Pictured here is the female Mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, my favorite bird in the world!
May the 4th be with you and with the birds, apparently! It turns out, in the US, May 4th is National Bird Day, or simply, Bird Day. Evolutionary Biology teaches us that our bird friends are descended from dinosaurs. From an ecological perspective, from seed dispersal to fertilizer creation and acting as food, they form a key, indivisible part of their lives. And naturally, those of us who understand their role beyond their beauty, love them, admire them, and at times, revere them, and rightfully so.
At the same time, in this Anthropocene era we live in, there are many threats that birds face, along with other species. And we know how even small disturbances in the tree can cause problems all over. This is why, we need to protect birds, and for their survival, and ultimately, our own, we should do more, a lot more to protect them.
In broad strokes, here are a few things we can do to help the cause of birds:
- Birds have quite a diverse food menu. Loss of diversity in other ecological branches also affects birds. Plus, pollution in various forms tends to adversely affect birds. Fight pollution and diversity however you can.
- Diseases such as bird flu do not affect poultry alone. They can also affect wild birds, and now there is evidence that bird flu has started to affect mammals as well. A link below, specific to the US, will show the devastating spread of bird flu in wild birds. The best strategy to prevent the spread of bird flu among wild birds is to ensure that poultry is kept safe from it. Urge governments at all levels to do so.
- Going back to the first point, become aware of the various threats birds face. A link below describes various threats as identified by the US Fish and Wildlife Services.
- There is more you can do to help birds. The erstwhile Cornell University Ornithology Laboratory provides several tips. The page is linked below. Please give those tips a read and a try, if you are not already doing so!
Save yourself from bird flu, and give birds a ‘wing’ up!
References:
- CDC Reporting of Bird Flu Detection: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/data-map-wild-birds.html
- Threats to Birds, US Fish and Wildlife Services: https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/threats-birds
- Cornell Lab tips to help birds: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/get-involved/10-ways-to-help-birds/