Butterflies may be better indicators of the health of our environment than birds.

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.

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

Birds, it must be admitted, are the most exciting and most deserving of the vertebrates; they are perhaps the best entre into the study of natural history, and a very good wedge into conservation awareness.

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.

Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we'll soon be in trouble.

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