Birdsaren’tfurryandcuddly.Butinmanyways,they’remoresimilartousthanmammalsare.Theybuildhomesandraisefamiliesinthem.Sometakelongwintervacationsinwarmplaces.

Thereisoneabilitythathumanshavethatbirdsdonot.Birdscannotcontroltheirenvironment.Theyhaveonlytheirinstinctstohelpthemsolveproblems.

Birds’instinctshaveservedthemwell.They’vebeenhere150millionyearslongerthanhumans.Butnowhumansarechangingtheplanet.Itssurface.Itsclimate.Itsoceans.Thesechangesarecomingtooquicklyformanybirdsto adapt.

Thefutureofmostbirdspeciesdependsonourwillingnesstopreservethem.Aretheyvaluableenoughforustomaketheeffort?

Itmightdependonhowwemeasurevalue.Wevaluesomethingsbecausethey areuseful.Certainly,manytypesofbirdsarevaluabletousbecauseweeatthem.Somebirdsarevaluablebecausetheyeatinsectsandrodents.Manybirdspollinateplantsandspreadseeds.Ibelieveonereasonthatwildbirdsmatteristhattheyareourlast,bestconnectiontothenaturalworld.

Afewyearsago,IwasinaforestinnortheastIndia.Suddenly,Iheardandthenfeltinmychest,adeepwhooshing.Itwasthewingbeatsofapairofgreathornbills.Thehornbillswereflyingtoatreewithfruit.Theyhadmassive,yellowbillsandwhitelegs.Astheyclimbedaroundinthetree,Icriedoutwithjoy.Itwasjoyatthesheerpresenceofthegreat birds.

Birdsarealwaysamongus.Yet,theirindifferencetousservesasareminder.We’renotthemeasureofallthings.Ineverycorneroftheglobe,birdsareanimportantpartofourworld.