the spread of diseases.

Spreading Nutrients in Seas and Oceans

Seabirds contribute to the ocean’s ecosystem in a significant way. 

These birds rely on the ocean for their food. As they move through, they release droppings into the water. These droppings contain essential nutrients that promote the growth of coral reefs in the sea. Fish that survive on coral reefs therefore thrive and increase in population.

This nutrient recycling cycle is very important in maintaining a healthy fish population in oceans and seas.

Birds as Indicators of the Overall Environment

One importance of birds that impacts both human beings and the environment is that they help us to identify significant changes in environmental factors and determine the state of our environment concerning our well-being.

Birds pick up quickly on changes in their habitat and surroundings and subsequently change their behavior to adapt to the new conditions. For instance, coal miners would take canary birds with them because the birds are highly sensitive to toxic gasses like carbon monoxide, which are prevalent in mines.

As long as the birds behaved normally, the miners would be reassured that the air quality was safe for work. However, as soon as the birds began to indicate distress, the miners would promptly leave the mine to avoid poisoning.

Scientists today study changes in bird populations, specifically a decline in the number of birds in an area, as this usually indicates an environmental problem. They then use these indications as a basis for conducting further research.

Here's a few more bird articles of ours which you'll enjoy... - The Life Cycle of a Bird - How Can Birds Land on Power Lines and Not Get Shocked?

Why Are Birds Important...Final Thoughts

Birds offer immense benefits both to human beings and the environment. Therefore, they should be conserved at all costs to prevent extinction.

Some birds, such as chickens, are good for food, others, like peacocks, for ornamental purposes, while others, like parrots, serve as loyal pets. Regardless of how they contribute to our well-being or the environment, there is no doubt that they are invaluable gifts from nature.

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About the Author... Richard Worden, a dedicated bird lover for over 20 years, I love to share my in-depth knowledge and passion for birds. Read more About Me and my expertise in this field.

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds. Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest. Read More...

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Essay on Birds for Students and Children in 1000+ Words

July 7, 2020 by ReadingJunction 1 Comment

In this article, you will read an Essay on Birds for students and children in 1000+ words. It includes nature, living situation, voices, habitats, importance and 10 lines about birds.

So, let’s start this essay on birds…

Table of Contents

Introduction (Essay on Birds)

Birds are the unique creature that has the ability of flying. If they fly and spread wings in the sky, then an attractive scene is present.

In the morning and evening, the earth gets resonated with their killer. The beauty of forest-provinces is enhanced by their residence. Everyone is fascinated by their attractive colours.

Nature of Birds

Birds are very strange. Some black, some green and some purple. Their body is very light because of which they can fly easily. Their wings are light and colourful. They have two legs and two eyes.

With the help of the feet, they roam the earth . Some birds fly in the sky at very high altitudes, and some can decide only two-four feet distance.

Just as there are many types of variations found in the world, in the bird world also, many types of variations are found. But two characteristics are the same in all – one can fly, and the other is that all birds lay eggs.

Living Situation of Birds

Birds are deeply attached to nature . They live in forests, nesting in bushes and on trees. Most birds live in a shelter that it creates.

Collected the weeds, added the straw, and made a nest. Some birds are very skilled at building a nest, such bird’s know as nesting birds. They make it on sight.

Some birds do not make a nest and make a shelter in a tree cover. The woodpecker makes holes in the wood. Some large birds, such as peacocks , do not build nests and take refuge in bushes.

Voices of Birds

The soft tone of some birds attracts us. Cuckoo, papaya, parrot, etc. are all convincing of the melodious sound of birds. There is a great discussion of his voice in literature.

He has great praise in the compositions of poets. But the dialect of some birds is considered hoarse. It has also been said that who does the cuckoo give and what does the crow take, but everyone dislikes it because of the ravenous bird of the crow.

In this way, the birds want to be free, but some birds are kept domestic by humans. Birds like pigeon, parrot , a rooster can be domesticated. The parrot is ensconced in many houses and can mimic the voice of a man.

It is kept in a cage and is known and considered a special symbol of peace. Rooster is very important from a commercial point of view. We obtain eggs and meat from them.

Eating Habits of Birds

Eagle, crow, heron, rooster, etc, are some birds that eat the flesh of dead or living animals. Some birds sit on the bodies of living beings like cows , buffaloes, and eat the parasites present on their bodies.

Carnivorous birds fill their stomachs by eating meat, fish, and insects. Their activities keep the balance of the environment on the earth. Many birds are herbivores. Vegetarian birds eat cereal grains, fruits, legumes, and vegetables.

Some birds live in inaccessible places. Penguin is one such bird. It can also survive in icy places in the Polar Regions. Some birds live in water. Cranes, heron, swan, watercourse, etc. are such birds. They can prey on the water for fishes and other small creatures on earth.

National Bird of India

Peacock is known as the national bird of our country, India. The wings of Peacock are colourful. It dances gracefully by spreading its wings. Various types of decorative items are made from their wings. It is a very adventurous bird. It defeats snakes in battle.

Importance of Birds

Keeping the environmental balance in mind, if birds have great significance in human life. Flying in the sky, these birds are very natural means of cleaning the environment. … How many animal birds is there that protect the flora useful for human life by eating insect germs and polluted things ?

Birds like heron, goose, and duck swim on the water and feed on the fish. A stork is a migratory bird that migrates according to the seasons. Birds also fly in the sky, run on the ground, and also swim on the water. Birds are also the identity of a nation.

Same as the national bird of India is a peacock, the Kiwi is recognised as the national bird of New Zealand. Some birds are in a particular country. The Kiwi bird is found only in New Zealand.

Humans have shared borders, but there is no border for birds. Birds can be allowed in any country of the world without permission. This entire world belongs to him, where a man cut trees in his greed.

The tree is a habitat for birds, and so it is our responsibility to protect the habitat of birds. Many birds are rare, which are going extinct. Birds are essential for life on Earth.

10 Lines on Birds

• The survival or disappearance of animal birds is very harmful to humans.
• Birds protect flora useful for human life by eating polluted items.
• The number of the human race has increased, and the number of animal birds is decreasing day by day.
• Flying in the sky, these birds are very natural means of cleaning the environment.
• Birds continue to eradicate the rotting objects lying in the piles of garbage.
• One should make the utmost effort to protect them at every level.
• Birds which are necessary for our environment. Their number is continuously decreasing.
• In this age of today, it has become difficult to spend a life of birds.
• There are many such birds, those who live their rain in the fields.
• To protect the birds from extinction, we should plant more and more plants.

Birds are an integral part of our environment. But because of poaching and dwindling forest area, some birds are in trouble. Some of these are becoming rare.

The government has enacted the Wildlife Act and sanctuaries for their safe abode. People should make reasonable efforts to save rare birds. I hope you liked this lovely essay on birds.

Thanks for reading.

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February 16, 2022 at 8:09 am

It is a nice essayvthanku fir help

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Essay on Birds 200+ Words

Birds are incredible creatures that grace our skies and forests, adding beauty, diversity, and significance to our world. In this essay, we will explore the marvelous world of birds, their importance in our ecosystem, and the fascinating aspects of their lives.

A World of Diversity

Birds come in an astonishing array of shapes, sizes, and colors. From the majestic bald eagle soaring high to the tiny hummingbird flitting about flowers, there’s a bird for every environment. In fact, there are over 10,000 different species of birds worldwide, each with its unique characteristics.

The Power of Flight

One of the most remarkable features of birds is their ability to fly. Their wings allow them to navigate the skies effortlessly. Birds have fascinated scientists for centuries, and their aerodynamic designs have inspired innovations in aviation. Leonardo da Vinci, a brilliant inventor, studied bird flight to create his flying machine designs.

Environmental Indicators

Birds serve as important indicators of the health of our environment. They are highly sensitive to changes in their surroundings. Ornithologists, scientists who study birds, often use bird populations as indicators of environmental changes. A decline in certain bird species can signal problems like pollution or habitat destruction.

Ecosystem Engineers

Birds play vital roles in ecosystems by acting as “ecosystem engineers.” For example, woodpeckers create holes in trees that later become homes for other animals. Birds also help control insect populations by feeding on them. In this way, they help maintain the delicate balance of nature.

Seed Dispersers

Many birds are essential for spreading seeds. When birds eat fruits and then travel to other locations, they help plants spread and grow in new areas. This process, known as seed dispersal, is crucial for the survival of various plant species.

Songbirds and Their Melodies

Songbirds are famous for their melodious tunes. They communicate, find mates, and establish territories through their songs. Ornithologists have discovered that some birds, like the nightingale, have incredibly complex songs, with each note having a specific purpose.

Migration Marvels

Birds embark on incredible journeys during migration. They fly thousands of miles to find food, avoid harsh weather, or breed in suitable areas. For example, the Arctic Tern holds the record for the longest annual migration, traveling from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back.

Birds as Inspirations

Birds have been a source of inspiration for humans throughout history. Their grace and beauty have inspired countless works of art, literature, and poetry. Famous painters like John James Audubon dedicated their lives to depicting the beauty of birds in their natural habitats.

Birds and Biodiversity

Birds are an essential part of Earth’s biodiversity. They contribute to the interconnected web of life, where every species plays a role. When we protect birds and their habitats, we also protect countless other species and the overall health of our planet.

Conclusion of Essay on Birds

In conclusion, birds are more than just creatures that fill our skies and forests. They are diverse, adaptable, and vital to the balance of nature. Birds’ ability to fly, their environmental significance, and their cultural and artistic inspiration make them truly remarkable. It is our responsibility to appreciate, protect, and conserve these feathered marvels and ensure that they continue to enrich our world for generations to come. Birds are not just a part of nature; they are a part of our shared human heritage, reminding us of the wonders of the natural world.

Also Check: List of 500+ Topics for Writing Essay

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Why Birds Matter, and Are Worth Protecting

They help the environment, but they also help our souls. In 2018 we’ll explore the wonder of birds, and why we can’t live without them.

For most of my life, I didn’t pay attention to birds. Only in my 40s did I become a person whose heart lifts whenever he hears a grosbeak singing or a towhee calling and who hurries out to see a golden plover that’s been reported in the neighborhood, just because it’s a beautiful bird, with truly golden plumage, and has flown all the way from Alaska. When someone asks me why birds are so important to me, all I can do is sigh and shake my head, as if I’ve been asked to explain why I love my brothers. And yet the question is a fair one, worth considering in the centennial year of America’s Migratory Bird Treaty Act : Why do birds matter?

My answer might begin with the vast scale of the avian domain. If you could see every bird in the world, you’d see the whole world. Things with feathers can be found in every corner of every ocean and in land habitats so bleak that they’re habitats for nothing else. Gray gulls raise their chicks in Chile’s Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth.

Emperor penguins incubate their eggs in Antarctica in winter. Goshawks nest in the Berlin cemetery where Marlene Dietrich is buried, sparrows in Manhattan traffic lights, swifts in sea caves, vultures on Himalayan cliffs, chaffinches in Chernobyl. The only forms of life more widely distributed than birds are microscopic.

To survive in so many different habitats, the world’s 10,000 or so bird species have evolved into a spectacular diversity of forms. They range in size from the ostrich, which can reach nine feet in height and is widespread in Africa, to the aptly named bee hummingbird, found only in Cuba. Their bills can be massive (pelicans, toucans), tiny (weebills), or as long as the rest of their body (sword-billed hummingbirds). Some birds—the painted bunting in Texas, Gould’s sunbird in South Asia, the rainbow lorikeet in Australia—are gaudier than any flower. Others come in one of the nearly infinite shades of brown that tax the vocabulary of avian taxonomists: rufous, fulvous, ferruginous, bran-colored, foxy.

The Year of the Bird

In 1918 Congress passed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to protect birds from wanton killing. To celebrate the centennial, National Geographic is partnering with the National Audubon Society , BirdLife International , and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to declare 2018 the Year of the Bird . Sign the pledge to find out this month's action and share your actions using #BirdYourWorld to increase your impact.

Birds are no less diverse behaviorally. Some are highly social, others anti. African queleas and flamingos gather in flocks of millions, and parakeets build whole parakeet cities out of sticks. Dippers walk alone and underwater, on the beds of mountain streams, and a wandering albatross may glide on its 10-foot wingspan 500 miles away from any other albatrosses. I’ve met friendly birds, like the New Zealand fantail that once followed me down a trail, and I’ve met mean ones, like the caracara in Chile that swooped down and tried to knock my head off when I stared at it too long. Roadrunners kill rattlesnakes for food by teaming up on them, one bird distracting the snake while another sneaks up behind it. Bee-eaters eat bees. Leaftossers toss leaves. Thick-billed murres can dive underwater to a depth of 700 feet, peregrine falcons downward through the air at 240 miles an hour. A wren-like rushbird can spend its entire life beside one half-acre pond, while a cerulean warbler may migrate to Peru and then find its way back to the tree in New Jersey where it nested the year before.

