importance of birds essay

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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6 Unexpected Ways Birds Are Important for the Environment (and People)

Birds improve our quality of life. Watching them flit around a backyard feeder or hop through the grass can be an entertaining diversion, a mood booster , and a window into animal behavior. Observing our avian counterparts offers connection to nature and a reminder that we coexist with wildlife. And there’s more they do for us behind the scenes: We reap many benefits from sharing our planet with birds through what’s known as “ecosystem services.”

Ecosystem services include all of the positive benefits that natural systems provide. The term includes everything from the basic provisioning of food and oxygen, to more subtle perks such as the ways wetlands reduce storm and flood damage . Labeling these natural processes “services” makes it easier for ecologists and conservationists to quantify the value of nature (sometimes literally in dollars ) as well as what we lose through environmental damage.

Birds make big contributions across habitats, and they’re crucial for people and the planet to thrive. When avian species are lost, their particular functions and benefits disappear, too. And introduced species can’t easily replace the critical roles of native ones, according to a new study published in Science Advances . That means holding onto the bird diversity we have is paramount.

You might already know about some of the ecosystem services birds provide, for instance pollinating your favorite fruits . Here are a few of the more surprising ways birds (metaphorically) keep the world turning.

Their poop is important fertilizer.

Bird droppings, also known as guano, play a key role in spreading nutrients, and seabirds are particularly crucial. After months of eating fish and other sea creatures on the high seas, they visit land to nest in large colonies of hundreds or thousands. When seabirds bring their full stomachs ashore and poop, they concentrate nutrients at their coastal breeding grounds in enormous volumes.

In northwest Greenland, for instance, Dovekies come to land en masse every summer to breed. In doing so, they move an estimated 3,500 tons of nitrogen, an important nutrient for plants from the ocean to the soil. All that nitrogen boosts local grass growth in the normally barren Arctic habitat and feeds grazers such as hares, geese, reindeer, and muskox, which are hunted by people for food. Where there are Dovekies, muskox numbers are 10 times higher.

At one point in human history, big deposits of bird guano were so valuable as fertilizer for crops that Spain started a war over them. The advent of synthetic fertilizers means bird poop is no longer fought over, but as in Greenland guano deposits still support many ecosystems and people.

Birds’ spore-spreading can keep entire forests healthy.

It’s well known that birds transport seeds. They munch on their favorite berries, and then distribute seed-strewn droppings—ensuring that  new plants continue  to sprout up. Recently scientists have found that  some birds also have a penchant for foraging valuable fungi . In Patagonian forests, Chucao Tapaculos and Black-throated Huet-huets are voracious truffle-hunters. Whenever they dig up a fungus, eat it, and hop to the next one,  they move spores around  and propagate a diversity of tasty mushrooms.

This does more than multiply the birds’ food source: The truffles are actually the fruiting bodies of an intricate underground fungal network that keeps surrounding trees alive. The below-ground fungal filaments transport nutrients to the roots of trees in exchange for sugar.

The mutually beneficial partnership is the scaffolding that supports the whole forest system. Birds ensure it stays intact.

Birds are environmentally friendly exterminators.

What birds eat is often just as ecologically important as where they poop. For example, many birds are voracious predators of pests. Barn Swallows can consume as many as 60 insects an hour . Over an agricultural field, swallows rescue pest-prone crops and leave more food for us. And installing Barn Owl boxes on farms reduces populations of destructive rodents, like gophers . Similarly, putting up nest boxes for Western Bluebirds can save grapes on vineyards. In this way, promoting and protecting bird habitat is a great alternative to widely used, harmful pesticides.

Avian construction crews create habitat.

For birders, woodpeckers are doubly good news: a fine sight on their own, and home-builders for other cavity-nesting species. Research has shown that cavity-nesters—birds that build their homes inside tree hollows or other holes—do best when woodpeckers abound. In one recent Texas study , birds like titmice, flycatchers, and wrens were more likely to survive long-term if they built their nests in abandoned woodpecker cavities instead of those created by decay. Woodpecker-excavated holes afforded more access to tasty insects and offered better protection from predators.

