Birds are the most fascinating creatures on earth, next to humans, and a whole lot nicer. I cannot get enough of watching them go about the business of living in an avian way. If I had the choice to live again, I would, as a bird; preferably a parrot, since they have an appealing diet.

Birds need healthy natural areas in order to live, forage, and reproduce. A free and easy way to help create and preserve bird habitat is to visit these sites once a day: The Rainforest Site and Rainforest.Care2. A click of your mouse will save 10-20 square feet of land. And consider making a cash donation to The Nature Conservancy, an apolitical organization that owns and maintains land to support nature.

There are some wonderful places to watch birds near where I live:

Lake Woodruff NWR Guide to Common Birds
Merritt Island NWR National Park Service Page
The Everglades Park Home Page
Ft. Myers Beach City Home Page
Dauphin Island Shell Mound Park

Besides watching, I like to read about birds. My favorite magazine is Bird Watcher's Digest. I'm a member of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, where I volunteered one summer to do library research.

Some birders specialize in certain species. The University of Minnesota has a Raptor Center if you're interested in birds of prey. One of their missions is rehabilitation of injured birds. The North American Bluebird Society promotes conservation of bluebirds, including instructions for building nest boxes and maintaining a bluebird trail. The Hummingbird Society is devoted to hummingbirds.

A good general information source is The Aviary, both for birding and for avian pets. If you're wondering what birds live in your state, there are check lists here.

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