Birds and Trees

The bird photos are taken from Google images because I couldn't capture the birds in photo. They simply flew away.

(This is my rambutan tree. The fruits are really fabulous.)

(This tree was planted by my late father. It is a nearly extinct species.)

The birds have had it. The report in today's Star says it all.

Lowland birds are flying to higher grounds. This is an indicator that their habitat has been destroyed by deforestation and climate change.

Consultant naturalist on birds, wildlife and bio-diversity Mike Chong said lowland birds such as magpie robins (burung murai) and spotted doves have been spotted in Cameron Highlands.

Chong said temperatures in the mountain had also increased due to global warming, and this had allowed lowland birds to adapt easily to their new habitat.

These lowland birds would then have to compete with highland species if they shared the same food source, habitat and nesting habits.

This could lead to the extinction of either species in the next 10 to 20 years. “There are about 674 bird species in the country. I hope more studies will be conducted on the migration of the lowland birds so that we can properly gauge the effects of climate change,” Mike Chong said in the report.

Meanwhile, Zoo Negara director Dr Mohamad Ngah said birds lose their food source when trees are cut.

“We cannot totally stop development from taking place but as scientists, we can monitor the situation and try to breed endangered species to ensure they do not become extinct,” he said, adding that there were close to 100 bird species observed in the zoo.

The birds are welcomed to my dwelling. Lately, I have had birds chirping happily when my 'jambu bol' and rambutans trees were full of ripe fruits. I do not consider them a menace as I enjoy seeing them flying around my trees. I also have some tree shrews permanently living in my backyard.

As I believe that these creatures are also God's creatures and they can help us get merits for good deeds. Moreover, our fruit trees bear too much sweet fruits that we have to deliver them to our relatives, friends, and neighbors to help us finish them. I also believe that by spreading the bounty, we will be bestowed more in the future and more fruits will be borne, thus adding more goodwill for us.