Woodpeckers are so important for other species that monitoring them can tell scientists how the entire bird community is doing. They are environmental indicators: If woodpeckers are around, you can bet lots of other birds are, too.

They’re the ultimate in animal sanitation workers.

Vultures are the only vertebrate animals that eat carrion exclusively. (Other scavengers, like coyotes, also hunt for food.) Because vultures are so singularly focused, they’re remarkably efficient at picking up the scraps. Research has shown that when vulture populations fall, the number of rotting carcasses on a landscape  goes up —by a factor of 10 in a  South Carolina study . In  one Kenyan study , scientists noted that without vultures, carcasses took three times the standard amount of time to decompose. More rotting stuff means a higher risk of disease for humans and other animals. Next time you go on a hike and don’t come across a dead deer, thank a vulture.

Some birds lend other species a leg (or wing) up.

If you're still unconvinced that birds are here to help, consider that some directly assist other species—humans included. Greater Honeyguides live up to their name and range throughout sub-Saharan Africa: There, the brown-and-cream-colored birds, which eat bees’ wax and insect larvae, literally guide people to honey . In a well-documented quid pro quo , honey-hunting humans attract Greater Honeyguides through sound. (Different people around the continent have different communication cues they use to call honeyguides. The Yao community of Mozambique uses a distinctive trill. Hazda hunters in Tanzania  rely on a whistle .) Then the birds lead them to hives.

It’s an example of true teamwork. Hunters help the birds because they can more easily take down and disassemble a hive than a lone bird can. And following honeyguides lowers the amount of time hunters spend searching and increases their chances of finding a hive. 

It’s a striking example of a truth most avian enthusiasts already know: Birds make life a little sweeter.

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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.

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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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.

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• Why Conserve Birds?

Across the Americas, more than 500 native bird species are threatened with extinction — 12 percent of 4,230 species. In the United States alone, nearly 300 of 750 native bird species, or 37 percent, are declining in population.

If these declines in bird populations are not enough, consider these additional reasons that conserving birds is important.

Birds Inspire

People have always admired birds. Species like Golden Eagles , doves, and ravens permeate history and cultures around the world. Images of cranes, falcons, geese, and parrots adorn the walls of Neolithic caves, Egyptian pyramids, Mayan temples — and many American homes today.

Storks deliver us at birth and owls mourn our deaths. Each new generation marvels at the beauty of birds and envies their ability to fly.

Birds Indicate Environmental Hazards

Because they are sensitive to habitat change and are easy to census, birds are an important tool for ecologists measuring the health of environments.

Whether ecosystems are managed for agricultural production, wildlife, water, or tourism, success can be measured by the health and diversity of bird populations.

Birds Promote Conservation

Birds have been a driving force behind the conservation movement in the United States since its early days, when unregulated hunting, use of toxic pesticides , and destruction of wetlands and other habitats threatened wildlife and wild places.

The environmental problems we face today are even more complex, and we need a new generation of committed conservationists to counter them. When people discover the wonder of birds, their interest often leads to support of conservation.

Birds Support the Economy

At last count, the number of birders in the United States stood at 73 million. These bird lovers spend $40 billion annually by feeding birds, purchasing equipment, and traveling in pursuit of birds — including to many ABC-supported reserves .

Birding supports the economy, not to mention the invaluable benefits birds provide to people through ecosystem services such as insect and rodent control, plant pollination, and seed dispersal.

Our Moral Obligation

We at American Bird Conservancy believe that people have an absolute ethical obligation to maintain all other species — regardless of their functional values.

We should no more allow the loss of species than destroy a masterpiece of art: It takes only one look at an incredible bird like the Marvelous Spatuletail  or the awe-inspiring California Condor  to realize the truth of this statement.

The least our generation can do is to ensure that our children inherit as much as we have now. It is on this ethical commitment to the future that American Bird Conservancy is founded.

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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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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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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1229-y

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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.

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Essay On Birds

500+ words essay on birds, their characteristics and how they’re important for the environment.

