birds

Admired and loved, hunted and eaten, caught and bred, mystified or understood, exterminated or protected.

There are about 10,350 species of birds on earth. Many of them have a special connection to humans and they are an integral part of our daily lives. Birds are also of great importance in symbolism, mythology and religion. Ravens and owls, for example, are symbols of wisdom, but, at the same time, they are feared as omens of misfortune and death.

Although birds are ubiquitous, many species are endangered. While the populations of some rare species, such as the crane or the white-tailed eagle, are rising thanks to conservation measures, the populations of some common birds are declining. So the sparrow, finch and lark are increasingly coming under the focus of conservationists.

Croned Cranes (Balearica regulorum), Kenya

Magellan goose (Chloephaga picta) at Martillo Island, Beagle Channel Argentina

Puffin (Fratercula arctica) with caught fish in its beak, Iceland

Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) in the mirror, Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Swimming blue eyed shag (Leucocarbo atriceps), Beagle Channel Argentina

Northern Black Flycatcher (Melaenornis edolioides), Kenya

Herring gull (Larus fuscus), California

Drinking white stork (Ciconia ciconia), Brandenburg

Common Cranes (Grus grus) landing in Linum

Common Crane with offspring near Gosen, Germany

Common Cranes (Grus grus), Linum, Germany. Before heading to sleeping areas, cranes gather at nearby gathering sites.

Common Crane (Grus grus) in Linum, Germany