Seeing a flock of migratory egrets who flew thousands of kilometers to the busy streets of Makati is an amusing morning scene. They perch motionless, not minding the crazy street noise and belched smokes of vehicles below them.
Like, who knows that the Philippines has more than 600 species of birds and more than 200 of them are endemic (as in, found nowhere else in the world). Then you will see these long-range flyers who escape the winter months in northern Asia and hopefully spend a more friendly and safe sanctuary in the Philippines.
Then they fly straight to Makati! Wow! Makati could probably turn into a birdwatching destination?..
Ahhhh..... NO!
It's actually a sad indication of the state of our environment. That these birds have fewer and fewer places to rest their tired bodies after flying without stops for several days. They need food, they need homes. The highly urbanized streets of Makati is not home for them. Sooner, when more of these birds come, the people will start noticing them. Unfortunately, not always with glee but with scorn as the salaried people become targets of bird poops that fall down from amazing trajectories. Then the notorious Makati guards will be asked by people in authority to take care of them. Shake the branches bring some cats, shoot them down (okay, the last dramatic one is obviously not an option).
But having no food to sustain them (they don't eat thrown-away biscuits and garbage, mind you), the birds may leave anyway. But where will they go?
Like, who knows that the Philippines has more than 600 species of birds and more than 200 of them are endemic (as in, found nowhere else in the world). Then you will see these long-range flyers who escape the winter months in northern Asia and hopefully spend a more friendly and safe sanctuary in the Philippines.
Then they fly straight to Makati! Wow! Makati could probably turn into a birdwatching destination?..
Ahhhh..... NO!
It's actually a sad indication of the state of our environment. That these birds have fewer and fewer places to rest their tired bodies after flying without stops for several days. They need food, they need homes. The highly urbanized streets of Makati is not home for them. Sooner, when more of these birds come, the people will start noticing them. Unfortunately, not always with glee but with scorn as the salaried people become targets of bird poops that fall down from amazing trajectories. Then the notorious Makati guards will be asked by people in authority to take care of them. Shake the branches bring some cats, shoot them down (okay, the last dramatic one is obviously not an option).
But having no food to sustain them (they don't eat thrown-away biscuits and garbage, mind you), the birds may leave anyway. But where will they go?