Of all animals in the world, birds are one of the most fascinating creatures. These winged animals can walk on the ground and even fly high in the skies. The wings, the hundreds of feathers that cover their bodies and their hollow bones are what helps them lift their bodies and fly. But not all birds can fly, birds like ostriches and penguins are flightless birds. 

There are thousands of species of birds on Earth and each of them is unique. Most of them are herbivorous, but a few species of birds are carnivorous. For example, kites, vultures, hawks, eagles etc are called birds of prey because they eat other animals.

Birds are extremely important for our environment. From pollination to keeping the earth clean and even predicting weather conditions, birds are extremely useful. In this essay on birds, learn about the characteristics of birds and how they’re vital to our ecosystem and it’s balance.

Essay On Birds: Characteristics Of Birds

Here are 5 major characteristics of birds:

• Wings: Wings are what differentiate birds from other animals. These wings are what help the birds fly. But not all birds have wings. Some birds like penguins have flippers, which helps them swim.
• Feathers: Feathers are another defining feature of birds, which separate them from other animals. Feathers help birds fly and also keep them warm and protect them against the elements.
• Beak or bill:  All birds have a beak or a bill, which is a bony projection on their faces. These beaks or bills are the entry to a bird’s mouth. Different species of birds have different kinds of beaks or bills depending on their diet. For example, predatory birds like hawks and eagles have sharp, hooked beaks, which helps in tearing and ripping meat. Birds with cone shaped beaks help them break the shells of nuts and seeds to eat them. Aquatic birds like ducks and geese have bills, which help them strain food from the water. Some birds like hummingbirds have a sharp needle-like beak that helps them suck nectar from flowers.
• Skeleton: Another distinguishing feature of birds is their hollow and lightweight but strong skeleton. This is what helps the bird lift itself off the ground and fly into the sky. But this differs in flightless birds. Penguins have large, marrow-filled bones and fat, which protects them against the cold in their frozen habitat. Ostriches have heavy, solid bones and muscles in their legs, which gives them the strength to run at high speeds and kick powerfully. 
• Eggs: Another distinctive feature of birds is that they give birth to their young ones by laying and hatching eggs. Most birds construct nests to lay and hatch their eggs and care for their hatchlings.

Now that you know the different characteristics of birds, read on to learn about the importance of birds for our environment in this essay on birds.

Also explore: Essay on animals and Essay on Zoo .

Essay On Birds: The Importance Of Birds

Birds are an important part of our environment and food chain, they’re vital to maintain a balance in the ecosystem. In fact, sometimes we need birds more than they need us.

• Pollination and Seed Dispersion: Birds are extremely important for pollination and dispersing seeds. This helps more plants grow. Additionally, bird droppings also add more nutrients to the soil, so they’re important for soil fertility too.
• Balance the food chain: Carnivorous birds eat pests and rodents like mice, rats, snakes etc. This keeps a check on rodent population and helps in pest control. Birds that eat carrion help keep the environment clean of decaying matter.
• Predicting weather: Birds are very intuitive creatures. They’re very sensitive to changes in weather and can sense high levels of carbon monoxide. So, they are often used to predict explosions in coal mines.

Sadly, these beautiful creatures are in danger. The greed of humans, climate change and pollution pose a threat to these fascinating creatures. We need to ensure that the species survives to keep the ecosystem from falling apart.

We hope you found this essay on birds helpful. For more such essays on different topics, check Osmo’s essays for kids .

Frequently Asked Questions On Birds

What are the characteristics that distinguish birds from other animals.

The characteristics that distinguish birds from other animals are their wings, feathers, beaks or bills and their lightweight and hollow skeleton.

How are birds important to the environment?

Birds are important for dispersing seeds and pollination, pest control, balancing the food chain and predicting the weather.

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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Essay on Birds for Students and Children in 1000+ Words

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.

1 thought on “Essay on Birds for Students and Children in 1000+ Words”

It is a nice essayvthanku fir help

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Essay on Birds 3 Models

Last updated Friday , 15-03-2024 on 10:59 am

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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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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Your guide to Rochester's spring bird migration: Top locations, tips and timing

Rochester birders take note — the busiest time of spring migration is coming. Peak spring bird migration for western New York is expected to start May 7, according to BirdCast , the predictive migration program from Cornell University and partners. The peak period will persist through about May 27. 

