Birds: “Humans have a right to be here too”

The Council of Ground-Feeding Birds, a working-group of the United Bird Nations, has issued resolution aimed at clarifying bird-human relationships in the wild commonwealths.

During the discussion period, Towhee declared the following:

“Of course humans have a right to be here too. The troubling thing is, we’ve noticed that many humans seem to doubt this. And when a human acts like they don’t belong, we get alarmed.”

Robin went further into the analysis of the urban human’s mindset:

“Two days ago a passing human was thinking: 'you birds must really resent us humans for what we’ve done to you!' as if we couldn’t tell the difference between a casual walker and those truly responsible for our current marginalization! We don’t hate all humans simply because a handful of them have been acting destructively. Do some humans really think in such unmitigated terms?”

“And of course that human, like many, didn’t realize that we can perceive their thoughts;" Varied Thrush continued, "that would become clear if they would let themselves be a part of the forest. The trouble is, I perceive a lot of humans as being victims of an inferiority complex to us, you know? They admire us, put us on a stump [pedestal], while inhibiting their own participation in the world of the forest, as if they were not worthy! We want to tell them, if you’re gonna be in the forest, you have to act on an equal plane! Not wrapped up in your own inner struggles, not wandering elsewhere in your mind while your feet are wandering here! Those things freak me out.”

To clarify what an acceptable participation in the forest world would look like, Song Sparrow explained:

 “Well, humans can walk through at an appropriate speed, look around them with an appropriate gaze, gather materials or graze in an appropriate manner, with an appropriate mind state.”

When asked what was appropriate the assembly shifted uneasily, indicating that the question itself in a departure from wild etiquette.

“There is an appropriate way to do everything. This cannot be explained. It must be learned through participation and observation.”

The resolution itself, adopted unanimously, is to be sung during dawn chorus until the new moon, so be sure to tune in for advice on forest etiquette.

All birds agreed that while overcoming the sense of alienation many humans experience in the wild would not be sufficient to be instantly accepted by all creatures, it is an important step. They promised to keep advice coming to dedicated bipeds wishing to return to their senses.