We watch birds because birds are beautiful, inspirational and international. Their beauty can be better appreciated when viewed through binoculars or fieldscopes which magnifies the plumes of their vibrant colored feathers. The observation of birds whilst nesting, feeding or migrating and hearing their melodious chirps can be theraputic and for some is exhilirating. We should nurture our children to appreciate bird watching and this will also help to educate them about caring for nature and conservation of the environment. Birds are excellent flagships and vital environmental indicators.
By focusing on birds, and the sites and habitats; birdwatching can help to improve the quality of life of birds and ultimately for other wildlife (biodiversity) and for the local population. BirdLife International Partnership aims to:
- prevent the extinction of any bird species.
- maintain and where possible improve the conservation status of bird species.
- conserve and where appropriate improve and enlarge sites and habitats important for birds.
- integrate bird conservation into sustaining people's livelihoods.
Birds are indicators of the state of the environment.
Studying birds tells us about the habitats on which they depend. In short it also tells us the state of our environment. The dramatic decline in Eurasian Skylark in Western europe is indicative of the relentless intensification of agricultural practices and the non-sustainability of the European Unions's common Agriculrural policy.
In Belum, Temenggor there is a slow decline in numbers of migratory hornbills from Thailand which used to fly in by the thousands for breeding during August to December. This reduction as compared to the previous years are an early indication of the slow degradation of the Temenggor forests due to over-logging.