Migration is already well underway and there are plenty of opportunities to see birds as they pass through the area.

The major spring migratory birds passing through the area right now are passerines, or perching birds, from South America and Central America. While most are on their way to breeding grounds further north, some will stick around the area. 

These are details about the big draw for bird lovers in western NY

The main attraction for local birders are warblers and vireos, according to Randi Minetor, president of the Rochester Birding Association .  Minetor knows a thing or two about birds. She’s written books about them, including topics like backyard birding and gardening for birds and butterflies . 

“There are places all over the greater Rochester area where these birds will congregate,” Minetor said. “But the best places are the closest to Lake Ontario, because the birds will rest and feed just before they cross the lake to go up to their northern breeding grounds.”

• Right now, the expected species traveling through Monroe County include warblers, sparrows and wrens.
• The BirdCast Migration Dashboard highlights the ruby-crowned kinglet, yellow warbler and black-throated green warbler as some species just beginning to arrive in the area.
• The fox sparrow and American tree sparrow are among those at the tail-end of their migration season. 

Where to bird watch near Rochester NY

There are a number of prime birding locations in the greater Rochester area, which Minetor was happy to share.

The Lakeview Community Church Trail, located in Greece near the intersection of Long Pond Road and Edgemere Drive, is one standout. Nestled near Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area and Buck Pond, the trail is wooded with a boardwalk built by a Rochester Birding Association member. 

“It’s a wonderful place to see pretty much every warbler you’re going to see in this area,” Minetor said. 

Birders hoping to catch sight of warblers should also consider Webster Park and Whiting Road Nature Preserve, two locations in the town of Webster recommended by Minetor. An abundance of native habitat, including berries and flowering plants, make for great birdwatching amid the extensive trail system. 

More: What 'devil bird' sightings in New York tell us about migration and climate change

The unexpected recommendation on Minetor’s list was Washington Grove at Cobb’s Hill Park. It’s one of the highest points in the county, making it an appealing spot for migrating birds. 

“An early morning in May in Cobb’s Hill Park up in that grove toward the reservoir is just a remarkable, a wonderful experience,” she said. “It can be just filled with warblers.”

The Rochester Birding Association has field trips, led by experienced guides, to locations throughout the area, including the aforementioned spots. Those trips include some tailored for beginning birders learning the basics of species identification. 

What to bring when birdwatching

The packing list for birding really includes a lot of commonsense items, including a pair of binoculars.

“They don’t have to be fancy and expensive, but you’re going to need something because the birds are not going to come close to you,” Minetor said.

More: Hummingbirds are migrating now. When will we see them in New York?

If you’re staying out for a while, pack some snacks and plenty of water. A good pair of boots, especially in the springtime, are useful for navigating mud in the woods or along the lakeshore. 

Birds like warblers are active early in the morning, typically shortly after dawn, especially on sunny days. So bringing layers to adjust for cool morning temperatures can make birding a more comfortable experience. 

There are also field guides and apps like Merlin Bird ID to help make sense of what you’re seeing and hearing while birdwatching. And don’t forget to use another resource you don’t have to bring, but will likely see in birding hotspots: experienced birders.

“Don't be afraid to ask questions, whether you're on a field trip, or there's just some other people in the woods,” Minetor said. “There are tons of us out there who know the birds and we all want to help you enjoy them as much as we do.”

—  Steve Howe  covers weather, climate and lake issues for the Democrat and Chronicle and held a hummingbird in his hand when helping to band birds as a kid. An RIT graduate, he returned to Rochester after working around the state and in Utah. Share with him at  [email protected] .

• the field museum

Field Museum unveils one of science's most important dinosaur fossils: Archaeopteryx

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Field Museum is home to one of the most important fossils ever discovered.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

It's called the Archaeopteryx. It once had feathers, hollow bones, clawed wings, 50 tiny teeth and a long bony tail. It's one of the earliest known dinosaurs that also qualifies as a bird.

