One question that baffles scientists studying avian today is the peculiar behavior of birds to appear suddenly. Many theories have since existed to explain why birds suddenly appear as if from nowhere. Firstly, to answer this question, we must first give consideration to certain factors. This includes understanding where they are coming from, where they are heading, and their mission. Moreover, you should also consider the fact this anomalous behavior affects several different species of birds.
Although birds are almost everywhere, they may suddenly appear to find food, fight with others, look for affection, and due to fear of humans. You may fail to notice the birds around unless they startle you, making you think that they have appeared suddenly.
Whenever I am taking a walk or sitting in an open space, a flock of birds appears suddenly, making me wonder why they did. This intriguing sight makes me opt to walk on my way home instead of catching a cab. Since you might also have experienced this, here are some reasons to answer your questions on this occurrence.
Do Birds Appear Simultaneously?
When talking about birds, you are sure to get nature’s loving feeling in your mind. Since birds are one of the best of God’s creation, they give more meaning and enhance nature’s beauty. Although there are many different species of birds, most of them usually have a positive effect on humans. Now, more intriguing, however, is when you surf around and birds appear suddenly. You may fail to understand how it first happened, why it happened, and whether it is a coincidence or one of nature’s unfathomable occurrences.
In my opinion, however, it is totally wrong and very misleading to suggest that birds appear simultaneously. Nevertheless, they can appear in a bunch of two or even more, but not all. So, seeing birds appear suddenly is a good sight which many associate with good luck. Although this may make you feel special, it is nothing worth overthinking since anyone can experience this- even the unluckiest chap in your neighborhood.
Why Do Birds Appear When You Are Near?
To Feed
Birds are usually in a constant search for food in various places. And lately, since people in the city are constantly feeding them with leftovers, birds must have realized that people usually have food for them. And similar to cats, dogs, and other pets, birds may appear suddenly around you while assuming that you have food for them, especially if you have some food with you.
Birds have made great steps towards adapting to city life away from the surplus abundance of food in areas not encroached by the human population.
These adaptations may have required birds to be smart in knowing whether and when they have some leftovers to spare. However, don’t expect all birds to approach you and ask for food; some may launch speed attacks and snatch ‘their’ food. This especially goes for large predatory birds such as the eagle and the kite.
Fear Of Humans
Although birds exist everywhere, their sudden appearance may be due to one reason or another. Humans are large creatures who tend to scare away birds and most other small creatures when walking or moving about. Also, you may fail to notice the existence of birds when sitting somewhere under a tree or walking by.
However, when you move suddenly, you scare the birds off, and they may respond by flying away or making a certain sound or movement. In turn, this sudden reaction makes us notice the birds, which misleads us into thinking that the birds have appeared suddenly even though they have been there all along.
When birds make a sound or movement, we become aware of their presence which tricks us into assuming that they have just appeared. In addition to human presence, birds are also afraid of other predators, including cats, eagles, and owls.
Timing Of The Day
Another reason that explains why birds suddenly appear is the time of the day. Although different species appear at varying times, most of them appear at sunrise or sunset. Typically, this is the same time that you are going to or coming back from work, depending on your shift. As a result, encountering these birds tricks us into believing that they have just appeared.
Also, during dawn and dusk, birds are most active since they are continuously searching for food, searching for a new home, or escaping from impending danger. Just like humans, they ought to survive too.
They Appear At Different Locations
The last decade has witnessed massive forest destruction for settlement purposes. As a result, deforestation has led to the migration of birds and raccoons from their habitats to urban areas. More typically, birds prefer to live in areas surrounded by forests and trees to make their nests and live. However, lack of shelter and food, which are impacts of deforestation, force birds to move about to meet their needs.
As such, you might encounter them in multiple locations, which may make you believe that they just appeared out of sight. Similarly, birds tend to move in search of their mates or lay eggs; thus, you are likely to meet them whenever you are on a picnic or just sitting about.
Apart from the proven facts above, numerous other reasons explain why you see birds in your city rather than in forests. Also, as a replacement for trees, birds prefer to nest in buildings, in locations like the AC ditch and ventilator holes, which provide much better hiding space away from reach by other flesh-eating birds.
Having discussed the primary reasons that attract birds to your city, including food leftovers and tall buildings, you can understand why they seem to appear suddenly. Moreover, the fact that cities are small and overpopulated increases the likelihood of encountering birds almost everywhere.
