Part 2 Contents

Part 2 Contents 6 The Fashion Trade And Birds 4 6:1 Why Do Humans Wear Hats? 4 6:2 A Lesson From The Past 5 6:3 A Short History Of Hats 9 6:4 The Call For Conservation 11 6:5 Modern Hats 13 6:6 Louis Mariette Profile 15 6:7 Philip Treacy Profile 17 6:8 As Dead As A Dodo! 20 7 Bird Conservation And Zoos 26 7:1 What Zoos Do 26 7:2 Why Zoos Are Important 27 7:3 How Zoos Are Organized 29 7:4 What The Future Holds 30 7:5 How Does Lotherton Bird Garden help to save threatened species? 40 7:6 What You Can Do To Save The Planet 47 8 The Power Of Inspiration 56 8:1 Birds As Symbols Of Power And Freedom 56 8:2 Birds In Religion 60 8:3 Birds In Myths And Legends 62 8:4 Birds In Art And Sculpture 65 8:5 Jewelled Birds 68 8:6 Fabric Designs Inspired By Birds 69 The front page photo is of Nike of Samothrace, the third century BC marble sculpture of the Greek Goddess Nike. Since 1884 it has stood at the top of one of the magnificent staircases in the Louvre and is one of the most well known sculptures in the world. 2 8 The Power of Inspiration 8:1 Birds As Symbols of Power and Freedom Birds have been used by humans for centuries as symbols of clans and nationalities, freedom, peace, war, spirituality, power and creativity. The fact that almost every country in the world has a “National Bird” as an emblem, says something profound about the importance of birds in our universal “common language” of identity. This picture shows “The Holy Trinity” an Orthodox wall painted icon at the ceiling of the entrance (πρόστωον) Vatopedion Monastery at Agion Oros or Mount Athos in Greece. The dove at the top of the painting represents the Holy Spirit, sitting between Jesus and God. According to the biblical story, a dove was released by Noah after the flood in order to find land; it came back carrying an olive branch in its beak, telling Noah that, somewhere, there was land. A dove with an olive branch has since come to symbolize peace. In Lithuania the white stork (gandras) is usually felt to be the national bird. Lithuanians believe that storks bring harmony to the families on whose property they nest; they have also kept up the tradition of telling their children that storks bring babies. Stork Day is celebrated on March 25 with various traditions: gifts for children, attributed to the storks, such as fruits, chocolates, pencils, and dyed eggs, are hung on tree branches and fences; snakes are caught, killed and buried under the doorstep; straw fires are lit. Notably, Lithuania is a beneficial and important habitat for these birds: it has the highest known nesting density in the world. In nearby Estonia, the Barn Swallow is the National Bird. Rumania has the White Pelican as its symbol. In Zimbabwe the stone-carved Zimbabwe Bird is a national emblem. It appears on the national flags and coats of arms of both Zimbabwe and Rhodesia, as well as on banknotes and coins (shown on the left). It probably represents the Bateleur Eagle. The famous soapstone bird carvings stood on walls and monoliths of the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe built starting in the 11th century by the ancestors of the Shona people. The ruins, which gave their name to modern Zimbabwe, cover some 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) and are the largest ancient stone structure in Zimbabwe. 3 In Jamaica, The Red-billed Streamertail (Trochilus polytmus), also known as the Doctor Bird, is the national bird of Jamaica, where it is the most abundant and widespread member of the hummingbird family. The next- to-outermost tail feathers of the male are 15 to 18 cm (6-7 in) long, far longer than its bearer's body. Trailing behind the flying hummingbird like thin black streamers, these feathers make a humming sound. Females lack the elongated rectrices and are largely white below. These birds are nectar feeders and have an extendable tongue to help sip the high energy food. They also catch small insects in flight. The kiwi as a symbol first appeared in the late 19th century in New Zealand regimental badges. It appeared on the badges of the South Canterbury Battalion in 1886 and the Hastings Rifle Volunteers the following year. In 1906, Kiwi Shoe Polish began to be sold in the UK and the USA and soon everyone had heard of the Kiwi and knew what it looked like. Troops from New Zealand regiments were called “Kiwis” during the First World War and a giant kiwi, (now known as the Bulford Kiwi), was carved on a chalk hill above Bulford Camp in England. Today, just about any New