"It's actually a missing link," said Dr. Julian Siggers, president and CEO of the Field Museum. "It's the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds. Most people think dinosaurs went extinct; they didn't, they just evolved into birds."

The Chicago Archaeopteryx is only the 13th fossil of its kind known to be in existence. It was unveiled Monday to the media. Scientists at the museum it's the earliest bird known to science that proves Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

READ ALSO | Chicago's Magnificent Museums: Field Museum behind-the-scenes-look

"I am just blown away by how amazing this fossil is and how much it has to teach us. Really, I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams it would have been so spectacular," said Jingmai O'Connor, paleontologist.

O'Connor said the Chicago Archaeopteryx actually had well-preserved feathers and neck vertebrae.

"Ours is perfect, preserved in three dimensions," she said.

The fossil was unearthed by quarry workers in 1990 and has been in the hands of private collectors ever since. It was brought out of its rock casing by three preparators over 1,400 hours.

"The bird fossil has hollow bones, so if you touch something there is nothing solid underneath," explained Chief Preparator Akiko Chinya. "If you put too much pressure then the bone collapses, so we had to be extra careful with that."

A coalition of supporters helped the museum procure it. It first arrived two years ago, and most of the skeleton was obscured by a top layer of rock. It was extracted from that casing using only hand tools and dental drills.

The fossil will go on public display starting Tuesday in a one-month temporary exhibit. It will be removed in June for more research and to be prepared for its permanent display in the fall.

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The Importance of being Earnest : Protagonist

This essay about “The Importance of Being Earnest” explores the complex roles of its characters as protagonists, each contributing uniquely to Oscar Wilde’s satire of Victorian society. It examines how characters like Algernon Moncrieff and Jack Worthing subvert typical protagonist archetypes through their dual lives and societal critiques, while Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew challenge gender norms and class structures. The analysis highlights the interaction between characters’ personal desires and the absurdity of societal expectations, underscoring Wilde’s thematic focus on identity and authenticity.

How it works

In Oscar Wilde’s timeless classic, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” the characters take center stage in a theatrical masterpiece of wit, satire, and societal critique. Embedded within the fabric of Wilde’s narrative is the concept of the protagonist, traditionally seen as the driving force behind the plot. However, Wilde skillfully subverts this conventional notion, presenting a paradox that challenges typical character archetypes. Through a fresh lens on this paradox, we embark on an exploration of the multifaceted protagonism exhibited by each character, uncovering the layers of complexity that elevate Wilde’s satirical brilliance.

Algernon Moncrieff, with his irresistible charm and penchant for the art of Bunburying, immediately captivates the audience’s attention. Throughout the play, Algernon emerges as a central figure whose pursuit of pleasure and deception sets the stage for the comedic escapades that unfold. His razor-sharp wit and cavalier attitude toward societal norms position him as the quintessential Wildean protagonist, defying the rigid constraints of Victorian society with his effortless charm. Algernon’s dual identity, seamlessly transitioning between the sophisticated urbanite and the mischievous Bunburyist, serves as a poignant reminder of the inherent duality within human nature, accentuating the absurdity of societal expectations.

On the opposite end of the spectrum stands Jack Worthing, whose double life as Ernest Worthing and Jack in the countryside adds an additional layer of complexity to the narrative. Initially portrayed as the epitome of respectability and earnestness, Jack appears to be the moral compass guiding the play. However, his own web of deceit and tangled truths reveal him to be as flawed and human as the rest. Jack’s quest for love and identity propels much of the plot forward as he grapples with the consequences of his past actions, navigating the delicate balance between societal expectations and personal desires. In this light, Jack serves as a foil to Algernon, embodying the eternal struggle between duty and desire that defines the Victorian ethos.

The female protagonists, Gwendolen Fairfax and Cecily Cardew, play equally pivotal roles in shaping the trajectory of the narrative. Gwendolen, with her romantic aspirations and fixation on the name Ernest, embodies the superficiality and societal pressures placed upon women of her time. Her steadfast determination to marry a man bearing the name Ernest rather than one possessing genuine qualities of character serves as a biting critique of Victorian courtship rituals, while her spirited exchanges with Cecily highlight the power dynamics inherent in female relationships.

