subject: Looking At Our Historical Link With Birds [print this page] If you listen to the scientists and researchers, birds have existed on the earth for a minimum of one hundred and fifty million years. During that time they have attained uncontested mastery of the skies. They have come a long way from their ancestors, the feathered dinosaurs of the Mesozoic era of 230 million to 63 million years ago.
Even among evolutionists, there is no shortage of theories as to exactly how many of these dinosaurs came to leave the ground, take to the skies, and over the centuries gradually evolve into the creatures that we now know as birds. One theory is that the smaller dinosaurs, in order to protect themselves from the larger predators on the ground, began to look for refuge in the trees. And, once they were in the trees, they gradually evolved better and better ways of moving among the trees, starting with jumping, then gliding, and gradually flying.
In the beginning, man looked upon birds primarily as an excellent source of food and sustenance. It became common practice for early man to set traps to catch birds for meals. But they would also periodically raid the nests of birds for their eggs. Eventually, instead of raiding wild bird's nests, villagers would raise birds such as hens and chickens on their properties. This made the whole process of harvesting eggs so much easier.
But then, somewhere around four thousand or so years ago, our attitude towards birds began to change. Probably because it was becoming less difficult to find foods. We begin to treat some birds as pets and as companions. Looking over ancient Egyptian artifacts reveal pet bird cages used to hold domesticated birds. These were birds primarily known for their beauty. Apparently, at that time, having possession of a pet bird was something of a status symbol.
Gradually as man and bird became more familiar with each other, it became popular, especially among the more affluent, to breed some of the bird species specifically to be enjoyed as pets within the home. A perfect example is the canary. Another one is the parakeet. But even as the ownership of birds became more popular, millions more people became interested in how birds lived in the wild. And as a result of that interest, the activity of birding or bird watching has grown to be one of the most popular hobbies in the country and in the world.
Nowadays, of all of our friends in the animal world, birds rank high among the best. They provide us with a great service by helping to control the insect population that would otherwise overrun us or cause us to use millions of tons of pesticides.
And, not only that, but birds are also crucial in the successful pollination of many plants. And, they helped to spread plant seeds far and wide and are generally responsible for the original creation of many forest areas in the world.
