It is hard to imagine what the world would be like without birds - no ducks on the ponds, no gulls in the harbors no shore birds at the water's edge, none of the bright flashes of innumerable birds in fields and woods and along country roads. No flocks of sparrows and pigeons busy in the city squares and on the rooftops, and no strange creatures like the pelicans and penguins at the zoo!
And how quiet it would be with no birds singing through the day, no owls hooting in the night!
Hard to imagine, yet bird life is in danger.
With the spread of towns, factories, and thousands of miles of paved roads, plus vast acreage of drained wetlands and the Invasion of wilderness areas, there is increasing encroachment on the habitats of birds every year. And those who somehow manage still have to face the dangers of pesticides and detergent waste.
Fortunately for the birds, most are persistent and adaptable. They will go on mating and nest-building and rearing their young in the face of many difficulties. Most of them, that is - but not all. Some, like the once numerous Passenger Pigeon, have completely disappeared, and others are on the danger list.
Fortunately there is a brighter side to the picture. Nowadays, there is a much greater understanding of the need for conservation, which includes survival space for birds and other wildlife.
And there are federal and state laws aimed at protecting the bird population. Many birds are profiting-and so are we, since a lot of them feed almost entirely on plant and insect pests which harm our food crops.
In most states it is illegal to catch and cage any of our native wild birds. There are some exceptions, and regulations vary, so it is best to check the Conservation Department in your state to acquaint yourself with the bird laws in your area. Cage birds that are kept in cages and aviaries now have been imported from other parts of the world; their descendants have been bred in captivity here.