For most of my life, I didn’t think about birds.

Now, I do. People ask me why birds are important to me. I shake my head. It’s like asking me to explain why I love my brothers. Yet, it’s a good question. Why do birds matter?

There are birds in every country. They are found everywhere.

Penguins lay their eggs in Antarctica. Sparrows build nests in city traffic lights. Swifts live in caves by the sea. Flamingos go fishing in lakes.

Long necks help American flamingos search for food in lakes.

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fiery billed aracari

The fiery billed aracari’s sharp beak can slice open fruit.

Delightfully Different

There are more than 10,000 types of birds. They are all different. They come in different sizes. Ostriches are very tall. The bee hummingbird is tiny. It can fit in your hand.

Bird beaks can be different sizes. The aracari has a long beak. The superb parrot has a short beak. The sword-billed hummingbird’s beak is as long as the rest of its body!

Some birds are colorful, like the superb fairywren. Other birds are brown.

superb fairywren

superb parrot

The superb parrot’s tiny beak helps it nibble flowers.

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Safe Places to Live

In many ways, birds are like people. They build homes. They raise families. Some birds even take long winter vacations. They go to warm places.

There’s one thing birds can’t do. Birds cannot change the places where they live. They can’t protect their land. Birds cannot change the planet, but we can.

The Malayan crested serpent eagle has sharp eyes and strong wings.

The bare-faced go-away-bird was given its funny name for its featherless face.

Birds Matter

Birds are important for different reasons. Some we eat, like chickens. Others are helpful because they eat insects and rodents. Many birds help plants. They spread seeds.

I believe birds also matter because they connect us to nature. A few years ago, I was in India. A pair of hornbills flew above me. I could hear their wingbeats. I cried out with joy. I felt happy seeing these amazing birds.

The rainbow bunting’s bright colors attract mates.

Birds matter. We should protect them. We should protect the places they live.

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