Ornithology as part of Environmental studies started as early as the time of the Greeks. Greeks are responsible for the term Ornithology and the Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote books pertaining to birds, their habitat, migration instincts and evolution. Ornithology has played a significant role in Charles Darwin's theory of evolution as it was founded on studying birds, their habits, migration, and adaptive change due to nature.
Ornitha by Greek definition means chicken and logos meaning word or science. Yet modern society has been accustomed to refer to poultry for chickens and the study thereof and ornithology to be the study of birds in general. The study of birds includes the classification system developed by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. There are 174 families and 30 orders that divide the 9200 known species as defined by his classification. There are two major groups for which birds are classified into: ratites and non-ratites or birds that are not capable of flying and those that are. Flight is evident only for birds with an extended appendage or what we call wings.
Today, Ornithology is no longer taken as strictly a science for formal studies. It can also be taken up as a hobby to include bird watching to learn about birds. It is with that that Bird Watching Clubs have been organized the world over. It includes banding birds and observing them whether they are in captivity or in the wild. Learning about bird habitat and migration are important to understand birds as there are over 10,000 species around the world.
Individuals who have the passion and love for birds and their habits and life cycle have come to be known as birders. There are different types of birders depending on how much you would like to spend your time being associated with birds. Birders can be either one of the following: bird watchers, backyard birders, true birders, twitchers, citizen scientists and ornithologists.
Bird watchers enjoy the sight of birds whether they are just sitting at their backyard, in the park, at the beach, or even when they are just travelling.
Backyard birders enjoy the site of rare species of birds that are not familiar in their locale. This is the easiest birder to be as you need not have or require special equipment except using a binocular. It may be the first step for you to be a bird watcher, but definitely not the last, as one may become addictive to seeing different types of birds.
True birders delight in observing, studying, and seeing new species. Behavior, habitats and personalities are part of the birder's notes while observing and bird watching. Their knowledge is coupled with photography and travel. Their hobbies may include birding marathons.
Twitcher’s twitch when they see a new bird. These then become their favorite. Their passion is to seek more birds that they can add to the list that they have already seen. The lists they keep contain the bird type and the location.
The citizen scientists are often active in multiple bird education events. The lists of birds they have seen and accounted for are reported to organizations to ensure and promote bird conservation.
The ornithologist is the most professional birder. A person needs advanced scientific training for anatomy, behavior, bird species, and physiology. Educational advancement takes years and lots of research projects for a person to be called an ornithologist.
The birds under observation by all types of birders are never considered pets. Birders practice birding ethics and integrity to ensure and preserve the well-being of the bird they are observing. Observation means not interacting with the birds. Distance is the key. Birds, just like human beings, need personal space. Just like with anyone, it is also unhealthy for them to be stressed and stress means a disturbance in their nesting area or when they are being fed. Stress may also mean that fear would be invoked causing the birds to flee from their natural habitat and never come back.
Binoculars are coupled with zoom cameras and spotting scopes. Patience is the key to make the bird feel secure. At times, security means the birds may venture closer to the birder. Birders should never ever attempt to touch a bird without extreme cause except in cases where the bird is injured due to falling off the nest. No matter how appealing the bird looks like, never fondle it. Even when birds are injured, handling the bird must be minimal. Recuperation must be done naturally.
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