Why Chirping Of Birds Matter?

Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, often the best things often go unnoticed. The winged wonders, birds are one of the most amazing creations of nature, yet they seldom receive much attention and appreciation they rightfully deserve. Bird population is on rapid decline and studies conducted worldwide raises alarming concern that nearly half of the world’s bird species are now in decline. Another study reveals that North America has witnessed a decline of about 2.9 billion birds, a loss of more than one in four birds since 1970. It rarely registers in our conscience but the extinction of a single species could have a devastating impact on this planet. 

Birds are a harbinger of hope and health of our ecosystem. They serve as our deepest connection to nature and the existence of different species of birds on this planet speaks volumes of the incredible diversity of our planet. From majestic eagles soaring in the highest peaks, to sparrows chirping outside our windows to hummingbirds flying amongst flowers, nature has in abundance different species of birds. 

Since time immemorial, birds have also featured in poetry, literature and visual arts to symbolise freedom and resilience. Watching the birds in flight evokes a sense of freedom, encouraging us to rise above our struggles. It’s hard not to sense the striking behavioural similarities between birds and human beings. Like humans, birds build homes, raise families and take care of their offspring for an extended period of time. Interestingly, they also take winter vacations in warmer places. 

Birds are of incredible significance to the planet and human beings. Birds are pollinators and seed dispersal of many plants. They also feed on a variety of insects and rodents, keeping their population in check. They serve as loyal allies to farmers as they safeguard crops, coffee beans and many other plants from pest damage. Likewise, without vultures doing their job, this earth would be piled up with dead bodies. 

Across the world, bird watching as a business is gaining momentum and it has helped local tourism to flourish as well. It generates huge economic output and local economies have benefited from it tremendously. The benefits of bird watching transcends boundaries of economic benefit. There are growing bodies of research which shows the positive relation between bird watching and mental wellbeing. Bird watching has been proven to be an extremely beneficial technique to reduce depression, anxiety and stress. 

Watching birds dancing among the flowers, witnessing these majestic creatures spreading their majestic wings to soar far above and listening to them singing and chirping, savouring every moments can be one of the most divine experiences that this beautiful nature has to offer and fortunately many people across the world have benefited hugely by engaging in such experiences. Despite the plethora of benefits offered by birds, different species of these winged creatures have already vanished and many are on verge of extinction due to impetuous human activities. 

By intensifying agriculture and urbanisation belligerently, they are causing irreparable loss to habitat. In the name of development, trees are cut down recklessly rendering homeless for poor birds. Another big threat is climate change. Air is toxic with too much concentration of CO2 which poses a tremendous threat to bird’s health. Human activities are changing the planet's surface, climate, and ocean too quickly for birds to adapt. Likewise, technology, which has been heralded revolutionary for its ability to simplify human life, have little to offer to these winged creatures. Birds are said to be very sensitive to magnetic radiation and a growing number of mobile phone towers in different places apparently pose a huge threat to bird population. 

Going by the trend, it is realistic to conclude that human activities are causing a perilous threat to birds. Any seemingly developmental activities that leave dire consequences on these innocent creatures ought to be discarded right away. Efforts should be underway to create awareness that the wellbeing of the feathered species is crucial for the health of our planet. More than ever, it’s vital to reverse the bird's decline.  Going green, walking, bicycling, using public transportation, planting native plants, banning bird hunting, saying no to pesticides, getting involved in campaigns to protect birds are some of the measures we can adopt to save birds. An act as simple as placing an earthen bowl with fresh water can quench their thirst can go a long way in saving birds. 

Birds are guardians of biodiversity and their presence, abundance and behaviour reveals the health of ecosystems. Restoring an era of colourful birds filling air with chirping and singing and them spreading wings and soaring higher is imperative for this planet to survive and thrive. It’s in the flight of this winged marvel lies the promise of a sustainable and flourishing planet for next generations.