From finery to flight

Feathers first appeared not on birds but on dinosaurs long before birds evolved; even some early tyrannosaurs sported primitive ones. Dinosaur feathers were likely used for insulation or display. More complex feathers specialized for flight took birds—the sole remaining dinosaur lineage—to new heights.

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Birds aren’t furry and cuddly, but in many respects they’re more similar to us than other mammals are. They build intricate homes and raise families in them. They take long winter vacations in warm places. Cockatoos are shrewd thinkers, solving puzzles that would challenge a chimpanzee, and crows like to play. (On days so windy that more practical birds stay grounded, I’ve seen crows launching themselves off hillsides and doing aerial somersaults, just for the fun of it, and I keep returning to the YouTube video of a crow in Russia sledding down a snowy roof on a plastic lid, flying back up with the lid in its beak, and sledding down again.) And then there are the songs with which birds, like us, fill the world. Nightingales trill in the suburbs of Europe, thrushes in downtown Quito, hwameis in Chengdu. Chickadees have a complex language for communicating—not only to each other but to every bird in their neighborhood—about how safe or unsafe they feel from predators. Some lyrebirds in eastern Australia sing a tune their ancestors may have learned from a settler’s flute nearly a century ago. If you shoot too many pictures of a lyrebird, it will add the sound of your camera to its repertoire.

But birds also do the thing we all wish we could do but can’t, except in dreams: They fly. Eagles effortlessly ride thermals; hummingbirds pause in midair; quail burst into flight heart-stoppingly. Taken all together, the flight paths of birds bind the planet together like 100 billion filaments, tree to tree and continent to continent. There was never a time when the world seemed large to them. After breeding, a European swift will stay aloft for nearly a year, flying to sub-Saharan Africa and back, eating and molting and sleeping on the wing, without landing once. Young albatrosses spend as many as 10 years roving the open ocean before they first return to land to breed. A bar-tailed godwit has been tracked flying nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand, 7,264 miles in nine days, while a ruby-throated hummingbird may burn up a third of its tiny body weight to cross the Gulf of Mexico. The red knot, a small shorebird species, makes annual round-trips between Tierra del Fuego and the Canadian Arctic; one long-lived individual, named B95 for the tag on its leg, has flown more miles than separate the Earth and the moon.

For Hungry Minds

There is, however, one critical ability that human beings have and birds do not: mastery of their environment. Birds can’t protect wetlands, can’t manage a fishery, can’t air-condition their nests. They have only the instincts and the physical abilities that evolution has bequeathed to them. These have served them well for a very long time, 150 million years longer than human beings have been around. But now human beings are changing the planet—its surface, its climate, its oceans—too quickly for birds to adapt to by evolving. Crows and gulls may thrive at our garbage dumps, blackbirds and cowbirds at our feedlots, robins and bulbuls in our city parks. But the future of most bird species depends on our commitment to preserving them. Are they valuable enough for us to make the effort?

Value, in the late Anthropocene, has come almost exclusively to mean economic value, utility to human beings. And certainly many wild birds are usefully edible. Some of them in turn eat noxious insects and rodents. Many others perform vital roles—pollinating plants, spreading seeds, serving as food for mammalian predators—in ecosystems whose continuing wildness has touristic or carbon-sequestering value. You may also hear it argued that bird populations function, like the proverbial coal-mine canary, as important indicators of ecological health. But do we really need the absence of birds to tell us when a marsh is severely polluted, a forest slashed and burned, or a fishery destroyed? The sad fact is that wild birds, in themselves, will never pull their weight in the human economy. They want to eat our blueberries.

The gift of song

Wake up early enough almost anywhere, and you’ll likely be treated to some tunes from songbirds, which make up almost half the world’s avian species. Unlike instinctual calls, the extravagantly complex pitch, rhythm, and structure of true birdsongs must be learned early in life and can vary locally within a species.

What bird populations do usefully indicate is the health of our ethical values. One reason that wild birds matter—ought to matter—is that they are our last, best connection to a natural world that is otherwise receding. They’re the most vivid and widespread representatives of the Earth as it was before people arrived on it. They share descent with the largest animals ever to walk on land: The house finch outside your window is a tiny and beautifully adapted living dinosaur. A duck on your local pond looks and sounds very much like a duck 20 million years ago, in the Miocene epoch, when birds ruled the planet. In an ever more artificial world, where featherless drones fill the air and Angry Birds can be simulated on our phones, we may see no reasonable need to cherish and support the former rulers of the natural realm. But is economic calculation our highest standard? After Shakespeare’s King Lear steps down from the throne, he pleads with his elder two daughters to grant him some vestige of his former majesty. When the daughters reply that they don’t see the need for it, the old king bursts out: “O, reason not the need!” To consign birds to oblivion is to forget what we’re the children of.

Tailored to the task

“The shape of a beak tells a poignant story of each bird’s evolution and survival, and helps us to understand its place in the world,” writes Noah Strycker in Birds of the Photo Ark . A sparrow’s sturdy triangular beak packs the power to crack seeds, while a hawk’s sharp, hooked beak makes short work of prey.

A person who says, “It’s too bad about the birds, but human beings come first” is making one of two implicit claims. The person may mean that human beings are no better than any other animal—that our fundamentally selfish selves, which are motivated by selfish genes, will always do whatever it takes to replicate our genes and maximize our pleasure, the nonhuman world be damned. This is the view of cynical realists, to whom a concern for other species is merely an annoying form of sentimentality. It’s a view that can’t be disproved, and it’s available to anyone who doesn’t mind admitting that he or she is hopelessly selfish. But “human beings come first” may also have the opposite meaning: that our species is uniquely worthy of monopolizing the world’s resources because we are not like other animals, because we have consciousness and free will, the capacity to remember our pasts and shape our futures. This opposing view can be found among both religious believers and secular humanists, and it too is neither provably true nor provably false. But it does raise the question: If we’re incomparably more worthy than other animals, shouldn’t our ability to discern right from wrong, and to knowingly sacrifice some small fraction of our convenience for a larger good, make us more susceptible to the claims of nature, rather than less? Doesn’t a unique ability carry with it a unique responsibility?

For the benefit of all

Beyond the sheer joy they provide, birds play a vital role in the environment, pollinating plants, dispersing seeds, controlling insects, and removing rotting flesh. “The future of birds, and us, are intertwined more than we know,” writes photographer Joel Sartore in Birds of the Photo Ark . “We soar, or plummet, together.”

A few years ago in a forest in northeast India, I heard and then began to feel, in my chest, a deep rhythmic whooshing. It sounded meteorological, but it was the wingbeats of a pair of great hornbills flying in to land in a fruiting tree. They had massive yellow bills and hefty white thighs; they looked like a cross between a toucan and a giant panda. As they clambered around in the tree, placidly eating fruit, I found myself crying out with the rarest of all emotions: pure joy. It had nothing to do with what I wanted or what I possessed. It was the sheer gorgeous fact of the great hornbill, which couldn’t have cared less about me.

The radical otherness of birds is integral to their beauty and their value. They are always among us but never of us. They’re the other world-dominating animals that evolution has produced, and their indifference to us ought to serve as a chastening reminder that we’re not the measure of all things. The stories we tell about the past and imagine for the future are mental constructions that birds can do without. Birds live squarely in the present. And at present, although our cats and our windows and our pesticides kill billions of them every year, and although some species, particularly on oceanic islands, have been lost forever, their world is still very much alive. In every corner of the globe, in nests as small as walnuts or as large as haystacks, chicks are pecking through their shells and into the light.

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What Do Birds Do for Us?

Odds are , if you’re reading this magazine, you feel a moral and aesthetic imperative to support bird conservation. With an estimated 1,200 species facing extinction over the next century, and many more suffering from severe habitat loss, the impulse to protect birds must be universal. Right?

Well, if you happen to be a birder or a biologist, then “of course, birds have an intrinsic value, and we have an ethical obligation to conserve them,” says University of Utah ornithologist Cagan Sekercioglu. But bird enthusiasts don’t add up to a social consensus. “A lot of people want something more utilitarian,” he points out. Elected officials face competing constituent pressures; corporate executives must answer to shareholders; working folks have more immediate economic concerns. If we want policy makers and the public to take conservation seriously, then perhaps we must offer credible research showing that healthy bird populations are essential to human welfare.

Fortunately, there’s plenty of proof. Birds keep farmers in business. They protect our drinking water by preventing erosion. They slow the spread of disease. They keep the furniture industry supplied with timber. They provide critical environmental data. The list continues ad infinitum. The collective term for the many ways birds (and other animals, plants, and landscapes) support and improve human life is “ecosystem services.” Understanding these services, and quantifying their dollar value, has been a growing priority for scientists worried about the unprecedented loss of biodiversity we’re now seeing—by one popular estimate, some 27,000 plant and animal species each year, many of them driven extinct by human activity.

“Until the next asteroid slams into the planet, it’s people that will dictate the future course of all known life in the universe,” says Gretchen Daily, director of Stanford University’s Center for Conservation Biology. “On our own watch—this 100-year span—we’re projecting that half of all plants and animals that were on the planet before humanity became a big force will go extinct. Whatever survives really is a function of our activities. I just find it stunning to think about how dramatic the changes are that we’re bringing about.”

The past decade has seen an explosion of sophisticated research—and the result is a strong body of evidence debunking the myth that bird protection is an unaffordable luxury. “For better or worse, economic arguments tend to get more attention in political debates,” says Geoffrey Heal, a microeconomist at Columbia University Business School. The new research, he says, strengthens the case that “most environmental conservation, if well structured, actually does pay off directly.” 

Pest Control

When the Mormons settled Utah in the 19th century, their first two crop seasons were destroyed by western crickets. “Promising fields of wheat were cut down to the ground in a single day,” naturalist Edward Howe Forbush wrote in 1922. “The people were in despair. Then sea gulls came by the hundreds and thousands, and, before the grain could be entirely destroyed, devoured the insects, so that the fields were freed from them. The settlers regarded this as a heaven-sent miracle.”

Modern history is filled with anecdotal examples of birds saving potato fields, fruit orchards, and cranberry bogs from insect devastation. Now researchers are studying the phenomenon more formally, trying to quantify birds’ value as living pest controllers. They’re starting with a much-loathed insect called the coffee berry borer.

Borers are the bane of coffee farmers, many of whom are small landholders in developing countries. The tiny insects take over individual berries and spend almost their entire life cycles inside, rendering those beans unsellable. There are no safe pesticides that kill the insects, and attempts to control them with parasitic wasps show, at best, limited success. “You work all year to protect your crop the best you can,” says Peter Williams, who co-owns Kew Park Estate, a 44-acre shade-grown-coffee farm in western Jamaica. “If you’re dealing with infestation rates of anything like 20 percent—which some years we do—then you’re talking about a very significant economic effect.”

What helps save Jamaican farmers from ruin are neotropical migrants like the black-throated blue warbler, whose slate-blue males and olive-green females hop and fly through vegetation foraging for insects, and the American redstart, known locally as the butterfly bird for its flitting motion and black-and-orange male plumage. These and other birds feast on the borers while the insects are first drilling through the berries’ epidermis.

Matt Johnson, a professor of wildlife habitat ecology at California’s Humboldt State University, has studied the birds in Jamaica’s Blue Mountains—a steep and meandering landscape that produces some of the world’s priciest coffee—and in the more rolling terrain where Kew Park is located. Johnson and his team set up nylon nets to keep the birds off individual plants (or small clusters). They then compared those plants to the ones birds could reach. Sure enough, the netted-off plants had measurably lower crop yields. At Kew Park, where the impact was most dramatic, Johnson calculated the birds’ pest-control value at $125 per acre, or about one-eighth of the total crop value of $1,044 per acre.

“It may not sound like huge numbers,” Johnson says. But personal incomes are so meager in Jamaica that without sufficient bird populations “it might render the coffee enterprise not viable for a small farmer.” At the time of the study, the average per-capita gross national income in Jamaica was $3,400, which made the $1,500 in services that birds delivered to a 12-acre farm substantial. Kew Park now works with Jamaican forestry officials to plant indigenous shade trees like mahogany and almond, which provide warbler habitat. During early mornings, says co-owner Gina Green, the woods come alive with song. “You know you have a healthy system,” she says, “when you have not just one species but 20 different species of birds.”

Insect-eating birds protect apple orchards in the Netherlands and safeguard Missouri Ozarks white oaks, whose lumber is highly sought by furniture makers. And they reduce pest levels at organic wineries. Ornithologist Julie Jedlicka, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of California-Berkeley, put up nest boxes at two Northern California vineyards. With the approval of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she simulated a pest outbreak by pinning insect larvae to pieces of cardboard and placing them between rows of grapes. The boxes attracted insect-eating birds, which in turn devoured 3.5 times more larvae than in control plots with larvae but no boxes. Leading the influx were western bluebirds, which have suffered terrible habitat loss in California’s wine country because of agricultural and urban development. The bluebirds appear to consume blue-green sharpshooters, insects with piercing, sucking mouthparts that easily spread bacteria among plants. One of those bacteria causes a deadly grape blight called Pierce’s disease.

