Getting to Know the History of Birds
Birds For Dummies isn’t a history book, and we aren’t historians — and we certainly don’t want to bore you! But we think some historical perspective is both important and interesting. And besides, sometimes looking back helps clear the vision of what’s ahead. So, read on! We promise: You won’t face a test at the end of this section.
Because birds have been a big part of our lives and cultures for so long, many of the words we use when we talk about our feathered fellows are ancient in origin, derived from avis, the Latin word meaning “bird.” Count in this group the words avian (having to do with birds), aviculture (the keeping of birds, especially for breeding purposes), and aviary (a place to house birds). And what about aviation, aviator, and avionics? You got it: When you see the letters avi– at the beginning of a word, you can figure a connection to birds or to one of their most notable qualities — flight!
Food, feathers, and (finally!) friendship
Our earliest ancestors didn’t have the luxury of enjoying birds as pets — they needed them for food, and they hunted birds and collected eggs to meet their most basic sustenance needs. Before long, though, humankind started to realize the benefits of domestication (changing wild creatures so that they not only provide us with food, but also serve as helpers and companions). These changes began 10,000 to 12,000 years ago and haven’t stopped since. The worldwide growth of fried-chicken fast-food chains is just a modern milestone on the road that began in the jungles of Asia, where people first discovered the tasty ancestor of domestic chickens, the red jungle fowl.
Domestic fowl were admired and worshipped for their fertility, their courage, and even their role as the earliest alarm clocks. With so much going for them, birds quickly graduated to a place of honor for their nonmeat attributes — their beauty became reason enough to keep them around.
Although many of the world’s cultures are horrified at the very idea of eating dogs and cats, the use of birds for food is nearly universally accepted (with the exception of individuals who abstain for philosophical or religious reasons). Why is it that some birds are prized as family members and others are best appreciated when served with orange sauce? We don’t know, but in Chapter 2 we show you how some of the birds we routinely consider “food” really have decent pet potential!
Humans’ enduring involvement
People keep birds today for many of the same reasons Egyptian pharaohs or ancient Romans captured them — for beauty — as well as for some reasons bird fanciers of times past probably never gave much thought to. Figuring out what attracts you to birds can give you an understanding of the trade-offs you can live with (and those you can’t). And those realizations are bound to set you up for success in choosing your avian companion.
The beauty of birds
Let’s face it: Humans are plain. Oh sure, we have some different skin tones and different hair and eye colors, but put us next to birds, and we have to admit to being pretty dull. And that’s probably one reason why humans appreciate the beauty of birds and why our history with them in close company spans hundreds of years — we just want to be able to gaze upon (or wear) their glorious feathers.
Is it any surprise that some of the more popular pet birds are also the flashiest? The beautiful macaws — the scarlet, the blue-and-gold, and the giant blue hyacinth — are breathtaking to behold, as are their glorious smaller relatives, such as the dazzling sun conure, with a beautiful complement of sun-yellow feathers. And non-parrot species are not to be left out! Just consider the beauty of some of our fancy chicken and waterfowl breeds, as well as prize pigeons. Even smaller birds are prized for their plumage. From a simple singer discovered on a far island, the canary has been bred into all kinds of fancy feathered forms.
The lust for beauty spelled extinction for more than a few species of birds, ruthlessly slaughtered for feathers to adorn ladies’ hats in the last century — as many as five million a year died for their plumage. Among the victims: one of the only two parrot species native to the United States, the Carolina parakeet. By the turn of the century, groups such as the Audubon Society were working to stop the killings. Too late for the Carolina parakeet, though: The last one died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918.
Of song and speech
Birds use song and mimicry to protect their territory, warn of danger, and attract mates, and throughout history, their fascinating music has also engaged a human audience. Such birds as the canary and the singing greenfinch have long been prized for their song, and the members of the Psittaciformes order — otherwise known as parrots — are so well known for their vocal talents that they’ve inspired a figure of speech. (To parrot something means to repeat it, whether you’re a bird or a human being.) Even finches such as the ones shown in Figure 1-1 keep up a companionable twittering.
Photograph courtesy of Claudia Hunka, Your Basic Bird (Berkeley, California)
FIGURE 1-1: The lively sounds and antics of little birds like this shaft-tail finch add to their wide appeal.
The breeding of canaries dates to the 16th century, and humans’ relationship with wild-caught parrots is traceable to even earlier times. Ancient Greeks and Romans fell in love with parrots, so much so that a trained one was considered more valuable than the slave who trained him. A favorite phrase to teach a Roman parrot? Why, “Hail the Emperor!,” of course.
Some 1,800 years later, companion birds were still found in the highest halls of government. Yes, the White House. James and Dolley Madison brought their “green parrot” with them to the Executive Mansion, Thomas Jefferson kept mockingbirds there, and Andrew Jackson had a parrot named Polly known for