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

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.

I can recognize the calls of practically every bird in North America. There are some in Africa I don't know, though

The truth of the matter is, the birds could very well live without us, but many -- perhaps all -- of us would find life incomplete, indeed almost intolerable without the birds.

Birding, after all, is just a game. Going beyond that is what is important.

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