The idea of using bluebirds to kill insects proved inspirational for Napa Valley’s Spring Mountain Vineyard. Ron Rosenbrand, the vineyard manager, has installed 1,000 bluebird nest boxes since 2006—and watched the farm’s once-rampant Pierce’s disease disappear. “It’s such a plus to find something in Mother Nature that is a total asset,” he says. “I look at them and go, ‘Thank you for working for us.’ ”

Tourist Traps

Birds stimulate economies just by being beautiful. Take a look at Magee Marsh, a 2,000-acre wildlife refuge on the Ohio shore of Lake Erie. A stopover for neotropical migrants, which rest and refuel before crossing the lake, the marsh attracts more than 100,000 birders each year. They walk along a boardwalk, through a wooded beach ridge, in hopes of glimpsing Blackburnian, prothonotary, and Kirtland’s warblers and many other species.

Along with their field glasses, these visitors bring their credit cards. Philip Xie, a professor and tourism researcher at Bowling Green State University, looked at Magee Marsh and five other Lake Erie birdwatching areas in Ohio. He calculated that the sites generated $26 million and created 283 jobs in 2011. Because birders arrive before the lake’s summer tourists, local restaurants and hotels have bulked up their springtime payrolls. A ferry service now offers migration cruises. “We’ve effectively created a tourism season in what was the shoulder season,” says Kimberly Kaufman, executive director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory in Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. (She is married to Audubon field editor Kenn Kaufman.)

That $26 million doesn’t just come from hotel, restaurant, and ferry receipts. It also includes the fees an innkeeper pays her accountant; the vegetables a restaurant buys from local farmers; the movie tickets a park ranger buys on his day off. “I call it tentacles,” says Melinda Huntley, executive director of the Ohio Travel Association.

Yet the local impact of birders can’t be fully measured in dollars. By preserving wildlife habitat and focusing on hospitality, many towns along Lake Erie have developed distinct personalities. “These communities have a story to tell,” Huntley says—a story that shows up in numerous ways, from a bird exhibit at an art museum to the bird sightings listed on blackboards at local eateries.

In an economic analysis released in 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calculated that, based on a 2006 survey, birders spend $12 billion annually on travel, plus an additional $24 billion on equipment like binoculars, camping gear, and nest boxes. That money ripples through the economy and generates $82 billion in output, employs 671,000 people, and enriches state and federal governments by $10 billion.

Sekercioglu, the Utah ornithologist, emphasizes the importance of birding in developing countries, where other tourism jobs tend to be menial and low paying. By contrast, he says, indigenous people with a grasp of natural history can make decent money as birdwatching guides, even with only rudimentary English skills.

Measuring the global impact of birding is hardly a new phenomenon. In the 1990s a New York Zoological Society biologist computed that in the jungles of Peru “a single free-flying large macaw might generate $22,500 to $165,000 of tourist receipts in its lifetime.” Around the same time, researchers estimated the annual value of flamingo viewing in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park at $2.5 million to $5 million. More recently, on Scotland’s Isle of Mull, the 600,000 visitors who came to see 28 white-tailed eagles in 2010 spent between $8 million and $13 million and created 110 jobs, says the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Of course, none of these studies measures the personal benefits that watching a warbler can bring. Studies have shown that spending time in nature improves both cognition and mental health. “Birding is such a gateway to nature,” says Ohio’s Kimberly Kaufman. “It gets people outside—away from the computer, away from the television.” It exposes them to fresh air and lifts their spirits. “We’ve been using the phrase ecotherapy, ” she says. “Let’s face it: We can all use more joy in our lives.”

Cleanup Crew

Perhaps the least sexy service birds provide is eating dead bodies. “We’ve got an enormous amount of roadkill produced on our highways in the United States,” says Travis DeVault, a research wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “I don’t think anyone knows what that would look like if vultures weren’t around to clean up a big portion.” Though scientists have long valued scavenging birds for their sanitation services, he says, “it’s pretty recently that we’ve begun to discover how that translates into human health.”

Some of that discovery has come the hard way—from a natural experiment playing out today in South Asia. Vultures are particularly valuable in India because Hinduism prohibits the slaughter and consumption of cows. The livestock, therefore, die naturally, in the open. “We don’t have an organized carcass-disposal system,” says Vibhu Prakash, principal scientist at the Bombay Natural History Society. “After skinning, vultures would come, and within half an hour they would finish everything that is perishable from a carcass. Then we have people who collect the bones, so there will be no mess around and no stench.”

Starting in the 1990s the populations of oriental white-backed, long-billed, and slender-billed vultures began to crash. Researchers noticed the birds’ necks drooping in the wild, a sign of debilitating weakness. Within a month, they would be dead. Today their numbers have been reduced by 99 percent— 99.9 percent for oriental white-backed vultures. Scientists traced the cause to an anti-inflammatory medicine called diclofenac, which is used as a painkiller for aging cows but also triggers fatal kidney disease in old-world vultures.

In 2006, after a bird-friendly alternative drug was identified, India banned the veterinary use of diclofenac. While some pharmaceutical companies have cooperated, others continue to sell the human formulation in multiple-use vials large enough to medicate a cow. They have refused pleas by conservationists to sell the drug only in small vials appropriate for human doses. “For the drug companies, profit is the main consideration,” says Prakash. “They will not stop manufacturing multi-dose vials voluntarily.”

Without vultures around, feral dogs have taken over carcass disposal. Massive packs roam India’s trash dumps, looking for piles of dead cattle to eat. With this growing canine population comes more fatal dog attacks, as well as rabies from bites. (India has the world’s highest human rabies rate.) Economist Anil Markandya has estimated almost 40 million additional dog bites in India between 1992 and 2006, resulting in about 48,000 extra deaths. He calculates that the vulture-dog connection alone produced human health costs totaling $34 billion over 14 years.

South Asia’s vulture story offers the most dramatic example of how birds keep us healthy. But non-scavenging species contribute, too. While ducks have been implicated in the spread of influenza, in 1914 Pennsylvania’s health commissioner, Samuel Dixon, declared that “the duck is one of the greatest known enemies of the mosquito, and therefore of yellow fever and malaria.” Dixon ran an experiment involving two ponds—one stocked with mallards and the other with goldfish—and discovered that the ducks ate mosquito larvae far more “ravenously” than the fish did.

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In the high mountains of the American West, there’s a tree called the whitebark pine that both humans and other animals have come to rely on. Its large seeds feed grizzlies and black bears. Whitebark pine communities provide habitat for deer, elk, and raptors. And because the pines grow all the way up to the treeline, they are effective at protecting drinking-water supplies. “The mountains are the water towers,” says Diana Tomback, a professor of integrative biology at the University of Colorado-Denver. The trees’ roots hold the soil in place, preventing erosion. Their presence reduces the danger of avalanche. And their canopy shades the snowpack, ensuring a protracted melt rather than a sudden springtime flush.

The tree’s seeds are dispersed by just one bird: the Clark’s nutcracker, a black-and-white-winged cousin to the crow. The nutcracker’s long, sturdy bill opens the pinecones to pluck out the seeds, which it eats or stores inside its throat. It then buries the uneaten seeds at the depth and location that the trees often need to reproduce. “What would happen if we didn’t have the Clark’s nutcracker?” Tomback asks. “In the case of whitebark pine, it is unlikely that it could sustain itself.”

The value of the nutcracker is coming into sharper focus now that the tree is in danger. A fungal disease called blister rust and the growing menace posed by the mountain pine beetle (in part because of global warming) have delivered what Tomback calls a “one-two punch.” In some areas, she says, “whitebark pine ecosystems are verging on nonfunctional.”

In response, the U.S. Forest Service has been growing rust-resistant whitebark pine seedlings to plant by hand. This is labor-intensive work: Specially trained climbers must ascend into the canopy twice, first to place animal-proof cages around the cones (which need water and nutrients from their parent trees) and later to harvest the cones. In nature the seeds would germinate over two years, but the forest service speeds the process by specially treating the seeds before they are sown for germination. Figuring out the cost of this process has allowed Tomback to calculate the value of the nutcrackers’ dispersal services: between about $800 and $1,000 per acre, based on what it would cost to do the hand planting. Multiply that by about 14.3 million acres of whitebark pine forest, and that’s more than $11 billion in the United States alone.

Throughout the world, birds are essential seed dispersers for plants that provide us with food, medicine, timber, and recreation. Among their qualifications: They travel long distances. They assist germination when they eat fruit by removing the pulp and scratching the seed coat. Sometimes their interests coincide perfectly with a tree’s.

That’s the case in Costa Rica, where male three-wattled bellbirds show off to females from song perches at the edges of canopy gaps. “They’re trying to be conspicuous,” says Dan Wenny, an ornithologist at Iowa’s Loras College. “So they often pick areas that are more open.” The bellbirds consume fruit from trees in the avocado family, which are highly prized for their timber. The birds frequently deposit those seeds in the sunny areas below their perches. “It turns out that being dispersed into a gap is an advantage,” says Wenny. “There’s a lower probability of getting infected by fungal pathogens.”

Winged Sentinels

Many of us have read Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring, which chronicled the lethal effects of the insecticide DDT. While Carson, a biologist, documented the havoc wreaked throughout the food chain, her book is best remembered for its account of how the fight against Dutch elm disease poisoned entire populations of robins as well as 90 other bird species. Carson’s robins—along with the thinning egg shells of American bald eagles exposed to pesticides—signaled to many Americans that birds could serve as “winged sentinels” of environmental degradation.

More than 50 years later, scientists routinely use birds to gauge the health of ecosystems—and not just for purely biological reasons. Birds often meet the technical criteria, such as sensitivity to environmental changes. “But there’s also this practical reason that if we’re going to translate science into public action, it needs to be something we care about,” says biologist John McCarty from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Another practicality: Humans have recorded bird populations for generations. “Because people care about birds, we have a lot of data out there”—the North American Breeding Bird Survey and National Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count are among the best known —“that we can use to try to evaluate ongoing changes without having to start a whole new program,” McCarty says.  

McCarty is among the researchers who have used tree swallows to study the impact of a wide range of toxins: PCBs in the Great Lakes and Hudson River, pulp-mill effluent in Western Canada, petroleum in Wyoming’s North Platte River, metals in New Jersey. Their work has shown that contaminants that land in aquatic sediment don’t remain there; they work their way up the terrestrial chain.

Likewise, scientists have been monitoring the health of common loons in New York’s Adirondack Park to understand the impact of atmospheric mercury from coal-burning power plants and incinerators. A 2012 report by the Maine-based Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) calls the birds “excellent sentinels of threats impacting aquatic ecosystems. They live more than 20 years, are at the top of the food web, and are very territorial.” By measuring the loons’ breeding success and correlating it to mercury contamination, the BRI has been able to provide “evidence for the need to stringently regulate mercury and acidic emissions on national and global scales.”

Scientists use bird abundance to measure everything from wetlands health to radioactive contamination. Some of the most innovative work uses birds to study climate change. On the Crozet Archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean, zoologist Lewis Halsey has placed heart monitors on king penguins to measure how much energy they expend while foraging for fish. Halsey, who now lectures at London’s University of Roehampton, says energy levels might have to increase if climate change or overfishing makes food more scarce.

And at Oregon State University, researchers use microphones to mechanically monitor bird songs in the western Cascade Mountains during (and before) the breeding season. “The minute the bird arrives from its wintering grounds, you know when it showed up,” says Matt Betts, an associate professor of landscape ecology. “Then, if you start comparing those data across years, you can get some idea of how arrival times shifted. As the climate starts warming, are we seeing birds arriving earlier? This is being reported in some studies, but our effort would be to do this in an automated way,” and thus collect more data than manual counts possibly could. Betts is now working with computer scientists on his campus to create a program that identifies species by call, even in noisy forests.

Betts says the program is too new to offer up much data. And he’s quick to stress that birds alone can’t tell scientists everything they need to know about ecosystem health. “There haven’t been very many rigorous tests—we still need more information on whether birds are going to well represent other components of biodiversity,” he says. “But that said, if there are major problems, we’re going to pick it up with birds.”

Added Advantage

Pest control, public health, seed dispersal, ecotourism, environmental monitoring—these are some of the ways birds benefit humans. There are many others:

• After every harvest, California’s rice farmers must get rid of a waste product called rice straw. Burning it is cheap, but it also pollutes and is therefore illegal. An alternative, tilling the straw into the soil, can be very expensive.

Fortunately, farmers can enlist help from wintering waterfowl that travel along the Pacific Flyway. By foraging for grain, weeds, and bugs in flooded rice fields, birds like mallards help decompose the straw. This could reduce the need for tillage, providing considerable savings to growers, concluded a 2000 study from the University of California-Davis. Farmers would be well advised, the report noted, to flood their fields and create wetlands for these avian wayfarers.

