Birding Website

Birds are a vibrant, vital component of the earth’s ecosystem. Humans have long had a special relationship with them, counting on them for food but also keeping them as pets. Their bright plumage has fascinated artists, and birds have been crucial symbols in literature and even tattoo art for thousands of years – we simply couldn’t do without them.

There are around 10,000 species of bird in the world today, living everywhere from the deserts of Africa to the icy wastes of the Antarctic. Birds are believed to have evolved from dinosaurs in the Jurassic period, around 150-200 million years back. The earliest known bird is the Archaeopteryx – fossils of the bird are between 150 and 145 million years old.

Birds are usually social animals, frequently grouping together in flocks or forming breeding pairs to hatch eggs and care for young. Some species migrate over huge distances, staying together as a flock and flying in formation throughout the journey. Other social behavior includes communicating with one another thru visible signals such as plumage displays, or thru calls and songs.

 Some people use birds for other purposes, either as a hobby or for work. For instance, pigeon racing is a popular sport where birds are released at a certain point and must make their way home in the fastest time practical. Another preferred pastime is hunting with birds of prey like falcons and kestrels, though this requires a high level of expertise and expert equipment, not to mention costly birds of prey.

Images of birds can represent freedom and liberty in many cases, but some – like owls – can indicate bad luck in certain cultures. Birds are also a very important part of heraldry, featuring on coats of arms and flags.

 Conservation is vital if we are to keep on our relationship with birds. Humans have been accountable for the extinction of many species, including the dodo. Nevertheless there have also been some success stories – the California condor was brought back from the fringe of extinction by a concerted conservation effort.