Ornithology or the study of birds is a science that is practiced worldwide. And unlike many other sciences does not require formal qualifications or expensive equipment to undertake the basics. That is not to say there is anything amateurish about this pursuit. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) based in Norfolk is a charitable scientific research trust with HRH The Duke of Edinburgh as patron.
Interest in birds goes back to the dawn of civilisation. Early cave paintings and Egyptian pyramids depict birds, and bird bones have been excavating around Stone Age settlements, suggesting a source of food or possibly early domestication of birds. The earliest interaction with birds would have been as poultry or falconry. Domestic raising of birds from eggs can be recorded as early as 400 BC. Ornithology emerged as a specialized science in the Victorian era as the concept of conservation began to become more recognised. The trade routes had opened up the world and common bird species in one part of the world became collector’s items in another. Sadly the need for one-upmanship in displaying exotic species decimated their numbers or in some cases wiped them out.
However modern ornithology at grass roots level allows for the collection of data on bird species with as little equipment as binoculars and a camera. For garden surveys a pad and pen will suffice. But the collection of data in its own right is of little use. It is only when the data is aggregated with others that the full picture begins to emerge. This is where the formal organisations such as the BTO can collate and coordinate surveys. The results of these surveys give us a greater insight to bird behaviour and are used in formulating decisions that will impact on the environment.
So why not take the opportunity to set your little people up for a spot of bird watching with miniature binoculars or a camera from our web shop, or maybe even a bird.
