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.

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.

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

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

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

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.