• Pollination is often the realm of bees, bugs, and butterflies. But more than 900 bird species worldwide pollinate, too, and their sophisticated sense of geography suits them well to the task. The durian munjit, a wild fruit that is collected and eaten in northern Borneo, relies exclusively on spiderhunters, members of the sunbird family. A passerine called the Canarian chiffchaff pollinates the Canary bell-flower, an ornamental plant with edible fruit that grows on Spain’s Canary Islands. (It was cultivated in the royal garden of England’s Hampton Court Palace as early as 1696.) And when the cold weather keeps insects away, China’s winter-flowering loquat tree reproduces with the help of two passerines, the light-vented bulbul and the Japanese white-eye. The loquat’s fruit is eaten in many forms and used medicinally.

Tinkering with the environment disrupts these relationships. Researchers have chronicled how the introduction of the Polynesian rat to Easter Island might have wiped out a parrot species that pollinated a palm. With the parrots extinct (and rats consuming the palm seeds), the most common trees in the island’s subtropical forest died out around the 15th century. One hypothesis suggests that without palm wood to build fishing canoes, a culture advanced enough to carve the island’s iconic stone statues fell into steep decline.

• Seabird guano—rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients—“provides an important source of fertilizer and income to many people living near seabird colonies,” according to Utah’s Sekercioglu. This has been true for centuries: Guano was considered essential to the Incas’ agriculture, “upon which their civilization was based,” wrote Edward Howe Forbush in 1922. Two years earlier ornithologist Robert Cushman Murphy declared that the best Peruvian guano was 33 times as effective as barnyard manure based on its nitrogen content.

“Unfortunately,” Sekercioglu writes, guano production “is one of the most threatened of avian ecosystem services, due to the rapid decline of seabirds worldwide.” Among the culprits are fishing longlines, which entrap birds such as black-browed albatrosses.

• Birds possess skills that historically made them useful to militaries. During World War I, pheasants detected oncoming hostile aircraft at long distances and “gave the alarm by their insistent cries,” says one account; canaries, of course, sensed poison gas; gulls followed submarines in search of garbage. Carrier pigeons successfully navigated through shellfire (and past bullets aimed at them). They transported messages that helped the Allies capture German submarines, and that saved the crews of downed seaplanes and a sunken minesweeper. It turns out birds aren’t just useful. They’re bona fide heroes.

This story ran as “Follow the Money” in the March-April 2013 issue.

Pledge to stand with Audubon to call on elected officials to listen to science and work towards climate solutions.

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10.19: Importance of Birds

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Can you think of ways birds are important?

Birds are important members of many ecosystems. They play a vital role in controlling pests, acting as pollinators, and maintaining island ecology. In addition, birds are important to humans in many ways, such as serving as a source of food and providing fertilizer in agricultural settings.

Birds and the Ecosystem

Birds are obviously important members of many ecosystems. They are integral parts of food chains and food webs. In a woodland ecosystem for example, some birds get their food mainly from plants. Others chiefly eat small animals , such as insects or earthworms. Birds and bird eggs, in turn, serve as food for such animals as foxes, raccoons, and snakes. The feeding relationships among all the animals in an ecosystem help prevent any one species from becoming too numerous. Birds play a vital role in keeping this balance of nature. In addition to being important parts of food webs, birds play other roles within ecosystems.

• Birds eat insects. They are a natural way to control pests in gardens, on farms, and other places. A group of birds gliding through the air can easily eat hundreds of insects each day. Insect eating birds include warblers, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
• Nectar-feeding birds are important pollinators , meaning they move the pollen from flower to flower to help fertilize the sex cells and create new plants. Hummingbirds, sunbirds, and the honey-eaters are common pollinators.
• Many fruit-eating birds help disperse seeds. After eating fruit, they carry the seeds in their intestines and deposit them in new places. Fruit-eating birds include mockingbirds, orioles, finches and robins.
• Birds are often important to island ecology. In New Zealand, the kereru and kokako are important browsers, or animals that eat or nibble on leaves, tender young shoots, or other vegetation (Figure below). Seabirds add nutrients to soil and to water with their production of guano , their dung.

Birds and Humans

You are probably familiar with birds as food. People have always hunted birds for food. People eventually discovered that certain wild fowl (ducks, chickens, turkeys) could be tamed. This discovery led to the development of poultry, which is domesticated fowl that farmers raise for meat and eggs. Chickens are probably the oldest kinds of poultry. Chickens were domesticated in Asia at least 3,000 years ago. Since then, farmers have developed other poultry, including ducks, geese, guineafowl, pheasants, and turkeys. Around the world, people consume all these birds, and even more exotic birds, like ostriches. Today, chickens rank as the most widely raised poultry by far. Farmers throughout the world produce hundreds of millions of chickens annually for meat and eggs. Ducks and turkeys rank second and third in production worldwide. Ducks are raised for both meat and eggs. Turkeys are raised mainly for meat.

Can you think of other ways that birds are important?

• In agriculture, humans harvest bird droppings for use as fertilizer. These droppings have a high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, three nutrients essential for plant growth.
• Chickens are also used as an early warning system of human diseases, such as West Nile virus. Mosquitoes carry the West Nile virus, bite young chickens and other birds, and infect them with the virus. When chickens or other birds become infected, humans may also become infected in the near future.
• Birds have important cultural relationships with humans. Birds are common pets in the Western world. Common bird pets include canaries, parrots, finches, and parakeets. Sometimes, people act cooperatively with birds. For example, the Borana people in Africa use birds to guide them to honey that they use in food.
• Birds also play prominent and diverse roles in folklore, religion, and popular culture. They have been featured in art since prehistoric times, when they appeared in early cave paintings. Many young child know of Big Bird, a very large canary of Sesame Street fame.
• Feathers are also used all over the world to stuff pillows, mattresses, sleeping bags, coats, and quilting. Goose feathers are preferred because they are soft. Manufacturers often mix goose feathers with down feathers to provide extra softness.
• Birds are important to the ecosystem in many ways; they pollinate flowers and disperse seeds.
• Birds are important to humans in many ways; they are a source of food and fertilizer.

Explore More

Use the resources below to answer the questions that follow.

Explore More I

• Dispersal of Seeds by Animals at http://theseedsite.co.uk/sdanimal.html
• Why are seeds enclosed in a tasty pulp?
• Give two examples of how animals disperse seeds.

Explore More II

• How many seabirds were there at the 19th-century peak of guano collection? How many are there now? What direction is the population going?
• How has the Peruvian government changed the way guano is collected?

Explore More III

• For what purposes are people using guano?
• How does climate affect the quality of bird guano? Why is this quality important to the use of guano as fertilizer?
• What is poultry?
• What are two ways birds are important to humans?
• What are two ways birds are important to the ecosystem?
• How to birds disperse seeds? Give two examples of fruit-eating birds.

How to Write an Essay on Birds: 9 Interesting Areas to Focus

How to write an essay on birds? There are some interesting facts you can write about. Information about birds can be an excellent source for a creative essay. Birds are found in every part of the globe, creating a large variety of species to write about, especially when well-researched. Interesting bird facts can create wonderful topics for an essay, including unique theses that a student can explore and develop an enjoyable piece of writing.

When writing an essay about birds, it’s important to consider researching these facts, especially their biological composition. For instance, one can write an essay about birds by highlighting some distinguishing characteristics between bird species. This type of writing would be most interesting in English, particularly due to the distinctive nature of scientific descriptions. You can also include a short note about their biological differences in each section to make the essay more appealing.

Interesting Facts for Writing an Essay on Birds

Feather distinction.

One of the most interesting topics for an essay on birds is their feather diversity. Birds have distinctive appearances in structure, order, and color. Feather distinction is one of the distinguishing characteristics between species. However, some species have different colors based on various biological and environmental factors. For instance, some bird species have distinctive differences between the feathers of a male and a female. In other cases, the differences may appear disorderly but are worth investigating.

Migration marvels and global distribution

Some bird species are migratory, traveling between regions, even continents. Since the migrations coincide with seasons, they create some migration marvels worth writing about. For instance, seagulls migrate between winter and summer, running from the cold weather. During their travels, the birds create awesome displays of their traveling routines, mating habits, and hunting traditions. This topic is most suitable for nature lovers, people willing to investigate many species for their beauty and scientific facts.

Nesting prowess

You can also write an essay on birds based on their architectural techniques. Birds build their nests differently depending on their size, primary predators, and location. While the weaverbird prefers loosely hanging tree branches, the penguin can only nest on the ground near mountains and ocean shores. The structure and composition of the nest also differ significantly, creating an array of architectural designs to compare. Any person interested in birds understands the importance of a nest, especially during mating and incubation.

Egg laying facts

Birds are oviparous or egg-laying animals in English. Different species lay different egg sizes, colors, and shapes. They have distinctive characteristics based on their egg-laying habits, including location and responsibility. Some birds, such as the Cuckoo , exhibit parasitic behaviors in brooding. They lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, forcing the foster parents to incubate a foreign egg and feed an adopted chick afterward. Egg-laying habits can be quite an impressive topic for an essay on birds, especially due to the amount of scientific evidence available online.

Sociocultural rituals

Another interesting concept you can write about birds is their social lives. Like humans and any other living thing, birds socialize on different occasions. Some live in large groups, while others are loaners. However, all birds have distinctive mating rituals. Some specials engage in colorful, elaborate courtship traditions. They display marvelous moves to attract mates, using their wings and, in some cases, their avian architectural prowess to assert dominance. Birds engage in long relationships that resemble marriage in humans. The bald eagle is a good example of a bird species that marries or mates for life. The differences in sociocultural behaviors can create an amazing topic for a good essay.

Cognitive capacity

Some bird species are worth writing essays about, especially those that have shown high intelligence. Students can investigate intellectual abilities in birds to find impressive topics for their term papers and final research. You can even hire an experienced academic writer to help with the information gathering and drafting. For instance, CustomWritings professional essay writing service is a prominent helper with over ten years of experience supporting students’ journeys. While intelligent avian is attractive, finding accurate and reliable supporting evidence on such a topic can be daunting. With professional assistance, you can access scholarly articles and integrate findings from research in your essay on birds.

Vocal abilities

Birds are also known for their vocalization capabilities. While students cannot transcribe bird songs into writing, investigations into singing abilities can constitute a good essay. Most importantly, one can research birds’ ability to vocalize or mimic different sounds. Some bird species are known for their vocalization, especially when imitating humans and other birds. Others can produce relatively unique sounds, making them an attractive piece of marvel for analysis.

Scholars and researchers tend to focus on the biological differences between birds. Notably, biologists have invested significantly in understanding the genetic differences for classification and knowledge gathering. With this information, students can develop exciting topics for their essays or end-term research papers. Another interesting point of focus is the survival instincts and abilities of birds. While some species rely on camouflage for safety, others are birds of prey. The details about each bird’s genetics can help explain distribution and preferences.

Life expectancy

Similarly, the biological differences explain the differences in life expectancy. It’s difficult to ascertain the length of life in wild birds due to constant migration. However, scientific evidence suggests that some birds live longer than others. A good essay writer would consider analyzing the reasoning behind these differences and identify genetic and environmental characteristics affecting the length of life.

How Do I Write an Essay on Birds?

The best approach for writing an essay on birds involves conducting sufficient research. A good student would start by identifying an interesting fact to write about birds and research it. The information gathered from the knowledge search can then be used to create a comprehensive essay topic with a compelling thesis. The interesting facts about birds can also be a good hook for the introduction. The essay on birds should be organized professionally, adopting a basic paper structure with an introduction, body, and conclusion.

Writing an essay on birds should also incorporate scientific and scholarly evidence. A good writer understands the need to integrate external sources with supporting and counterarguments. This approach will make your essay more interesting to read and easy to grade. Your professor may be impressed by your capacity to research a wild topic and investigate evidence found in scholarly works. Besides, supporting your arguments with reliable and verifiable arguments makes your writing believable. You can also impress the reader with ideas corroborating your knowledge of birds. For instance, you can integrate information about mating in an essay about birds’ vocal abilities to demonstrate a connection between the two issues. In the end, your essay about birds should be compelling and informative.

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Why Bird Conservation Matters: The Importance of Protecting Bird Life

Birds are an integral part of our ecosystem, providing a range of services from pollination to pest control. They also serve as indicators of environmental health, with declines in bird populations often signaling larger ecological problems. This is why bird conservation matters, and why it is essential to protect these feathered creatures.

Unfortunately, many bird species are facing threats to their survival. Habitat loss, climate change, and human activities such as hunting and pollution are all contributing to declines in bird populations. Without conservation efforts, many species may face extinction, leading to negative consequences for both the environment and human society.

To address these threats, bird conservation efforts are underway around the world. These efforts include habitat restoration, captive breeding programs, and public education campaigns. By working to protect birds and their habitats, we can help ensure a healthy and sustainable future for both wildlife and humanity.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Birds play a crucial role in our ecosystem and serve as indicators of environmental health.
• Threats to bird populations include habitat loss, climate change, and human activities such as hunting and pollution.
• Conservation efforts such as habitat restoration and public education campaigns are essential to protect birds and their habitats.