Cecily Cardew, in contrast, epitomizes youthful innocence and boundless imagination. Her penchant for romantic fantasies and her infatuation with the name Ernest catalyze much of the comedic misunderstanding that ensues. Cecily’s fervent desire to wed a man named Ernest reflects her yearning for excitement and adventure, as well as her rebellion against the confines of her sheltered existence. Like Gwendolen, Cecily challenges societal norms and asserts her autonomy in matters of love and identity, defying the patriarchal conventions of her era.

Supporting characters such as Lady Bracknell and Miss Prism further enrich the narrative tapestry, serving as foils and moral compasses for the main protagonists. Lady Bracknell, with her formidable presence and relentless pursuit of social status, embodies the absurdity of aristocratic values and the hypocrisy of the upper class. Her disdain for Jack’s humble origins and her rigorous scrutiny of his suitability as a husband expose the arbitrary nature of societal hierarchies and the superficiality of class distinctions.

Miss Prism, on the other hand, emerges as a voice of reason and morality amidst the chaos. Her role as Cecily’s governess and confidante underscores the importance of education and female mentorship in shaping the next generation. Miss Prism’s own hidden past and eventual reconciliation with her mistakes serve as a poignant reminder of the power of forgiveness and redemption, adding depth to the play’s exploration of identity and self-discovery.

In conclusion, “The Importance of Being Earnest” defies traditional notions of protagonist and antagonist, presenting a rich ensemble of characters whose complexities and contradictions defy simple categorization. From Algernon’s irreverent charm to Jack’s earnest pursuit of identity, and from Gwendolen’s romantic idealism to Cecily’s youthful exuberance, each character emerges as a protagonist in their own right, propelling the narrative forward with their desires, motivations, and complexities. Through this paradoxical lens, Wilde invites us to question the very nature of identity and authenticity, urging us to look beyond surface appearances and societal expectations to uncover the true essence of being earnest.

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Chicago Museum Unveils the ‘Most Important Fossil Ever Discovered’: the Feathered Dinosaur Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx provided the missing link between dinosaurs and the avians of today, serving as critical evidence for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution

Aaron Boorstein

Staff Contributor

Today, some 50 billion birds roam our planet, navigating every continent and environment. With their melodic chirping that awakens people daily and their visits to birdbaths and feeders, birds are a familiar presence in human lives.

But rewind about 150 million years, and Archaeopteryx —widely recognized as the earliest known bird—cut a starkly contrasting image, boasting a snout filled with sharp teeth, wings with claws and a long, bony tail.

Archaeopteryx (meaning “ancient wing” in Greek) was a genus of small, bird-like dinosaurs from the late Jurassic Period that inhabited what is now Europe. Despite the extinct creatures’ differences from today’s birds, they share many similarities with modern avians: a small size, a wishbone and asymmetric feathers , to name a few.

Only a dozen Archaeopteryx fossils have been discovered, most of which are in Europe. But beginning on Tuesday, May 7, Chicago’s Field Museum will make the 13th known Archaeopteryx fossil visible to the public—the first specimen of its kind in a major natural history museum in the Western Hemisphere.

The displayed fossil is accompanied by an animated, holographic projection illustrating how Archaeopteryx would have moved and looked. The fossil will be removed from public view in June in preparation for its permanent exhibition opening this fall.

“ Archaeopteryx is arguably the most important fossil ever discovered. It transformed how scientists see the world by providing strong support for Darwin’s theory of evolution,” says Julian Siggers , the Field Museum’s president and CEO, in a statement . “This is the Field Museum’s most significant fossil acquisition since SUE the T. rex , and we’re thrilled to be able to study ‘the Chicago Archaeopteryx ’ and to share it with our visitors.”

