Widely described as the direct descendants of the dinosaur, birds are interesting creatures that come in a vast collection of shapes, sizes, and colors. From the two inch Hummingbird to the nine foot Ostrich, the term bird is used to describe both of these variations as well as everything similar in between. To fit into this widely diverse category, there is a standard criterion that must be met. For this reason, birds are admired, studied, and observed by people around the world and throughout time.
One famous observer was John James Audubon who in the early twentieth century published his book series, Birds in America, where he traveled deep into the American wilderness to record and sketch as many of these creatures as he could find. His dedication and publications were largely responsible for the success of the environmental organization that bears his name, the National Audubon Society. The goal of the Audubon Society is the protection and conservation of these winged attractions. The need for this organization and others like it became apparent following the tally of species that have become extinct as a result of human pressures as well as the many other species that are being threatened. Scientist and birdwatchers remained concerned for bird populations because of their aesthetic and scientific value to society.
The once controversial biological theory of evolution purposed by Charles Darwin was in large part developed based on his observations of bird fossils. His notable focus was on the variation of the beaks of the Finch living in the Galapagos Islands. He determined from these fossils that each variation was dependent upon the particular environment or island that the bird inhabited, and the differences were the result of adaptation that provided each subset a selective survival advantage under different circumstances. Many other scientific discoveries have resulted from the detailed observation of birds.
This detailed observation and study is commonly referred to as Ornithology which is a branch of Zoology. This is one field of scientific inquiry where the amateur Ornithologist can have as much of an impact as can the professional scientist. Besides the continuation of Charles Darwin’s work in evolution, birds are studied to answer many other specific questions such as animal behavior and communication as well as testing hypotheses and predictions. The vast numbers of amateur Ornithologist around the world are able to combine their efforts and share information which makes it possible for the study of birds to nearly blanket the globe.
Birds are the most widely diverse group of vertebrate animals and are generally classified as being warm-blooded, bipedal, feathered, winged, and egg-laying vertebrates. While the gift of flight is a common characteristic of the members of this classification, flight is not necessarily required. The penguin is the most common flightless bird but others exist and they all share the classification. Hugely popular around the world for scientific and environmental purposes, birds are a popular animal species that can be studied, observed, and discussed in many places around the world.
Tags: animal species, birds, creatures, vertebrate animals