The Importance of Birds in the Ecosystem

Birds are an integral part of the natural world, and they play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the environment. As a result, bird conservation is essential to preserving the ecosystem’s health and the survival of other species. In this section, we will explore the importance of birds in the ecosystem by examining their role as indicators of environmental health, their contribution to biodiversity, and their role in pest control.

Birds as Indicators of Environmental Health

Birds are sensitive to changes in the environment, and they can serve as indicators of environmental health. For example, birds that are sensitive to pollution can be used to monitor air and water quality. Similarly, birds that are sensitive to habitat loss can be used to monitor the health of ecosystems. By monitoring bird populations, we can gain insights into the health of the environment and take steps to address any issues that may arise.

Birds and Biodiversity

Birds play a critical role in maintaining biodiversity. They help to pollinate plants, disperse seeds, and control insect populations. In addition, birds are an essential food source for many other species, including mammals and reptiles. By conserving bird populations, we can help to preserve the biodiversity of the ecosystem, which is essential to its overall health.

Role of Birds in Pest Control

Birds are natural pest controllers. They help to control insect populations by eating insects and their larvae. For example, purple martins are known to consume large quantities of mosquitoes, while bluebirds are known to consume large quantities of caterpillars. By conserving bird populations, we can help to control pest populations naturally, reducing the need for harmful pesticides.

In conclusion, birds are an essential part of the ecosystem, and their conservation is critical to preserving the environment’s health and the survival of other species. By understanding the role of birds in the ecosystem and taking steps to conserve their populations, we can help to maintain the balance of the natural world. Why Bird Conservation Matters cannot be overstated, and it is up to us to take action to protect these essential creatures.

Threats to Bird Populations

Birds face a multitude of threats to their survival, ranging from habitat loss and degradation to the impact of pesticides and climate change. As we discussed in the previous section, birds play a crucial role in our ecosystem, and their decline can have far-reaching consequences. In this section, we will take a closer look at some of the major threats to bird populations.

Habitat Loss and Degradation

Habitat loss and degradation are the primary drivers of bird population declines. As human populations grow and expand, we encroach upon natural habitats, destroying forests, wetlands, and grasslands that birds rely on for food, shelter, and breeding. This loss of habitat can lead to declines in bird populations, and in some cases, extinction.

Impact of Pesticides

Pesticides are chemicals that are used to kill pests, including insects and rodents. However, these chemicals can also harm non-target species, including birds. Pesticides can enter the food chain, and when birds consume contaminated prey, they can suffer from a range of health problems, including reproductive failure and death.

Climate Change and Birds

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to bird populations. As temperatures rise and weather patterns shift, birds are forced to adapt to changing conditions. Some species may be able to adapt, while others may not. Changes in temperature and precipitation can also affect the timing of migration and breeding, which can have cascading effects on bird populations.

In conclusion, habitat loss and degradation, the impact of pesticides, and climate change are just a few of the major threats to bird populations. Protecting bird habitats, reducing pesticide use, and mitigating the effects of climate change are all critical steps in ensuring that bird populations thrive for generations to come. This is why bird conservation matters.

Bird Conservation Efforts

At a global level, there are numerous bird conservation initiatives that aim to protect and conserve bird populations. These initiatives are often led by organizations such as BirdLife International, the American Bird Conservancy, and the National Audubon Society. These organizations work together with governments, local communities, and other partners to support bird conservation efforts and promote awareness about the importance of birds in our ecosystems.

One of the most important legislative measures for bird protection is the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This act was established in 1918 to protect migratory birds from hunting and poaching. The act has been instrumental in reducing bird mortality rates and has helped to conserve bird populations across the Americas. In recent years, there have been efforts to weaken the act, which has led to increased advocacy and action from bird conservation organizations.

Global Bird Conservation Initiatives

Bird conservation efforts are not limited to the Americas. BirdLife International, a global partnership of conservation organizations, works to conserve birds and their habitats around the world. The organization has identified over 10,000 bird species in need of conservation action and has developed a network of over 100 conservation organizations in over 120 countries to support bird conservation efforts.

Legislative Measures for Bird Protection

In addition to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, there are other legislative measures in place to protect birds. For example, the Endangered Species Act provides protection for endangered bird species, while the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act help to protect bird habitats. There are also state and local laws in place to protect birds, such as laws that regulate the use of pesticides and laws that protect bird habitats from development.

Overall, bird conservation efforts are crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems and protecting biodiversity. By supporting these efforts, we can help to ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty and benefits of birds in our world. That’s why bird conservation matters.

Birds and Human Interactions

Birds have a significant impact on human life in various ways. In this section, we will discuss some of the ways birds interact with humans.

Birds and Agriculture

Birds play a crucial role in agriculture. They help control pests that can damage crops, such as insects and rodents. Furthermore, birds can help pollinate plants, which is essential for crop production. Without birds, agricultural production would be severely impacted, leading to food shortages and economic losses for local farmers and communities.

Economic Impact of Birding

Birding, or birdwatching, is a popular activity that generates millions of dollars in ecotourism revenue. According to National Geographic Magazine, birding is a billion-dollar industry that supports local economies and creates jobs. Furthermore, birding can help raise awareness about the importance of bird conservation, leading to increased efforts to protect bird habitats.

Birds in Culture and Arts

Birds have been an essential part of human culture and arts for centuries. They have inspired poets, writers, and artists to create works of art that celebrate their beauty and grace. For example, Jonathan Franzen’s book “The Corrections” features a character who is an avid birdwatcher. Joel Sartore’s “Photo Ark” project aims to document every species of bird in captivity, highlighting the beauty and diversity of these creatures.

In conclusion, birds play a critical role in human life, and their conservation matters. By protecting bird habitats and promoting bird-friendly practices, we can ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the benefits of these magnificent creatures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main threats to bird populations.

Bird populations face a variety of threats, including habitat loss, climate change, pollution, hunting, and predation by invasive species. These threats can cause declines in population size or even lead to extinction.

What role do birds play in maintaining ecosystems?

Birds play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. They help to pollinate plants, disperse seeds, control insect populations, and recycle nutrients. They also serve as indicators of environmental health, as changes in bird populations can signal larger ecological problems.

How do birds benefit humans?

Birds provide a wide range of benefits to humans. They help to control insect populations, pollinate crops, and disperse seeds. They also provide recreational opportunities, such as birdwatching and hunting, and generate millions of dollars in ecotourism revenue. Additionally, birds can serve as indicators of the quality of our environment, helping us to identify and address environmental problems.

What are some successful bird conservation efforts?

There have been many successful bird conservation efforts in recent years. For example, the Bald Eagle, which was once on the brink of extinction, has made a remarkable recovery thanks to conservation efforts. Other success stories include the recovery of the Peregrine Falcon and the California Condor.

What are the economic benefits of bird conservation?

Bird conservation can provide a range of economic benefits, including increased ecotourism revenue, improved agricultural production, and reduced damage from pests. In addition, bird conservation can help to maintain healthy ecosystems, which provide a range of ecosystem services that are essential to human well-being.

How does bird conservation contribute to overall biodiversity?

Bird conservation is an important part of overall biodiversity conservation. Birds play a key role in many ecosystems, and their decline can have cascading effects on other species. By protecting bird populations and their habitats, we can help to maintain healthy ecosystems and preserve biodiversity for future generations.

Why Bird Conservation Matters is an important topic that affects us all. By working together to protect bird populations and their habitats, we can help to maintain healthy ecosystems and ensure a sustainable future for ourselves and for the planet.

In conclusion, we have learned about the importance of bird conservation and how it affects not only the environment but also our own well-being. Birds play a vital role in ecosystems by assisting in plant reproduction and thriving. They also act as indicators of environmental well-being, which is often overlooked.

Through ecotourism, birdwatching generates millions of dollars in revenue, which can be used to fund conservation efforts. However, it is not enough to rely solely on ecotourism. We must take action to conserve bird habitats by reducing the use of toxic pesticides, preventing habitat destruction, and regulating hunting practices.

As birdwatchers, we can also do our part to conserve bird habitats. By being mindful of our impact on the environment, we can help preserve bird habitats by reducing our carbon footprint and supporting conservation efforts.

What efforts do you do to conserve bird habitat when birdwatching? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks for sharing:

This article was authored by Seren who has developed a keen passion for birding which was passed down from her grandmother. She has turned this website into a treasure trove filled with interesting news about AllThingsBirding ! Please help support her Facebook page.

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Why birds matter: from economic ornithology to ecosystem services

• Published: 05 May 2015
• Volume 156 , pages 227–238, ( 2015 )

Cite this article

• Christopher J. Whelan 1 ,
• Çağan H. Şekercioğlu 2 , 3 &
• Daniel G. Wenny 4  

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Birds are conspicuous in many habitats, occur worldwide, are ecologically diverse, and are better known than other vertebrate groups. Birds devour pests, pollinate flowers, disperse seeds, scavenge carrion, cycle nutrients, and modify the environment in ways that benefit other species. Investigation of these ecosystem functions directly as ecosystem services has grown immensely over the last two decades and the ecological relevance of birds is well established. Birds are also observed, fed, and used as artistic and spiritual inspiration by millions of people around the globe. Yet the economic relevance of birds is not widely appreciated and the economic relevance to human society of birds’ ecological roles is even less understood. Quantifying the services provided by birds is crucial to understand their importance for ecosystems and for the people that benefit from them. In this paper, we briefly review the rise and fall of economic ornithology and call for a new economic ornithology with heightened standards and a holistic focus within the ecosystem services approach. Birds’ ecological roles, and therefore, ecosystem services, are critical to the health of many ecosystems and to human well-being. By understanding and valuing bird services and disservices through careful natural history research, we can better assess the environmental consequences of bird declines and extinctions and communicate these findings to the public and policy makers, thereby increasing public support for the conservation of birds and their habitats.

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Christopher J. Whelan

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Çağan H. Şekercioğlu

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Whelan, C.J., Şekercioğlu, Ç.H. & Wenny, D.G. Why birds matter: from economic ornithology to ecosystem services. J Ornithol 156 (Suppl 1), 227–238 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1229-y

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Speech on Importance Of Birds And Animals In Our Life

Birds and animals are more than just creatures in our life. Their roles are crucial, from maintaining nature’s balance to bringing joy with their presence. You might be amazed at how your life intertwines with theirs.

They are our silent partners, contributing to our survival and well-being. Each bird’s song, each animal’s role, enriches our world. Let’s appreciate their significance in our shared existence.

1-minute Speech on Importance Of Birds And Animals In Our Life

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we gather today to talk about a very important topic – ‘The Importance Of Birds And Animals In Our Life’.

Birds and animals are our friends, our companions in the great journey of life. They add color, joy, and excitement to our world. Imagine a morning without the chirping of birds or a park without playful squirrels. Life would be dull, wouldn’t it?

They also help us in many ways. Did you know that bees, butterflies, and birds help plants by moving pollen from one flower to another? This is called pollination. Without them, we wouldn’t have fruits and flowers. Animals like cows and goats give us milk. Chickens give us eggs. Horses and donkeys help us in carrying heavy loads.

Birds and animals are also great teachers. They teach us how to live in harmony with nature. Ants teach us the value of hard work. Birds teach us to soar high in the sky of our dreams. Elephants teach us the power of unity and family bonds.

But sadly, many birds and animals are in danger today. Their homes are being destroyed. Many are being hunted. We need to protect them. We need to love and respect them. Because, in the end, their survival is tied to our survival.

So, let’s promise today to care for our feathered and furry friends. Let’s promise to make our planet a safe home for all. Because the beauty of life lies in its diversity, and birds and animals add to this beautiful diversity. Thank you.

2-minute Speech on Importance Of Birds And Animals In Our Life

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, today we bring our attention to a topic that is dear to all of us, “The Importance of Birds and Animals in Our Life”.

Firstly, let’s consider their role in maintaining the balance in nature. Birds and animals are an essential part of the food chain. They eat plants, insects, and other animals, keeping everything in balance. Without them, there would be too much of some things and too little of others, and our world could be in trouble.

Secondly, birds and animals are vital for our food supply. Think about the eggs we eat for breakfast, the milk we put in our cereal, or the meat we have for dinner. All of these come from animals. Birds, like chickens and turkeys, provide us with meat and eggs. Cows give us milk. Even bees, a tiny creature, play a crucial role. They help plants grow by spreading pollen. Without them, we would have a lot fewer fruits and vegetables.

Next, let’s not forget the role birds and animals play in the world of science and medicine. Many medicines that we use today were first tested on animals to make sure they are safe for humans. Animals also help us understand how our bodies work. For example, doctors study how birds fly to make better planes and drones.

Birds and animals also have a big impact on our mental health. How many of you have pets at home? Pets like dogs, cats, or birds can be our best friends. They give us company and make us feel happy. Many studies show that people with pets are less likely to feel sad or lonely.

Lastly, birds and animals add beauty to our world. Imagine a world without the sweet singing of birds or the sight of a squirrel running up a tree. Wouldn’t that be dull? The vibrant colors of birds, the majestic walk of a tiger, the cute antics of a monkey – all add color and excitement to our world.

