The fertile land of Bangladesh is luxuriant () growth of plants. There are dense forests in the hilly regions of Sylhet, Chittagong, Rangamati, the Sundarbans, the high land of Trangail, Mymensing and Dhaka. These forests and marshy lands are the secured abode of millions of birds. Some birds live around our houses and some live in woods, hills and marshy lands. They are of different colours, size, and habit. In winter, many migratory birds come to our country from Syberia. Many birds are beautiful to look at but many of them are ugly.
Some feed on worms and insects, some on fish, flesh while some on fruits and grains. Some common birds are worthy to mention.
The crow is a familiar bird. It annoys us with its harsh voice. It lives in trees around us. It is very cunning. It steals our food. Sometimes it snatches away food from children. It looks ugly. Crows live on all kinds of rotten and dirty things. The kite (for) is a nice bird. But it steals away chickens, fish and meat when it gets a chance.
The sparrow is a small bird which lives in the holes or ventilators of a house. It makes its nest with straw. It chirps the whole day around us. But it is a harmless bird. Robin is another small and harmless bird. The doel and the bou-katha-kao are well-known singing-birds. The doel is our national bird. The parrot, the mayna, the chandana & kakatua are beautiful birds. They are known as talking birds. If they are trained properly, they can talk like human beings. The pigeon, the cock, the hen, the swan and the ducks are domestic birds. We get eggs and meat from them. The kingfisher and the wood pecker. are wild birds.
The cuckoo is a singing bird. It is the most popular bird. It appears at the advent of spring. Its sweet voice charms every body.
The hawk is a plundering bird. It has keen eyes and sharp nails. Its beaks are sharp. It snatches small domestic birds. The vulture is a big bird. its appearance and habits are ugly. It feeds on dead animals. The owl looks ugly but it is harmless.
Another common bird is bat. It feeds on insects and ripe fruits. The owl and bat are seen at night. We kill some birds from the marshes for their tasty flesh. They are the dove, pigeon, the heron, the partridge and the teal. Birds are objects of nature. They are as attractive as nature is. They can give us joy and entertainment. Birds are useful assets to our country. Scavenger () birds like the crow eats up dead animals and rubbishes and keeps our surrounding clean. Somefeed on snakes and harmful insects.
Some of the birds have sweet voices and they are kept at homes for amusement. The flesh of some birds is also very delicious to eat and fulfits a part of the protein need of the people. Domestic birds also provide us with eggs. Thus brids are important elements to keep up our ecological balance. Bangladesh abounds with many useful and beautiful birds. But it is sad that these birds are killed or caught at random for their meat or for sale as pets. This is certainly unexpected. The government should discourange this practice and protect all kinds of birds.
