President's Message: November 2022
It's a good question, but I always feel a little put out when I'm asked this, because the reasons are so obvious to me. I wonder why people don't know the answer.
Here are the reasons I focus on birds:
- Because most birds are active in the day, and that's when we can see best and watch them easily. In comparison, reptiles and mammals are a lot harder to observe.
- Because when we use binoculars and scopes, we can see the birds from a distance without interfering in their lives, if we follow some basic guidelines. That means we can actually watch their behaviors, which are truly fascinating. We can watch them forage for their prey, using their specially adapted body shapes and foraging behaviors. We can watch them mate and raise their young. We can see birds of all sorts from all over the world, simply by going where they are expected. This is so interesting!
- Because birds offer an amazing range of colors and shapes. Each species is especially designed over generations to promote their individual survival and/or ability to pass on their genetic heritage to their progeny.
- Because birds use habitats in different ways, but also rely on habitats for basic survival. Various habitats provide overnight and daytime refuge from predators, prey - whether it's berries, caterpillars, seeds or other animals - and sites where they make their nests and raise their young.
Those habitats are important for many other forms of life and provide multiple benefits for humans, too. (I wrote a President's Letter about the benefits, which you can read here) Essentially, if the birds can't survive in a certain area, what does that predict for the humans who live there?
- Because watching birds and learning about them is so much fun! Bird-watchers are using a developed skill set to find birds in the wild. It's amazingly rewarding to identify a species you've never seen before, or to welcome an old friend back into your life. Seeing a new bird makes me feel incredibly lucky and privileged. It's almost like winning a lottery!
- Because birds are so beautiful. Their plumages and body shapes are exquisitely perfect. Aesthetically, there is great joy in seeing the coloration of a courting Great Egret, the rapid movement of a Sanderling chasing the waves up and down the beach and the flight of a line of pelicans. I don't have to tell you, my fellow Auduboners!
So, I ask you, why do you focus on birds? Let's talk about it when we see each other at the November meeting!
Ann Paul
President, Tampa Audubon Society
