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The Remarkability of the Bird

Since retiring I’ve spent countless hours watching the birds in my backyard—and my front yard, which hosts a different cast of characters, yes, they are different. (Side note: Why is “backyard” one word, but “front yard” is two?). Back to birds. It is remarkable how a single house can separate two distinct ecosystems: seed eaters in the back, insect hunters in the front. Watching both groups, I am continually struck by how remarkable birds are compared to let’s say —watching humans.

Take for instance, the nuthatch. Nuthatches can walk down a tree, upside down. Have you happened to see a human walking upside down lately? The nuthatches secret …one backward-pointing toe that works like a hook. I would fancy calling it a gripper. Enter stage left, Spiderman! But he is not a bird, so he’s promptly exiting stage right. Thank you, Spidey.

How about the Cardinal or the Blue Jay, they mate for life. You don’t see that much anymore with humans. Some studies show that only 3% to 5% of humans mate for life. Do not confuse it with monogamy. Monogamy is having one partner at a time, mating for life is until death. Ravens and Crows both mate for life and it has been proven scientifically that they have a higher consciousness than the average bird, many comparing it to the human conscious. We may share the same large prefrontal cortex for decision making, problem-solving and tool use; they have one characteristic we lack, the ability to fly!

We have long been jealous of our friends, the birds, for their ability to fly. We have watched them for centuries flap their wings almost effortlessly, often soaring as they find rising air currents for a free ride. I have thought of them as I enjoyed the wind in my face while boating or that free fall feeling biking fast down a steep hill. Think of the sports we have concocted to mimic flying. A brief list includes skydiving, wingsuit flying, gliding, paragliding, ziplining, kiteboarding. Paragliding seems to come closest, mimicking a bird by using air currents. I think I might try that one myself, on the day I lose my mind!

Many a birdwatcher has spent an entire afternoon enchanted, as birds perform their in-flight social dances and their aerial chases. It’s a daily reminder of nature’s wonder. People watching, while often interesting, pales in comparison. But don’t tell the Tiktokers that.