Unlike SUE, which was named after its discoverer, Sue Hendrickson, the Field Museum’s new fossil is called the Chicago Archaeopteryx , as specimens of the genus are named after the city in which they reside. For example, other  Archaeopteryx fossils are named for London , Berlin and Munich . The only other  Archaeopteryx  in the United States is in Thermopolis, Wyoming.

The Chicago fossil “is, without a doubt, one of the best specimens of this important species that has ever been found,” said Jingmai O’Connor , the Field Museums’s associate curator of fossil reptiles, at a media preview event on Monday.

When Archaeopteryx was discovered in 1861, it provided a groundbreaking piece of evidence in favor of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Paleontologists view the prehistoric bird-like creature as a transitional fossil, bridging small carnivorous dinosaurs, known as theropods, with modern birds, Live Science ’s Joseph Castro writes.

In his 1859 book On the Origin of Species , Darwin noted that the “gravest objection which can be urged against my theory” was the absence of transitional fossils. But the first complete Archaeopteryx specimen provided this “ missing link ” between birds and dinosaurs—and it was discovered only two years after Darwin published the book.

“ Archaeopteryx is like the holy grail,” O’Connor said at the media event.

While the Chicago Archaeopteryx is about the size of a homing pigeon, the species could reach up to 20 inches long . A 2018 study found that Archaeopteryx used its wings to fly and moved like modern pheasants, with short bursts of active, flapping flight.

The Chicago Archaeopteryx was discovered where all other such fossils have been found to date: a deposit in Southern Germany called Solnhofen Limestone. Unearthed by quarry workers in 1990, private collectors held the fossil until Field Museum supporters helped procure it. The fossil reached the museum in August 2022.

“When the specimen arrived, it was still unprepared, meaning that most of the skeleton was obscured by a top layer of rock,” O’Connor says in the statement. “We weren’t sure how complete it was—when we X-rayed the fossil slab and saw that the fossil inside was nearly 100 percent complete, we cheered.”

According to an exhibit label, the museum’s preparators spent 1,300 hours preparing the fossil for display. They “revealed details—like skin imprints and tiny skull bones—that are not preserved in other Archaeopteryx fossils.”

The Field Museum, as well as local and state government officials, are eager for the educational opportunities the fossil offers.

“When this opens permanently this fall, students and teachers will have the unique opportunity to experience the exhibit with a focus on fossil excavation,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the media event.

“We are excited to celebrate this priceless specimen and its significance in further positioning Chicago as a premier destination in the world to explore the natural sciences,” Johnson adds in the statement.

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Aaron Boorstein | READ MORE

Aaron Boorstein is an intern with  Smithsonian magazine.

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Straighten up, crowdstrike solidifies cloud-native application posture.

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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - MAY 04: A lady practices yoga on the summit of Mt Eden as the sun struggles ... [+] to shine through a blanket of fog over Auckland City on May 4, 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand. The morning fog disrupted flights and ferry services in the city. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Sit-up straight. We might imagine issuing this admonishment to a slovenly teenager, but it would rarely be applied to software applications. But posture does play a part in the way we manage enterprise IT stacks, especially in the modern era of cloud computing with the weight of all the connections and microcomponent parts that can potentially put pressure on the shape of an organization’s technology backbone.

As a piece of tech terminology, Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) is defined as a holistic process (i.e. one that looks inside all systems, all apps, all user profiles etc.) to evaluate the stance of an organization's applications. While this practice is holistic enough to encompass an analysis of all apps and services, it is weighted towards an emphasis on any given firm’s custom applications; it’s a natural enough focus to consider because custom-built and customized apps are generally more likely to have introduced vulnerabilities (or characteristics that lead them to stay outside the boundaries set by compliance legislature) at some stage in their development.

Why is ASPM important?

CrowdStrike, a company that provides a Cloud-native platform for enterprise security insists ASPM is important (well, it’s what it does, so it would) and suggests that it has emerged as a vital practice, ensuring applications meet stringent security standards and identifying vulnerabilities. Analyst house Gartner predicts that by 2026, over 40% of organizations developing proprietary applications will adopt ASPM to identify and resolve security issues.

