Birds are everywhere, especially in the Midwestern United States. I’ve been at DePauw University in central Indiana for some time now, and walking around more often has given me more opportunities to listen to the birds around me every day when I walk. And when I went back home to Colorado this summer, I got a birdhouse for my family to enjoy so I could show them all the different types of birds that live nearby. Now, almost a year later, roughly a dozen different species of birds enjoy feeding from the birdhouse back home, with my mother sending me videos of them when the house attracts new residents. Today, I’d like to talk about the birds that led me to this new hobby and appreciation.
The cardinal is a very special bird to me, as we don’t have them back in my home state — it’s only when I’m at school that I hear them. Their songs have become the easiest for me to recognize, so much so that I can follow the sound until I can see the bright red bird in the trees. I’ve definitely come to appreciate their tunes whenever I hear them outside, especially when they sing near my bedroom window as I’m waking up in the morning. My family and I have always believed that a cardinal indicates a visitor from the spirit world, perhaps an angel or a relative saying hello. Being away from my family and home is difficult, but hearing the cardinal’s song almost every day makes me feel like I’ve always got someone watching out for me.
Another bird I grew up hearing almost nonstop was the red-winged blackbird, a bird that lives in Colorado. They have a very recognizable call–if you’ve ever been walking around a creek or area with water, you’ve likely heard one of these little guys talking every few seconds. I never noticed how much of a presence they had in my life until I started paying more attention to how often they flew near my house. I realized that the sound of the red-winged blackbird was, for me, a sound of home. Every time I’ve heard one here at college, I’m always brought back to memories of playing in the creek, with the blackbirds not too far away. It’s only fitting that I bought myself a small plush blackbird that makes the bird’s calling sound when you squeeze it.
I’ll round out my bird shoutouts by calling attention to the local doves. The call of the mourning dove is one that now gives me a sense of peace when I hear it. Especially because, if you see one, then that means that their soulmate is likely not too far away. I love the fact that these birds mate for life, and I’ve noticed plenty of pairs around campus while walking to class.
However, another dove that deserves a shoutout is the zebra dove, a small bird found on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. This past summer, when I went to the island with my family on a special vacation, my mother told me that she loved the sound of the zebra dove, because it reminded her of Hawaii. However, she didn’t know the bird. So, after taking it upon myself to identify the call, we were able to form a deeper connection with each other through our mutual love of something that connected us to Hawaii. I will never forget my mother’s excitement when I told her that the bird was a zebra dove, because I knew that she was so happy to finally learn where one of her favorite sounds comes from. And, even better, that she could share it with her daughter.
So, with all of this being said, I would highly recommend to you, dear reader, that the next time you’re outside, you stop and listen to the birds around you. Just take the moment in, feel the nature around you, and let the sounds flow into your brain from your ears. When you stop to pay attention to the little things in nature, you come to appreciate them more. I promise you, you’ll find a new appreciation for nature, and the beauty that birds bring to this world.