In conclusion, birds and animals are not just creatures living their own lives. They are an important part of our lives too. They help keep nature in balance, give us food, help in medical research, make us feel happy, and add beauty to our world. It is our duty to respect them and protect them. Because without them, our world would be a much less interesting place.

Let’s all make a promise today. A promise to care for every bird and every animal. Because in caring for them, we care for ourselves, for our world, and for our future. Thank you.

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Importance of birds

We humans take a lot of things for granted in our lives and these things that we take granted for though beneficial to our everyday lives are ignored and never looked into too much. One such thing we never care to think twice about are the birds that accommodate this planet along with us and the millions of other organisms. A lot of us don’t know the significance of birds in our everyday lives. So let me illustrate how important birds are to humans and the world at large.

Importance of Birds to Humans:

Birds provide some direct benefits to humans that we all generally forget to notice, let me list them down for you.

Food: Birds are grown to provide food to billions of people around the world. Birds produce both meat and eggs which are a major food source and different birds are grown across the world depending upon the species that is found in that geographical area. Bird meat and eggs are a major source of protein and are widely used to produce various other more complex foods such as cakes, cookies and so on. Bird meat which is also called white meat is said to be healthier for the heart than red meat that comes from cows, goats and other animals because the fat content in white meat is said to be lower.

Economic Value: Birds are grow in large numbers for monetary gains. Birds are grown for their meat, feathers, eggs and so on. These products are sold and bring in money . Since food is an indispensable part of life and birds being one of the cheapest and easiest ways to gain protein, the business of growing birds has become an essential and profitable one. Feathers are used all over the world for various purposes like for stuffing in pillows, decorating hats and so on. Different varieties of wild birds also bring in tourists and avid bird watchers and this produces tourism revenue and provides stress relief and a form of entertainment to the people.

Other indirect ways birds help us: Species such as the humming bird help in pollination of plants by taking the male gamete and dropping them on the female gametes of plants, this is what helps plants reproduce and survive. Bird’s also control pests and rodents by hunting them down, these rodents and pests if left unattended would turn out to be nuisance in the long run, This is very helpful to a lot of farmers. Birds are also grown by many as pets for companionship. We also use bird droppings from the poultry we grow as manure as it is a rich source of nitrogen, potassium and phosphate all three of which are essential for plants to grow.

Ecological Importance of birds:

Apart from the direct benefits to humans, birds do so much for the earth and help in keeping the ecological balance proper and here’s how they do it.

Seed propagation: Birds that eat fruit or other seeds help carry the seeds of these fruits and plants through their excreta. So when the birds drop their excreta, these transported seeds then can grow spontaneously at various locations and it give the plants a chance to grow in more favorable conditions and this helps such plants survive. A lot of plants are dependent on birds for seed propagation and this seed propagation is what allows plants to populate in new areas.

Scavengers: Birds play the role of waste disposal in nature by consuming the carcasses of dead animals. They also clean up what’s left by the predatory carnivores such as lions by eating what they leave behind.

Food chain: Birds are also carnivores in the food chain and help in keeping the population of rodents and insects in check by hunting them for their food. This keeps the populations of these insects and rodents in control and in the right balance

Pollination: Pollination is the process of moving the pollen from flower to flower to help fertilize the sex cells and create new plants. Species like the humming bird take part in pollination of plants. A lot of different types of plants are dependent on birds for pollination. Without the occurrence of pollination plants cannot reproduce and survive.

Fertility: Bird droppings are a form of manure that nature provides itself. Bird excreta is rich in uric acid that can be easily converted to ammonia which is a great fertilizer for plants. Bird excreta is also rich in potassium, phosphate and nitrogen all three of which are needed for plant growth.

Birds provide so much to us and this world we live in and it is our obligation to protect them as humans. Without birds there will be an ecological imbalance. We as humans don’t have the right to destroy nature and it is also in our best interests to protect mother nature and her children.

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This is good but please publish an essay on 300-500 words on birds an integral part of our echosystem

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Essay on Birds 3 Models

Essay on birds is interesting because it deals with the life of birds in detail. Several examples such as a short essay on types of birds, a paragraph on raising birds at home, the economic value of keeping birds, names of some birds of prey, how to take care of domestic birds, how birds take care of their young, and what is the largest bird.

Information about birds that benefit all students, the food of birds, their reproduction, in addition to the migration of birds, why do birds migrate from their home to another place that may be thousands of kilometers away from their original home.

Essay on birds is a sample topic for fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students, and first, second, and third grade students of middle school and high school.

Essay on birds

Birds are beautiful creatures, which is why all children love them. There are many types of birds, which we will mention in the essay on birds, and the forms of birds differ in terms of size, color, and the way nests are built.

All birds are characterized by beauty and bright colors, in addition to the softness of their feathers. Some birds are able to fly very long distances, even crossing the ocean during their migration without resting. Among the few species that cannot fly at all are penguins and ostriches.

Birds are vertebrates, and they are among the most diverse organisms, with approximately 10,000 species. Birds live in a variety of environments, where they live in mountainous areas, deserts, forests and farms, fields, gardens, cities and homes. That is, they live in diverse environments.

Supernatural qualities distinguish some birds

• Voice: God distinguished some birds with amazing sounds, which musicians cannot imitate. Examples include the goldfinch and other birds with wonderful sounds, which are more beautiful than the sounds of musical instruments in their beauty. Birds use sounds and vibrations to talk to each other. These sounds are the language of the birds through which they communicate, express their fear or happiness, and other important matters for them, such as places of food, water, and expressions of feelings also during the mating seasons.
• Feather colors: Birds are characterized by the beauty of their feathers, and its bright colors, and there is an amazing consistency between the colors of birds, which no artist can imagine, just as fashion designers cannot imitate it with the same accuracy. In the essay on birds we will show examples of birds with dazzling colors as the peacock. The male peacock is considered a beautiful painting, as it is characterized by colors and patterns that no artist can paint with such beauty. The colors of birds have many benefits, including attracting females during mating seasons, hiding from enemies, and so on.
• The power of sight: Some birds are distinguished by the power of sight, such as the falcon, the eagle, and others. The power of sight is useful in hunting prey, as they are seen and their movements are monitored from long distances. Thus, the bird can pounce on its prey without getting away from it. Birds of prey are often distinguished by the power of sight, as they can see prey 1.5 km away.
• The strength of the limbs: Birds are characterized by the strength of their limbs, as they carry their prey with their claws for long distances. They carry prey to the top of the trees where they build their nests, they carry prey to feed their young, so it is important that their limbs are strong. Some birds also use their legs and wings to defend themselves, or to defend the young.
• The strength of the beak: Birds’ beaks are generally considered strong, but in birds of prey they are strong and sharp. For example, a hawk or an eagle can slaughter its prey by using the beak. It can also tear the prey into small pieces that it can eat, and the bird also uses its beak to defend itself, and the best example of the strength of the bird’s beak is the woodpecker, which can make holes in the trunks of trees with its beak, while these trees were not affected by storms or rain, and a small bird was able to make large holes in the trunk of the tree so that this hole would be its home, and the birds also feed on solid grains.
• Sharp claws: Birds have sharp claws, and this helps them in self-defense, as well as in steadfastness on tree branches, so they do not fall while they sleep. Likewise, birds of prey catch their prey with claws, so that they cannot escape, then they also carry it with their claws and fly in the sky until they reach their nests.

Interesting information about bird life

• Birds are social beings: Most birds live in groups, flying in flocks. Essay on birds We explain the social life of birds, where there is understanding and cooperation between a group of birds, and they support each other. We also see the family bonding between birds, where both the male and the female participate in building the nest, incubating the eggs, feeding the young and defending them. The role played by the male or female varies depending on the type of bird. There are birds in which the male is in charge of preparing the nest, and in other birds the female is in charge of preparing the nest. Sometimes both the male and the female participate in preparing the nest. There are also birds, the male is associated with only one female throughout his life, and the birds grieve when they die or lose one of the spouses or one of the children, they have feelings of love and compassion.
• Birds lay eggs: the size and color of eggs varies from one bird to another. The ostrich egg is the largest egg, while the smallest egg is the eggs of some types of small birds. Bird eggs are characterized by the strength and hardness of their shell to suit environmental conditions. The male and female exchange incubating the eggs until the young hatch, and in most cases the incubation period for eggs may reach 21 days, as in chickens, or 30 days, as in ducks, geese, and others.
• The body of birds is lightweight: light weight helps them to fly. In the essay on birds, we will explain this, as birds have a lightweight body, and a streamlined shape that helps them fly. Birds were the source of inspiration for humans in the manufacture of aircraft, scientists have studied the physical characteristics of birds so that they can make aircraft. Its streamlined shape also helps it dive into the water and catch fish.
• Feathers are soft and shiny: There is no doubt that bird feathers are the source of their beauty, but they also have other benefits, such as protecting the flying body from direct shocks, helping the bird to fly, protecting the bird from weather fluctuations, especially as it protects the bird from rainwater, as rainwater slips on the feathers and does not reach the body of the bird.

Benefits of birds

• Birds play an essential role in maintaining the ecological balance. Some birds feed on insects, such as the Cattle egrets bird, which works to clean the soil which make the agricultural plants free from parasites and harmful insects, in addition to aerating the agricultural soil, and this helps in improving agricultural production.
• Birds are an important source of white meat, and bird meat is more beneficial than the meat of other animals such as cows, buffaloes, and sheep, and therefore it is preferred by most people.
• Bird meat is an important source of proteins that we need for the growth of the body and strengthening the immune system. Bird meat is also characterized by its delicious taste.
• Pillows are made from the feathers of some birds, and for example, ostrich feathers, from which comfortable pillows are made, and therefore they are sold at very high prices.
• Birds carry pollen from one tree to another, and this helps trees pollinate naturally without human intervention. This helps to increase the production of fruits such as fruits and others.

The economic importance of birds

We cannot neglect to talk about the economic value of birds. We will mention the importance of expanding bird breeding in the essay on birds, especially poultry farms, which have become widespread in all countries of the world. Poultry farming has become an important industry with high economic value.

Man has been able to develop this vital industry, so that it produces the largest quantity of poultry, in order to meet human needs. There are modern ways to raise poultry, as it provides medical care for poultry, as well as the quality of food, setting the appropriate temperature inside farms and other things that help achieve good profits from poultry farming.

At the end of the essay on birds, interesting information about the life of birds, miraculous qualities that distinguish some birds, and the economic importance of birds have been presented.

It is important to realize that birds are social beings, and they have feelings like us, and they express their feelings by issuing certain sounds, and they grieve at the death of one of the spouses, so that they also become depressed and may die of grief.

Therefore, we must treat birds gently, and provide them with the necessary health care, and you can seek the help of a veterinarian to learn how to properly raise birds.

I hope you benefited from the essay on birds, and I would love to receive your comments.

To read more, click on the following link:

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Birding Your Way to Well-Being

Four potential pathways from birding to mental health..

Updated May 23, 2024 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

• Novel fascinating and pleasant environments can reduce stress and restore our attentional capacity.
• Experiences of awe and social connection can help us feel more open, collaborative, and interconnected.
• An experimental study found that looking for birds improves well-being and reduces distress.

Like many people during the height of the Covid pandemic, I discovered birding and have continued to grow my interest and enjoyment since 2020. Besides noticing mental health and mood benefits myself, others have regularly shared articles with me about the benefits of birding. Most recently, conservation biologist Nils Peterson and colleagues (2024) conducted an experimental study in which college students were randomly assigned to a control condition (receiving no specific instructions), a nature-walk condition (instructed to take a specific walk through nature at least once a week), or a birdwatching condition (take the same walk and notice how many birds you see using a phone app). Students who noticed birds on their walk reported significant increases in positive emotion and significant decreases in distress compared to the other two conditions. These findings indicate that there’s something specific about looking for birds (or at least looking for elements in nature) that leads to mental health improvements.

As Peterson and colleagues note, demonstrating that birding enhances mental health does not tell us why birding has this effect—and determining the underlying reasons could help us identify ways to interact with birds (or other aspects of nature) that can heighten this positive impact. The authors refer to environmental psychologist Melissa Marselle and colleagues’ (2021) conceptual model of how biodiversity may benefit human health to identify potential explanations for their findings. Several of these potential mechanisms resonate with my own experience and I hope my sharing them may help you to find ways of enhancing your well being.

Reducing stress

Environments that are interesting, pleasant, and calming can reduce our physiological arousal, and also enhance positive emotions. Walking in an area with plants, flowers, trees, and water with a focus on looking for birds is very different from my typical daily environment and activities. Although I can certainly feel sad, angry, or stressed while I’m out birding, I also notice that my breath slows down a bit and that I regularly experience moments of joy or calm as I notice a bird, or a flower, or a beautiful vista. The sounds of birds and smell of flowers also elicit positive emotions that can buffer any painful emotions I might be experiencing. For me, it’s important that I not try to get rid of any negative feelings or stress I have; I just allow the additional experiences from birding to add to those feelings, which naturally changes them or makes them less overwhelming.

