Why I’m a Bird Nerd

 I’ve always been envious of people who go deep down rabbit holes, attend fandom conventions in costumes of their own making, paint their faces for every game of the season, devote years to mastering their craft, resiliently fight the good fight for a cause…

I wish I cared enough to do shit like this. They look like they’re having so much fun!

I’m more of a dabbler who gets excited about something for ~15 seconds before losing interest and moving on to the next shiny object. 

Until I discovered birds, a topic that interests me enough for me to start a weekly Bird Facts blog. 

Why birds? Hell if I know. Perhaps it’s because the large wading birds of southern Florida are such highly charismatic megafauna? Or because the tame boobies and finches of the Galapagos inspire within me a vision of what a peaceful world could look like? Maybe it’s just the sheer mathematical beauty of a pulsing and undulating murmuration. Maybe it’s because looking at shoebill storks and pelicans feels like being in Jurassic Park. Or maybe it’s because no other class of creature has so successfully been able to thrive on land, in the sea, and up in the air.

Or perhaps rationally trying to justify my fascination is emotionally dishonest. Maybe I just inexplicably love birds.