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

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

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

I consider myself to have been the bridge between the shotgun and the binoculars in bird watching. Before I came along, the primary way to observe birds was to shoot them and stuff them.

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

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.

The other creatures with which we share this world have their rights too, but not speaking our language, they have no voice, no vote; it is our moral duty to take care of them.