What's so special 

 about a bird? 



There's something special about birds, some- 

 thing that seems to strike pleasant notes on peo- 

 ple's heart strings. 



Our actions show it. We build backyard feeders, 

 stock them with special bird food and entertain 

 ourselves with outdoor bird drama. We join organi- 

 zations for watching and protecting feathered ani- 

 mals. We support research to learn more about 

 them and how we can insure that our activities 

 don't bring them harm. 



Why are birds important to us? 



For many, it's hard to put into words. Ask some- 

 one why they like birds and their gut reaction is 

 likely to be, "I just do." 



Mrs. Edna Appleberry, often referred to as the 

 dean of birding in North Carolina, has concrete 

 reasons for her number one fascination. "We'd be 

 in horrible shape without them," she asserted in a 

 recent interview at her Wilmington home. Birds, 

 she said, "make up part of the web of life. People 

 don't seem to understand the universal pattern. If 

 we make a hole in it, something harmful might 

 move in or something else might die," she said. 



"Few realize that birds are working for us all 

 day and night," Mrs. Appleberry continued, refer- 



"Few realize that birds are working for us ali day 

 and night." — Mrs. Edna Appleberry. 



ring to the large number of insects birds eat. Birds 

 form a complete web around our earth with differ- 

 ent species occupying different "layers" from the 

 ground up, she explained. "Each species is suited 

 to his own sphere," she said, citing as one example 

 the woodpecker's long beak for picking insects 

 out of wood. 



Dr. Thomas L. Quay, North Carolina State Uni- 

 versity bird scientist, sees birds as kind of a con- 

 venient link between man and nature. "Birdwatch- 

 ing is an easy way for people to get close to nature," 

 he said one day last July. "It can be done any 

 time and any place, it's inexpensive and appeals to 

 all kinds of folks," he said. "It's different from 

 nuclear physics or oceanography. Everybody can 

 do it — alone or in groups." 



Quay pointed to the importance of birds in re- 

 search dealing with ecology, population dynamics, 

 animal behavior and even medicine. 



According to UNC- Wilmington biologist James 

 Parnell, birds We important in the coastal econ- 

 omy. During his more than 10 years at UNC-W, 

 Parnell has seen large numbers of birdwatchers 

 come to the coast to enjoy their hobby — and spend 

 their vacation dollars. Birds, Parnell added, are 

 part of what makes anyone's vacation at the beach 

 unique. 



The University of North Carolina Sea Grant Program 

 Newsletter is published monthly by the University of North 

 Carolina Sea Grant Program, 1235 Burlington Laboratories, 

 Yarbrough Drive, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 

 N.C. 27607. Vol. 2, No. 8. August, 1975. Dr. B. J. Copeland, 

 director. Dixie Berg, editor. Second-class postage paid at 

 Raleigh, N.C. 27611. 



