National Bird Day is a relatively new day in honor of birds. Founded by the Avian Welfare Coalition in 2002 and commemorated on January 5th each year, it raises awareness of the hardships and difficulties these essential animals face. Every year, millions of birds are captured from the wild or produced in captivity for commercial profit or enjoyment. They are forced to live in conditions that do not accommodate their instinctive physical and behavioral needs, and prevented from contributing to the environment.
While birds are as fascinating as beautiful and many people enjoy the hobby of birdwatching, they are a large animal species that has become endangered today as a result of illegal pet trade, disease, and habitat loss. Besides trying to alleviate suffering from insensitive bird trade, cruel breeding mills, and poor care in captivity, it is important to support birds for their role in the earth’s health.
There are more than 9,000 species of birds, and they are often valuable indicators of environmental conditions and the vitality of ecosystems. Birds have long been considered a keystone species since their presence affects other species. For example, the holes left behind by woodpeckers are often used as shelter for other animals. Just as woodpeckers are dependent on certain trees, other animals are dependent on their pecking. Birds also help maintain population levels of their prey and predators. Even when they die, they provide food for scavengers and decomposers. Additionally, birds provide critical resources for their many parasites, including lice that eat their feathers, flies that live on them, and mites that travel on them from plant to plant and even country to country.
Besides playing a critical role in the functioning of ecosystems, birds contribute in ways that impact the health of people, the economy, and food production. Studies have shown that birds eat millions of tons of insects a year. In China, much of the nourishment of the House Swift Apus nipalensis consists of agricultural pests. In the Americas, the Evening Grosbeak Hesperiphona vespertine helps control outbreaks of the Spruce Budworm. In Europe, bird nests are used for pest control. Bird pollinators, like hummingbirds and honeyeaters, are impactful in high altitudes and hot climates. In South Africa, some plants pollinated by birds are used for food and medicine. As scavengers, their speedy arrival and efficiency helps control the spread of diseases, like rabies, typically transmitted by feral dogs or rats.
Birds also transform landscapes by maintaining essential balance in habitats like forests, marshes, and grasslands, which is necessary as they store carbon, oxygenate the air, and transform pollutants into nutrients. Birds also act as messengers about the earth’s health. Since they are widespread and respond quickly to changes in the environment, they provide early-warning signs for pressing concerns such as climate change.
Clearly, birds play an essential role in environmental conditions, functioning of ecosystems, and human health. By raising awareness of the issues that birds encounter and promoting change to ensure their wellbeing and value, they can continue to have a positive impact overall. This makes National Bird Day worthwhile.
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