Bird

Many - see section below.

Birds and humans

Birds are an important food source for humans. The most commonly eaten species is the domestic chicken and its eggs, although geese, pheasants, turkeys, and ducks are also widely eaten. Other birds that have been utilized for food include emus, ostriches, pigeons, grouse, quails, doves, woodcocks, songbirds, and others, including small passerines such as finches.

Related Topics:
Human - Chicken - Egg - Geese - Pheasant - Turkey - Duck - Emu - Ostrich - Pigeon - Grouse - Quail - Dove - Woodcock - Songbird - Passerine - Finch

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At one time swans and flamingos were delicacies of the rich and powerful, although these are generally protected now.

Related Topics:
Swan - Flamingo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many species have become extinct through over-hunting, such as the Passenger Pigeon, and many others have become endangered or extinct through habitat destruction, deforestation and intensive agriculture being common causes for declines.

Related Topics:
Passenger Pigeon - Habitat destruction - Deforestation - Agriculture

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Numerous species have come to depend on human activities for food and are widespread to the point of being pests. For example the common pigeon or Rock Dove (Columba livia) thrives in urban areas around the world. In North America, introduced House Sparrows, Common Starlings, and House Finches are similarly widespread.

Related Topics:
Rock Dove - House Sparrow - Common Starling - House Finch

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Other birds have been used by humans: for example Homing pigeons to carry messages (many are still kept for sport), falcons for hunting, cormorants for fishing. Chickens and pigeons are popular subjects in experimental research in biology and comparative psychology. As birds are extra-sensitive to toxins, the Canary was often used in coal mines to indicate the presence of poisonous gases, so that the miners could escape.

Related Topics:
Homing pigeons - Falcon - Cormorant - Chicken - Pigeon - Biology - Comparative psychology - Canary - Coal mines

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Colorful, particularly tropical, birds (e.g., parrots, and mynahs) are often kept as pets although this has led to smuggling of some endangered species; CITES does considerable work to deter this.

Related Topics:
Parrot - Mynah - Pet - CITES

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bird diseases that can be contracted by humans include these: psittacosis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, Newcastle's disease, mycobacteriosis (avian tuberculosis), influenza, giardiasis, and cryptosporiadiosis.

Related Topics:
Psittacosis - Salmonellosis - Campylobacteriosis - Tuberculosis - Influenza - Giardiasis - Cryptosporiadiosis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~