Ornithology - The Art of Bird Wathching

Ornithology is the scientific study of Birds. It is one of the most commonly held habits among the boys and men. The reasons are aplenty and the sheer excitement, fun and the surprise element of this hobby entices a lot more enthusiastic followers to take up this hobby, year after year.

Of course, there are many types of birds. The primary classification is that of birds with feathers and birds that have none. The featherless birds are flightless. (Yet, they have the ability to take you on such flights of dreams that when you wake up, you’ll be asking for more!) This is the category that interests ornithologists more. As they are flightless, the probability of finding them at a given place is higher. For example, if you want to see the rare species of birds that migrate over thousands of kilometers, you need to awake early in the morning and be at the sanctuary before sunrise. Also, most of the birds go in for roosting early in the evening, just before sunset.

In the modern world, waking up before sunrise is difficult. And getting out of office before sunset is unheard of. So, the ornithologists have identified a species of birds that come out of the nests in the evening and return to roost late at night. The category of birds belongs to the female species of Homo Sapiens. These birds are found in large flocks, around shopping malls, movie multiplexes and such place where there shops that generally sells things that you either don’t need or, don’t have any known use.

The tools needed in bird watching are very simple. A keen eye and a right position is all that is required. You see, the birds have a very strange habit. Before leaving the nest, the birds spend hours preening in front of the mirror admiring the dress and adjusting the hair. When others on the road try to get a glimpse of such exquisite creative prowess of God, the birds feel their privacy is being invaded. Of course, modern technology has done its bit to reduce the privacy. But, the general habit of looking admiringly at well dressed and well made up birds is harmless habit. It is also quite helpful for the brain as it keeps it sharp and eyesight keen. Before actually indulging in the habit, enthusiasts must get some overview of the behavior of the birds, in order to get a pleasant experience.

The birds that most interest ornithologists fall in the category of featherless birds. They come in lots of colors and lots of types of outer covering. Some range from the traditional sarees to the modern low-cut-low-neckline-strapless dresses. Of course, the covering changes by the day and the occasion. Some times in can be traditional, sometimes; it can be eye-popping modern dress. Ornithologists are perpetually excited in trying to pre-empt the covering that the bird they are watching will have on the next day.

The next feature is the behavior of this strange species. Ornithologists have suffered the most on this aspect. It is also one of the things that even the modern marvels in science have failed to unlock. The birds have a very unpredictable behavior when interacting with their male counterparts. For example, these birds have an unforgettable memory and astounding ability to remember important dates, like friends’ Mom’s birthday to the first anniversary of things for example, first date, first day in office, first time on a night show at a movie, first time buying a mobile phone, etc. To top it all, these birds remember the anniversaries like the day somebody was married and the corresponding anniversaries. The male counterparts are lot more simple. They remember their own birthday, as they need to fill it in various forms. Apart from that remembering other dates is purely a coincidence. The problem starts when the females expect the males to remember the dates and to get some gift to commemorate the day. This taxes the male brain a lot and results in many a frustrating evenings, spent locked outside the house or sleeping on the couch.

The birds too have a very finely developed sense of punishing the male counterparts. Normal birds just peck the offender and that’s that. But, in the species of homo sapiens, it is lot more severe. Punishments ranges from total withdrawal from any conversations, constant frowning, answering in questions, fretting and frowning, sighing and crying, sobbing, temper tantrums and a lot more. The poor male counterparts have to bear the brunt. Being lowly developed in this area, they just do not know the response. Also, the birds with the charmingly disarming looks promote a false sense of vulnerability to the male counterparts. The males just melt in the hands of such fine manipulation.

Still, the passion of getting to know a new attractive bird is an incentive enough. The ornithologists are happy enough to find some bird, whose looks can kill. This is the ultimate prize. Getting know such a bird will be a dream come true. Of course, what happens later on is strictly out of scope of this dissertation. Hope this small article has helped you in providing a basic overview of the daunting subject of Ornithology.