Many important subjects have national days of celebration or awareness. One such day takes place on January 5. That day is National Bird Day. Birds are very important to ecosystems and people. And it is a subject that needs attention. Sadly, nearly twelve percent of the world’s bird species are in danger of extinction. So today, on National Bird Day, let’s bring a little awareness to our feathered friends.
The bird species are characterized by feathers, beaked jaws without teeth, reproduction through hard-shelled eggs, a warm-blooded rapid metabolism, and a strong, lightweight skeleton. Out in the field, scientists used the hollow bones to determine if the remains we found were iguana bones (reptilian) or bird bones, usually chicken. Notice that one of the characteristics is not “flying,” since not all birds fly. Then again, some can fly, but choose not to, like the local roadrunners.
Birds can be predators, pollinators, scavengers, seed dispersers, consumers, and ecosystem engineers. In addition, materials created by birds often have value, such as guano and nests. Birds are unusual in that they can link ecosystems through their migrations. They are certainly a unique group.
To celebrate our avian companions, people are encouraged to bird-watch, study them in captivity or the wild, learn bird identification, make yards that are bird-friendly, adopt, donate to bird conservation societies, and lastly, educate others about birds. As an author who writes primarily about reptiles, I have included many birds in my books.
When I think about it, my life is fuller with birds. The morning songs get my day off to a good start, which is a great boost since I do my best writing in the morning. If I need a break from sitting at my laptop, I survey my yard for avian visitors. I always keep my binoculars by the door and my guidebook handy for identification. As I drive, I’m always on the lookout for hawks soaring or perched on poles. Seeing turkey vultures enjoying a carcass makes my day.
Birds have starring roles in some of my stories, like the roadrunner in Don’t Make Me Fly! and different species of hummingbirds in How Not to Photograph a Hummingbird and The Hummingbird of El Conquistador. I have used what I hope are entertaining stories to educate about these amazing animals. But more common, “ordinary” birds have also played important roles: ani, bananaquits, gulls, and hooded orioles. The avian characters also provide crucial information about the story setting, for example, the white-tailed tropicbird of the Cayman Island Sister Islands from my book The Dragon of Nani Cave. With birds being omnipresent in our daily lives, they should be just as involved in our stories.
My favorite book that includes birds is my recently published Guam: Return of the Songs. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about the invasion of the brown tree snake and the heart-breaking impact on the bird species and the environment of the island of Guam. Sadly, many of the birds were lost forever. My illustrators in Guam created phenomenal artistic representations. I truly wish my book brings awareness about these birds, before they are lost from human memory forever.
I suspect the hummingbirds in my backyard are probably yelling at me to clean and refill their feeders, but maybe they are insisting that I write more stories with birds in them! Even though my marketing phrase is “I am Reptile-Inspired,” it’s pretty obvious that I am also Bird-Inspired.
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