Restoring attention

Our fast-paced, overstimulated daily lives challenge our attentional capacities. Many of us find ourselves easily distracted by external stimuli or by our own thoughts and feelings. Sustained attention is like strength in a muscle, with the same “use-it-or-lose-it” qualities. When we allow our attention to be continually pulled by internal or external stimuli, our attentional abilities weaken. Marselle and colleagues (2021) note that our attentional abilities can be restored both when we are away from our everyday tasks and demands and also when the environment attracts our attention without effort, which is known as fascination . When I am at a wildlife refuge, or even an urban park, with the goal of viewing and identifying birds, I find that sounds, sights, and movement naturally grab my attention and it is much easier for me to disengage from worries or rumination (and the pull of my phone). As I’ve stated in earlier posts, being able to bring attention and awareness to our experience is an essential part of recognizing distressing emotions , taking meaningful, rewarding actions , and being compassionate toward others . Restoring our attentional capacities while we look for birds may help us to use our attention more effectively and mindfully in the rest of our lives.

Transcendent experiences

When I spend time watching birds flutter, fly, swoop, hop, eat, dive, and interact, I often experience a sense of awe , and a sense of humility. In his book, Awe: The new science of wonder and how it can transform your life , psychologist Dacher Keltner explains that awe can transform us by “quieting the nagging, self-critical, overbearing, status-conscious voice of our self, or ego, and empowering us to collaborate, to open our minds to wonders, and to see the deep patterns of life.” This description resonates with my experience of birding: I feel smaller in some positive way, and less attached to some sense of my own importance, when I am in the midst of different habitats of birds, observing their behaviors. And I also feel more connected, more aware of how I am part of the larger whole of the world. When I’m able to carry that feeling back into my daily life, I am more able to let go of frustrations and irritations when they inevitably arise and notice moments of connectedness and joy.

Social connectedness

Although birding can be a solitary activity, birders (even solo birders) often encounter one another. This has been an unexpected benefit for me and an unexpected joy. When a rare bird has been sighted at a place we often visit, we will typically run into several individuals, pairs, or groups of people in search of the same bird, and we’ll often greet and check in with each other about it. And when we run into someone on a path who has seen something interesting, they are always eager to tell us about it and tell us how to find the unusual bird they just saw. Similarly, I also enjoy sharing an exciting sighting with others—such as when I unexpectedly discovered a nearby barred owl on a boardwalk path in Acadia National Park. I was overjoyed to quietly (and awedly) point it out to each person who came along, until there was a line of 12 people gazing through their binoculars, sharing in the experience of awe, without bothering the beautiful owl. The camaraderie of shared experience and genuine sympathetic joy in other people’s joy is a partial antidote to the sense of isolation and conflict that we often experience online or in other contexts. Reminders of shared humanity can feel restorative.

So, is there something you can do in the next week to reduce your stress, enhance your attention, elicit a sense of awe, or promote social connection? Perhaps take a walk and look for birds!

With thanks to Josh Bartok for editing help.

Peterson,M.N., Larson, L.R., Hipp, A., Beall, J.M., Lerose, C., Desrochers, H., Lauder, S.,Torres, S., Tarr, N.A., Stukes, K., Stevenson, K., & Martin, K. L. (2024). Birdwatching linked to increased psychological well-being on college campuses: A pilot-scale experimental study, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 96 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102306 .

Marselle, M.R., Hartig, T., Cox, D.T.C., de Bell, S., Knapp, S., Lindley, S., Triguero-Mas,M., Böhning-Gaese, K., Braubach, M., Cook, P.A., de Vries, S., Heintz-Buschart, A., Hofmann, M., Irvine, K.N., Kabisch, N., Kolek, F., Kraemer, K., Markevych, I., Martens, D., ... Bonn, A. (2021). Pathways linking biodiversity to human health: A conceptual framework. Environment International, 150 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106420 .

Keltner, D. (2023). Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your lif e. New York: Penguin Press.

Lizabeth Roemer, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she is actively involved in research and clinical training of doctoral students in clinical psychology.

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Don’t Let a Bird’s Feathers Fool You

From sibling murder to snakes for breakfast, birds’ lives may be darker than you imagine.

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By James Gorman

James Gorman was a science editor, writer and video host at The Times for 28 years, and now teaches and continues to write .

• Published May 26, 2024 Updated May 28, 2024, 2:32 p.m. ET

I saw a couple of crows dining on roadkill the other day as I was driving by and wondered, Does this count as bird-watching?

I think it should. I know that birding is having a moment. It was something you could do outside without catching Covid at the height of the pandemic. And it offers the opportunity for being close to nature and spending money on fancy binoculars at the same time, a winning combination for 45 million Americans .

I’m in favor of this trend. I love birds. I have watched them, written about them and tried to remember their names and field marks. I even lived with one for a while. It was a small (captive-bred) parrot, a sun conure, that was supposed to be my daughter’s pet. But as a freelance writer, I was home all day long while she was at school, and the bird really, really wanted company.

I’m not an expert birder. I don’t have a life list, and I can’t tell one juvenile gull from another. But I know never to say sea gull (real birders will have your head). And I don’t just watch the birds that come to the feeder or land on a plate while I’m having lunch at an outdoor table.

I have gone to Nebraska, rising before dawn to watch male greater prairie chickens stomp and boom and promenade to get the attention of female greater prairie chickens.

On the same trip, my wife and I slept in a tiny concrete blind on the Platte River, with overnight temperatures in the 30s and a bucket for a bathroom, so that we could see flocks of migrating sandhill cranes at dusk and dawn.

Still, I would like us all to look beyond the painted buntings to the carrion-eating, sibling-killing, snake-eating side of our feathered friends. They are not just pretty bundles of plumage, nor are they always that friendly.

You probably haven’t heard of obligate siblicide unless you hang out with behavioral ecologists. Loosely translated, it means death to the weak. Kookaburras do it, boobies do it, even egrets and skuas do it.

Basically the parents lay an insurance egg so they have an heir and a spare. Then the bigger, tougher chick kills the weaker one. Facultative siblicide is even more common. That’s death to the weak, maybe.

I saw the murdering in progress once. I was on a cruise to Antarctica to write a coffee-table book about penguins. During one of the naturalist-led walks through a penguin colony, we watched one skua chick mercilessly, and I mean mercilessly, attack a smaller chick, while the parents looked the other way. I guess they were thinking, “Well, birds will be birds, time to go kill and eat a penguin baby.”

I once had a staring match with a raven in Yellowstone Park. The raven, which I remember as being the size of a velociraptor, was pecking away at a carcass as I approached. At the time I was writing a book about dinosaurs, and I was entranced by the fact that birds are the descendants of dinosaurs. I stared at the raven. The raven stared back. I moved closer. The raven didn’t budge. I backed off, humming that Kenny Rogers song about the gambler, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em.” I told myself that the reason for my retreat was that it was ethically wrong and illegal to disturb wildlife in the park.

I had another staring encounter, this time with a bald eagle in the marshy reaches of southern New Jersey on the Delaware Bay. I was writing a profile of Pete Dunne, who founded the World Series of Birding and has written numerous books on birds. He spotted the eagle a football field away. I looked at it through a spotting scope and binoculars. The eagle looked back. Given the eyesight of eagles, I’m pretty sure it saw me, its gaze unwavering. I think it was sizing me up, noting that I was too big to eat, and wondering what a newbie like me was doing with Pete Dunne.

There are stares that don’t give an inch. Kaa in “The Jungle Book,” ravens, birds of prey. And the minds behind those stares are deeply different from our own. Don’t take my word for it. Read “H is for Hawk,” by Helen Macdonald, particularly the section where the goshawk she is trying to tame clenches its talons in hungry anticipation when it hears a human baby cry just outside her window.

There really are dinosaurs under those beautiful feathers. And the bird that looks the most like a dinosaur to me, so much that it sends me back to the Cretaceous in my mind, is the great blue heron. I have spent a lot of time watching herons stalk fish in ponds and on river banks. They move slowly, haltingly, on improbable stick legs, almost as if they were old-tech animatronic constructions. Then they strike with a blurringly fast stab of their snakelike neck and pickax bill and swallow you, I mean the minnow, whole.

They don’t eat only minnows. From a boardwalk in Everglades National Park I once witnessed a battle between a great blue heron and a snake that I couldn’t identify. The heron had caught the snake and was trying to eat it. But the snake wasn’t dead and kept wrapping itself around the bird’s beak. The heron would drop the snake and stab it again with its beak. The snake, apparently not seriously wounded, would again wrap itself tightly around the heron’s beak. This happened several times over. I left after about 15 minutes, with the two creatures in a stalemate that showed no signs of resolving. I did feel a oneness with nature while watching this, but it wasn’t what I was looking for.

That’s what you may find watching birds, if you spend some time at it and pay attention. By all means watch birds. Don’t just identify them. Study them. And not just the pretty ones in their best moments. Absorb their alien presence. You’ll be the richer for it.

James Gorman is a science writer at large and the author of books on hypochondria, penguins, dinosaurs and the ocean around Antarctica. He writes about animals, viruses, archaeology and the evolution of dogs. More about James Gorman

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How do birds communicate? Northeastern network science models are opening up new possibilities for experts

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Iacopo Iacopini has been working closely with behavioral ecologists to help provide “new insights” into vocal communication among birds by mapping out how flock dynamics play out.

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LONDON — Nature-lovers will know the scene well. A flurry of birdsong, a shake of a tree and out pops a flock of birds flying away in unison together.

But how is it that the quick chatter of song among those birds led to that communal flight? A network scientist at Northeastern University in London has been helping experts to shed light on that question by mapping out how birds communicate when in groups.

Iacopo Iacopini , an assistant professor in the Network Science Institute , has been working closely with behavioral ecologists to provide “new insights” into vocal communication made by animals.

The research has been set out in Iacopini’s paper, “Not your private tête-à-tête: leveraging the power of higher-order networks to study animal communication,” published May 20 in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Behavioral ecologists have for decades studied how one songbird is heard by another and then use that understanding to deduce how the one-to-one relationship functions — what is known as a dyadic interaction.

But experts knew that looking at it from that angle was overly simplistic when it is clear that a chirping bird will be heard by several birds in the surrounding vicinity.

Iacopini, along with colleagues from across the world, worked on modeling how birds interact with two or more others in theirs or rival flocks at the same time — what are referred to as higher-order networks.

The network scientists applied hypergraphs — a mathematical diagram showing how objects can have multiple connections simultaneously while in a group scenario — to better understand how light-bellied brent geese coordinate a group takeoff through increased squawks among the gaggle.

The scientists also did similar studies of the North American black-capped chickadees, creating a network to simulate the dawn chorus among what is a territorial family of birds in a bid to illustrate what interactions are occurring during that moment.

According to the five authors of the paper, mapping how these social structures play out has the potential to “reveal how vocal communication contributes to complex behavioral contagions within groups.”

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Iacopini said the trend among network scientists recently has been to focus on human interactions.

But he explained that the case studies he and his colleagues looked at for the paper in terms of non-human animal communication gave him a different kind of “playground” in which to map higher-order networks.

“Animals are another super important domain,” Iacopini said. “Network scientists are already doing a lot of stuff on animal behavior but, in my opinion, not as much as for human interactions.

“I think that the non-human animal world represents another incredibly good playground for these approaches, because you can ask a lot of questions, you can track them, you can record their vocalization, you can track their movements.”

Iacopini hopes that this paper and his experience collaborating with real-world wildlife data will encourage more partnerships between ecologists and network scientists.

“I personally would take this as a potential starting point for a lot of more research and projects on this leveraging,” he said.

“It is also a call for attention from my side, to the network science community. I feel it might be the same for the animal behavior and ecology worlds — to bring the two worlds together to do better science, combining all the strengths of the two different teams now that we can have really good data-collection experiments.”

Co-author Elizabeth Derryberry, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Tennessee who studies birdsong, agreed that the interdisciplinary project had wielded results and opened up “exciting” new possibilities.

She explained that the tools produced by the squad of network-mappers, which also included Nina Fefferman from the University of Tennessee and Matthew Silk from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, allows those working in the field to identify patterns and make predictions about animal behavior.

Iacopini said he and the team of modelers enjoyed having their equations brought to life by ecologists.

“From our perspective, I think it is nice to see that some of the things that we do may actually go out in the field, instead of remaining on papers and publications online, and that is it,” he said.

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15 Reasons Birds Make The Best Pets

Posted: May 28, 2024 | Last updated: May 28, 2024

In a world where companionship comes in various forms, birds stand out as delightful and charming pets. With their vibrant plumage, melodic songs, and entertaining antics, birds offer a unique bond to their owners. Whether you’re mesmerized by the graceful flight of a parrot or soothed by the gentle chirping of a canary, these feathered companions bring joy and companionship into our lives. From their compact size to their long lifespans, birds offer numerous benefits as pets, making them a popular choice for households worldwide. Join us as we explore the 15 reasons why birds are cherished as some of the best pets around.

