We don't have to go to wild places to find wildlife. A surprisingly wide range of species can be found in our sities and towns, from familiar animals like the raccoon to more exotic ones like the mountain lion.

Birds are an ecological litmus paper.

Birds are, perhaps, the most eloquent expression of reality.

Birds have wings; they're free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy.

Not all is doom and gloom. We are beginning to understand the natural world and are gaining a reverence for life - all life.

Birds ... are sensitive indicators of the environment, a sort of "ecological litmus paper," ... The observation and recording of bird populations over time lead inevitably to environmental awareness and can signal impending changes.

Vultures are homely, but they clean up all the garbage and that's good. And they're elegant in the sky.