Because the growth of cloud computing continues to speed the pace of application development and the frequency of code updates, commentators and evangelists in this space argue that we are creating more ‘soft targets’ throughout our always-on enterprise software stacks. Studies suggest that more than half of major code changes go through security reviews and that these processes end up leading to errors and misconfigurations after code is deployed that adversaries will target.

Hoping to prevent slovenly sofa slumping and straighten the back of our software stacks with its new CrowdStrike Falcon ASPM solution, the company explains this technology as a set of services designed to help DevSecOps teams secure when running cloud-native applications and deliver protection across the entire cloud estate. The complete integration of the branded Bionic ASPM function set into CrowdStrike’s Falcon Cloud Security platform offers agentless application mapping (with agentless in this case meaning more freedom to move around different data repositories, microservices, third-parties, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and data flows) and business risk context, which helps customers secure everything from cloud infrastructure to the applications and services running inside of them – ultimately stopping cloud breaches.

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As CrowdStrike CTO, Elia Zaitsev tells us, “With Falcon Cloud Security, we’re providing one platform that provides comprehensive risk visibility and workload protection across the entire cloud estate. Applications are a big piece of the puzzle. Falcon ASPM eliminates up to 95% of vulnerability noise, allowing customers to prioritize their top business-critical risks that can be exploited in production applications, so teams know what to fix first based on business impact. We’re now the only Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) that extends security to applications, providing organizations with a blueprint that bridges the gap between their security and development teams. The ability to track, contextualize and stop threats across disparate clouds, hybrid environments, security tools and workflows – from a single console – reduces a lot of complexity while speeding up defenders.”

Too many acronyms? (TMA)

CrowdStrike claims to have built the first single-agent and agentless Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) that covers the entire cloud estate with complete detection and response. The company says it now goes beyond posture management to also include Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM), a technology that helps manage which users get access to which systems inside a cloud environment. Too many acronyms yes, undoubtedly, but these approaches now form part of the way we’re managing cloud systems at the backend. You can add Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) too if you’re still breathing, either way it all comes down to sitting up straight.

But sitting up straight is one thing, staying straight is another. According to Zaitsev, here’s where new advances in CrowdStrike Falcon Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) play a role.

“Cloud intrusions have grown 75% in the past year, with adversaries compromising an organization’s environment in as little as two minutes; something we track and refer to as breakout speed. On top of that, we’ve seen a surge in identity-based attacks and adversaries leveraging stolen credentials to exploit gaps in cloud environments. Many CNAPP vendors are marketing CDR, but don’t do Incident Response (IR). Our solution stands out and differs from other vendors with 24/7 coverage. We ultimately do this by advancing cloud SecOps with CDR to meet customer demands in the Security Operations Center (SOC). Again, this goes back to our holistic approach to cloud security – delivering everything a customer needs in one platform – no point products, multiple consoles, or disparate solutions.”.

The integrated Falcon CDR capabilities within Falcon Cloud Security are promised to eliminate the need for multiple ‘point solutions’ (smaller individual installations of software that typically enjoy less integration due to their standalone nature) and reduce operational complexity, providing customers with a unified platform for 24/7 protection against cloud attacks and visibility across. There is also cloud control plane technology here - beginning with Microsoft Azure, Falcon CDR expands visibility into cloud control plane activity, complimenting existing threat hunting for cloud runtime environments.

Surging software instructions

In an ever-evolving cloud estate, the number of attack surfaces increases as developers continually deliver applications and architectures drift from original designs. This often leads to a proliferation of APIs, which if not secured, pose risks, particularly where the threat of cloud intrusions is surging.

This story covers a set of technologies which promise to address these challenges through tools designed to enter systems and find problems (almost like nanotechnology anti-viral drug advancements used on humans) as soon as they arise, in real-time. CrowdStrike underlines the importance of also offering discovery and mapping functions so that organizations can create and meter an ongoing health check across the entire corpus of enterprise IT… and there’s the ability to prioritize responses so that we triage in the appropriate way.

Software posture is an increasingly used term, measure, metric and management function. It’s time to stop slouching and sit up straight, you’ll feel better and breathe more easily, we promise .

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