However, this still doesn’t rule out that one can also find birds in their rural areas. Those living in rural areas can attest that there are many different species of birds around. In simple terms, I am trying to emphasize that birds are almost everywhere, and you are most likely to notice them.
To Communicate
Another reason you are likely to come across a group of birds flying across your streets is when the need to communicate arises. For instance, birds are usually in a constant search for food, and upon finding a meal in plenty, they tend to call other birds to partake. As a result, they need to fly from one location to another to communicate the message. Similarly, the same case is true when they search for mates where their sudden movements tend to catch our attention, making us believe that they have just appeared.
Emotions, Feelings, And Affections
Similar to whales, birds tend to feel attracted to humans more than other organisms and have the urge to be near us. They have a natural feeling that humans are nicer to them than other creatures, especially if you do not hurt or scare them off. Similarly, a bird can approach you or appear closer if they feel that you can treat them well or feed them.
Also, since birds are swift creatures that tend to fly from the sky, you may fail to notice them approaching, especially if you do not look up often. They will approach you from up, and when you see them around, you get to feel and think that their appearance was sudden. Such species of birds which tend to feel comfortable and safe around humans include seagulls and pigeons, which most people have a soft spot for.
On the other hand, humans easily scare off hummingbirds and other smaller bird species, even considering our threats. However, such birds can sing for humans, especially when they are happy with you. For instance, if you notice a bird singing or chirping outside your window, it is a show of love and affection for you.
Also, one common notice you are likely not to miss is that most of the current bird species around are new and must have arrived recently. More likely, the birds could have traveled long distances from their far-away homes in areas around the Caribbean, southern US, and South America. Thus, it is true that the sudden appearance is because they fly overnight to your area.
What Are The Common Myths About Appearing Birds?
Even with civilization and western culture taking over the world, there are still numerous spiritual and social beliefs and myths surrounding birds. However, these beliefs vary with culture and may also totally differ depending on your point of view. For example, a group of people believes that crows are a sign of misfortune or a bad day, while others may not believe that, and some go as far as praising them. Similarly, the owl, a very interesting bird worth everyone’s attention, symbolizes knowledge in the Americas and a symbol of death in the far east and African countries.
Here are some of the common beliefs related to birds according to different cultures and places.
Angels As Birds
Even though the fact is that birds can appear anywhere, you are due to the reasons stated above, and various people have different beliefs for the peculiar occurrence. A good example is the Luhya tribe in Kenya, who believe that birds are angels or signs of angels who appear to make their day.
This may be because angels are mostly depicted with wings and the ability to fly and soar high, where they assume the wings symbolize God’s care for people. Also, many people believe that noticing birds appear suddenly is a good luck sign, and you can go as far as making a wish.
Symbol Of Freedom
Birds are:
- A source of inspiration to most humans.
- Especially seeing how they fight and conquer challenges such as surviving great storms.
- Flying across a lake.
- Flying against fast winds.
This teaches us a lesson of never to feel distracted or motivated to attain our goals. Since flying high and freely in the sky gives an impression of liberty, many of us believe birds to be a unique symbol of freedom.
In relation to freedom, I consider freedom of mind to be more important than physical freedom. Since a good number of you might object to this idea, I would like you to think of it this way; being free of all your thoughts, problems, and worries is similar to soaring high up in the sky.
Freedom delivers knowledge and strengths, which brings about a sense of power. And with the feeling of being free, you can also feel the power of flying up. Come to think of it; the Wright brothers might have gotten the idea of flying a plane from birds. Quite interesting, isn’t it?
There are numerous other myths surrounding birds and why they appear suddenly. Interesting as they can be, such myths can sometimes be misleading, especially if they aren’t research-based. For instance, some people depict blackbirds as evil creatures and a sign of sorrow. On the other hand, a white dove commonly represents purity and departed souls. Word has it that historically, people believed that these birds carried departed souls to the next life.
Conclusion
It is with no doubt that birds are amazingly beautiful creatures. Although they can appear almost anywhere, most of them are scared of humans, even if you don’t notice them. Also, scientists believe that birds can sense when they are being watched and react depending on the circumstance. Furthermore, birds are swift and fast creatures, which enables them to appear and disappear quickly. They, too, had emotions and were able to show feelings and emotions similar to humans. And thus, expect many myths to surround these flying creatures.