Low maintenance

Birds as pets, particularly species like budgies, cockatiels, canaries, and finches, are known for their relatively low maintenance requirements. They don’t need to be walked like dogs or require litter box changes like cats. Regular cage cleaning, fresh food, water, and some social interaction are typically all that’s needed to keep them happy and healthy. This makes them ideal for people with busy lifestyles or limited space.

Compact size

Many bird species suitable as pets are relatively small in size, making them ideal for those with limited space. Budgies, for example, are small parrots that can comfortably live in a modest-sized cage. Even larger birds like cockatiels are still compact compared to many other pets, such as dogs or rabbits. Their small size also means they require less food and space, which can save on expenses.

Varied species to choose from

Bird enthusiasts have a wide range of species to choose from when selecting a pet bird. From colorful parrots like macaws and conures to melodious canaries and finches, there’s a bird to suit every preference and living situation. Each species has its own unique characteristics, such as size, coloration, and behavior, allowing owners to find the perfect match for their lifestyle. This diversity adds to the appeal of keeping birds as pets.

Entertaining behaviors

Birds are naturally curious and playful creatures, often displaying entertaining behaviors that delight their owners. They may perform acrobatics, mimic sounds, or engage in playful interactions with toys or objects in their environment. This inherent sense of curiosity and playfulness makes birds fun and entertaining pets to observe and interact with. Additionally, their antics can provide amusement and joy to people of all ages.

Can be trained

Many bird species are highly intelligent and can be trained to perform various tricks and behaviors. With patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement, birds can learn to respond to commands, play games, and even mimic human speech or sounds. Training not only provides mental stimulation for the bird but also strengthens the bond between the bird and its owner. This interactive process can be both rewarding and enjoyable for both parties involved.

Beautiful plumage

One of the most captivating aspects of pet birds is their stunning plumage. From the vibrant hues of parrots to the delicate patterns of finches, birds display a kaleidoscope of colors and textures. Their feathers not only serve practical purposes like insulation and flight but also contribute to their visual appeal. Watching birds preen and display their plumage can be a mesmerizing experience for bird owners.

Singing and chirping

Birdsong is one of nature’s most beautiful sounds, and many pet bird species are renowned for their melodious tunes. From the cheerful chirps of canaries to the complex songs of mockingbirds, birds provide a symphony of sounds that can uplift the mood of any household. Their vocalizations serve various purposes, including communication, territory marking, and courtship. Listening to birdsong can be a calming and therapeutic experience, enhancing the ambiance of any home.

Social creatures

Many bird species are naturally social animals that thrive on companionship and interaction. In the wild, they form complex social structures within their flocks, and this social behavior extends to their relationships with humans. Birds enjoy spending time with their owners, whether it’s through play, grooming, or simply being in the same room. Their sociable nature makes them excellent pets for those seeking companionship and interaction.

Long lifespan

Unlike some smaller pets like rodents or fish, many bird species have relatively long lifespans. With proper care and attention, birds can live for several decades or more, depending on the species. This longevity allows owners to form deep and meaningful bonds with their feathered companions over many years. It also means that adopting a bird is a long-term commitment that requires careful consideration.

Easily housed in cages

Birds are well-suited to living in cages, making them easy to accommodate in various living environments. A properly sized and equipped cage provides birds with a safe and comfortable home where they can rest, play, and exercise. Additionally, cages help contain messes such as feathers and food debris, making cleanup easier for bird owners. With proper cage maintenance and enrichment, birds can thrive in captivity.

Minimal odor

Compared to many other pets, birds are relatively odor-free creatures. They don’t have fur or produce oils like mammals, which can contribute to unpleasant smells. With regular cage cleaning and proper ventilation, any odors associated with pet birds can be easily managed. This makes them ideal pets for individuals or families sensitive to strong smells or living in smaller spaces.

Educational for children

Keeping birds as pets can be a valuable educational experience for children. It teaches them responsibility as they learn to care for another living creature. Additionally, observing birds’ behaviors, learning about their habitat requirements, and understanding their unique characteristics can foster a deeper appreciation for nature and wildlife. Birds can also serve as subjects for science projects or nature-themed learning activities.

Therapeutic to watch

Watching birds can have a calming and therapeutic effect on people’s mental well-being. Their graceful movements, soothing vocalizations, and vibrant colors can help reduce stress and anxiety. Birdwatching is a popular hobby enjoyed by people of all ages, allowing them to connect with nature and escape the pressures of daily life. Whether observing birds in the wild or as pets, the experience can promote relaxation and mindfulness.

Can bond with their owners

Birds are capable of forming strong bonds with their human caregivers, particularly if they are hand-raised or regularly interacted with from a young age. They can learn to recognize their owners’ voices and faces and may seek out their companionship. This bond can be mutually rewarding, providing companionship and emotional support to both the bird and its owner. Building a bond with a pet bird requires time, patience, and consistent positive interactions.

Fascinating to observe in flight

Few sights are as captivating as watching birds take flight. Whether indoors or outdoors, observing birds spread their wings and soar through the air is a truly mesmerizing experience. Their agility, grace, and freedom evoke a sense of wonder and awe in spectators. Whether it’s a pet bird navigating its cage or wild birds gliding through the sky, witnessing their flight is a reminder of the beauty and majesty of the natural world.

As we wrap up our exploration of the many reasons why birds make fantastic pets, it’s clear that they offer a special kind of companionship and joy. From their entertaining behaviors to their beautiful plumage, birds bring a unique charm to any household. Whether you’re a seasoned bird enthusiast or considering bringing a feathered friend into your home for the first time, the benefits of bird ownership are plentiful. With proper care and attention, birds can become beloved members of the family, providing endless entertainment and affection. So why wait? Consider welcoming a bird into your life and experience the wonderful world of avian companionship firsthand.

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Birdsong and human voice built from same genetic blueprint

Humans have been long fascinated by bird song and the cacophony of other avian sounds -- from coos and honks to quacks and peeps. But little is known about how the unique vocal organ of birds -- the syrinx -- varies from species to species or its deeper evolutionary origins.

A trio of recent studies led by researchers from The University of Texas at Austin is changing that.

The studies include high-resolution anatomical scans of syrinxes from hummingbirds and ostriches -- the world's smallest and largest bird species -- and the discovery that the syrinx and larynx, the vocal organ of reptiles and mammals, including humans, share the same developmental programming.

According to Julia Clarke, a professor at UT's Jackson School of Geosciences, this genetic connection between the vocal organs is an exciting new example of "deep homology," a term that describes how different tissues or organs can share a common genetic link.

"To me, this is as big as the flippers-to-limbs transition," said Clarke, who co-led or co-authored the studies. "In some ways, it's even bigger because the syrinx is not a modified organ with a new function but a completely new one with an ancient and common function."

The three studies are built on a foundation of collaborative and interdisciplinary syrinx research with physiologists and developmental biologists that Clarke has been leading for over a decade. The research got its start in 2013 when Clarke, a paleontologist, discovered a syrinx in a fossil of a duck-like bird that lived in what is now Antarctica during the Late Cretaceous. The specimen is the oldest syrinx to be discovered. But when she tried to compare the fossil syrinx to the syrinxes of modern birds, she found the scientific literature lacking. Many of the studies dated back to the 19 th century, before the advent of modern scientific imaging, or cited claims from those older studies made without double-checking them.

This set Clarke on a mission to modernize -- and maximize -- syrinx data collection.

"We had this new three-dimensional structure, but we had nothing to compare it to," said Clarke, describing CT imaging data of the fossil syrinx. "So, we started generating data that did not previously exist on syrinx structure across many different groups of birds."

Over the years, Clarke and members of her lab have developed new methods for dissecting, preserving and CT-scanning syrinxes that have helped reveal the syrinx in more detail. These enhanced views of the ostrich and hummingbird vocal organ have shown that bird behavior may be just as important as the syrinx when it comes to the repertoire of sounds these birds produce.

For example, in the study of the ostrich syrinx, the researchers found no significant differences in syrinx anatomy between adult male and female birds (previous studies focused only on male ostriches.) However, even though both sexes have the same vocal equipment, male ostriches tended to make a wider variety of sounds than female ostriches, with the sounds often associated with aggressive behaviors between rowdy males. On a visit to a Texas ostrich farm, the researchers recorded 11 types of calls, ranging from high frequency peeps and gurgles in baby ostriches to low frequency boos and booms in adult males. These included a few call types that had never been recorded before. The only sounds definitively recorded from adult female ostriches were hisses. What the females lacked in range, they made up for in attitude said Michael Chiappone, who became involved with the ostrich research as an undergraduate student at the Jackson School and is the lead author of the study.

"They were quite prolific hissers," said Chiappone, who is now a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota.

For the hummingbird study, the researchers compared the hummingbird syrinx to the syrinx of swifts and nightjars, two close relatives, and found that all three birds have similar vocal folds in their syrinx despite having different ways of learning their calls. Swifts and nightjars work with a limited repertoire of instinctive calls while hummingbirds are able to elaborate on calls by learning complex songs from each other, a trait called vocal learning.

According to Lucas Legendre, a Jackson School research associate who led the hummingbird research, the findings suggest that the common ancestor of all three birds also had a similar vocal fold structure -- and that it may have helped lay the groundwork for the evolution in vocal learning in hummingbirds.

"Having all of the [vocal fold] structures already present before vocal learning was acquired by hummingbirds probably made it easier for them to acquire vocal production learning," he said.

Before the study, it was uncertain if swifts even had vocal folds. As part of the research, Legendre created a 3D digital model of the swift vocal track that takes viewers down the windpipe to the syrinx and to the vocal folds that rest near the top of each branch of the syrinx. The model -- dubbed the "magical mystery voyage" by Clarke -- shows the advances in anatomical knowledge of syrinx that her lab is leading.

"This is a structure that wasn't known to exist outside of hummingbirds, but our CT scans revealed that swifts have these vocal folds in the same position," Clarke said. "This is the kind of voyage we needed to go on to get these answers."

At the same time Clarke and her team were developing methods to preserve and capture syrinx anatomy across bird species, they were collaborating with Clifford Tabin, a developmental biologist at Harvard University, on investigating the evolutionary origins of the syrinx by tracking the gene expression that accompanied vocal organ development in the embryos of birds, mammals and reptiles.

The research published in Current Biology is a culmination of that collaboration. The study details how scientists discovered the deep connection between the larynx and the syrinx tissues by observing that the same genes were controlling the development of the vocal organs in mice and chicken embryos, respectively, even though the organs arose from different embryological layers.

"They form under the influence of the same genetic pathways, ultimately giving the vocal tissue similar cellular structure and vibratory properties in birds and mammals," said Tabin, a co-lead on the study.

The study also analyzed syrinx development across bird species -- which involved observing gene expression in embryos from 14 different species, from penguins to budgies -- and found that the common ancestor of modern birds probably had a syrinx with two sound sources, or two independently functioning vocal folds. This trait is found in songbirds today, allowing many to create two distinct sounds at the same time. The research suggests that that the common ancestor of birds may have been making similarly diverse calls.

These results may shed light on the syrinx's origins but it's still unknown when the syrinx first developed and whether non-avian dinosaurs -- the ancestors of today's birds -- had the vocal organ, said Clarke. No one has yet found a fossil syrinx from a non-avian dinosaur.

According to Clarke, the best way to understand the possibilities for ancient dinosaur sounds is to continue studying vocalization as it exists today in birds, the dinosaurs that are still with us, and other reptile cousins.

"We can't start talking about sound production in dinosaurs until we truly understand the system in living species," she said.

This research was supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical InstituteProfessors Program and the Jackson School of Geosciences. Chad Eliason, a senior research scientist at the Field Museum of Natural History and former postdoctoral scholar at the Jackson School, was also a major contributor to these syrinx projects and others.

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Cold and Flu
• New Species
• Bird Flu Research
• Egg (biology)
• Global spread of H5N1

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Texas at Austin . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal References :

• Michael Chiappone, Carlos Rodriguez‐Saltos, Lucas J. Legendre, Zhiheng Li, Julia Clarke. Ostrich (Struthio camelus) syrinx morphology and vocal repertoire across postnatal ontogeny and sex: Implications for understanding vocal evolution in birds . Journal of Anatomy , 2023; 244 (4): 541 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13992
• Lucas J Legendre, Carlos A Rodríguez-Saltos, Chad M Eliason, Julia A Clarke. Evolution of the syrinx of Apodiformes, including the vocal-learning Trochilidae (Aves: Strisores) . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2024; DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae001
• Charlie Longtine, Chad M. Eliason, Darcy Mishkind, ChangHee Lee, Michael Chiappone, Franz Goller, Jay Love, Evan P. Kingsley, Julia A. Clarke, Clifford J. Tabin. Homology and the evolution of vocal folds in the novel avian voice box . Current Biology , 2024; 34 (3): 461 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.013

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