• As both predators and prey, birds help maintain the intricate web of life, supporting biodiversity and acting as indicators of environmental health. Beyond their ecological significance, birds enrich human experience, inspiring art, literature, and a profound appreciation for the natural world. They draw us into the joy of birdwatching and eco-tourism, connecting us to the rhythms of nature. Preserving bird populations and their habitats is a call to honor creation; it is essential for maintaining ecological balance and ensuring a sustainable future for all living beings.

Birds

Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Alabama

Tiny but mighty: the essence of a hummingbird. ~ Unknown

Hummingbirds are extremely smart and have a great memory. They know every flower in their territory and where every hummingbird feeder is along their migration path from year to year. They also learn who fills the feeders and who doesn't.

Rat Snake Cedar Bluff, Alabama

The sandpiper, with its delicate steps upon the sand, teaches us that even the smallest creatures can leave ripples in the vastness of the world. ~ Unknown

They are commonly found in coastal habitats, wetlands, and mudflats, where they forage for insects, crustaceans, and worms. Sandpipers are known for their intricate migratory patterns, with some species traveling thousands of miles between breeding and wintering grounds.

Blue Heron | Centre Alabama

Nothing living should ever be treated with contempt. Whatever it is that lives, a man, a tree, or a bird, should be touched gently, because the time is short. Civilization is another word for respect for life... ~ Elizabeth Goudge

After preening, most birds will fluff up their feathers and flap their wings to settle the feathers back in place.

Juvenile Green Back Heron I Gadsden, Alabama

In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence. ~ Robert Lynd

Once baby green herons hatch, both parents will feed the hatchlings with regurgitated food. The chicks start to fly around three weeks but are hopping around the nest at two weeks old. A full month is standard before they fully fledge and begin to care for themselves.

Great White Egret | South Carolina

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. ~ Aristotle

The great egret feeds alone in shallow water. It stalks prey like frogs, crayfish, snakes, snails and fish. When it spots its prey, it pulls its head and long neck back and then quickly stabs at the prey.

Black Crowned Night Heron perched on a branch

There are approximately ten thousand species of birds on the planet and no single individual has seen them all. ~ Bernd Brunner

Black Crowned Night Heron These birds are very noisy in their nesting colonies, with calls that are commonly transcribed as quok or woc, woc. They forage primarily at night or in the early morning by standing or wading slowly through shallow water.

Baby Great White Egrets | Gadsden, Alabama

Birds are the true architects of nature. ~ Robert Lynd

The male egret selects a nesting site and builds the nest which is usually a heap of sticks. Sometimes the female egret will line the nest with finer material. Often egrets successfully raise 2 young and sometimes 3 egrets if there's an abundance of food.

Baby Green Back Heron I Gadsden, Alabama

Birds are, perhaps, the most eloquent expression of reality. ~ Roger Tory Peterson

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Alabama

Hummingbirds are like living jewels in our gardens. ~ Unknown

This bird flaps it's wings so fast (up to 80 times per second) it sounds like a humming noise. That is why they are called "Hummingbirds".

Juvenile Great White Egrets | Alabama

The message is simple: love and conserve our wildlife. ~ Steve Irwin

MaleCardinal, Alabama

Everyone likes birds. What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird? ~ David Attenborough

American Goldfinch I Alabama

In the symphony of nature, insects provide the rhythm, melody, and harmony that sustain life's song. ~ Bert Hölldobler

House Finches | Alabama

But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you. ~ Job

American White Pelicans | Alabama

Five american white pelicans settling down for the evening in a swallow area of Weiss Lake.

Warmth of Dawn | Cedar Bluff Alabama

Hummingbirds are the most fascinating animals and show us that even the smallest creatures can be powerful. ~ Dr. Andrea B. McCarthy