Zealanders overseas and at home are commonly known as Kiwis. The kiwi has since become the most well-known national symbol for New Zealand, and kiwis are prominent in the coat of arms, crests and badges of many New Zealand cities, clubs and organisations. India has the Peacock as a national symbol. Further west, Myanmar or Burma has the Green Pea Fowl and Japan has the Green Pheasant. A Roman Aquila or eagle standard was carried at the head of each Roman legion. This symbolic bird of prey allegedly put fear into the hearts of the enemy and showed the strength of the Roman Army to crush all opposition. Today, the Golden Eagle is Mexico’s national symbol. The flag of Kazakhstan has an eagle with spread wings supporting a sun symbol. The Golden Eagle was also the national bird of Germany and Austria in continuation of the Holy Roman Empire, more than any species. The eagle is very much connected to the Saladin Golden Eagle, currently used as the coat of arms of Egypt, Iraq and Palestine and it was previously used by Libya and Yemen. 4 The Prussian Standard had a black eagle as it’s centrepiece. In a later development the Nazis adopted the eagle (much as Napoleon did two centuries previously) as a symbol of fascist power in Germany. The Bald Eagle is the national Symbol of the United States of America. Unofficially, many Americans believe that the Turkey should be their national bird instead of the Eagle. The Magpie Robin is the National Bird of Bangladesh, where it is common and known as the Doyel or Doel: দােল). Magpie Robins were widely kept as cage birds for their singing abilities and for fighting in India in the past. They continue to be in the pet trade in parts of Southeast Asia. The Andean Condor is a national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It is the national bird of Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. It plays an important role in the folklore and mythology of the Andean regions, and has been represented in Andean art from c. 2500 BCE onward. They are a part of indigenous Andean religions. In Andean mythology, the Andean Condor was associated with the sun deity and was believed to be the ruler of the upper world. The Andean Condor is considered a symbol of power and health by many Andean cultures, and it was believed that the bones and organs of the Andean Condor possessed medicinal powers, sometimes leading to the hunting and killing of condors to obtain their bones and organs. The Blue Rock Thrush is a species of chat. This Old World flycatcher breeds in Southern Europe and northwest Africa, and from central Asia to northern China and Malaysia. The male Blue Rock Thrush sings a clear, melodious call that is similar to but louder than the call of the Rock Thrush. The Blue Rock Thrush is Malta’s national bird and is shown on the Lm1 coins that were part of the previous currency of the country. It is ironic that Malta’s entry into the EU has 5 not been followed (as promised) by a long-called for ban on hunting, shooting and trapping wild birds – including the Blue Rock Thrush, which is now very rare on the island. The amount of shooting on the island has risen in the past five years and shows no signs of being controlled. BirdLife International welcomed the decision taken in 2007 by the European Commission to open a legal infringement procedure against the Maltese government for allowing the spring hunting of European Turtle-doves and Common Quails. This infringement of the Birds Directive has taken place annually in Malta since it joined the European Union in 2004. During their exhausting return journey from Africa to their European breeding grounds, many migratory birds use Malta as an important resting place and stepping stone as they cross the Mediterranean. Despite special protection under EU law, Maltese hunters are reported to kill thousands of quails, doves and other rare birds every spring. The continued hunting season not only breaches EU law, but also opens a loophole for the illegal hunting of many other, often threatened, species such as herons and birds of prey. In late 2009, according to the group International Animal Rescue, “it can be said that there has been no improvement in respect of illegal killing of birds on Malta. As soon as migration begins or resumes, protected species are shot at all over the island and the government looks the other way". Antigua has the Magnificent Frigate Bird as a national symbol. The male of this aggressive hawk-like seabird has a large red inflatable pouch on it’s upper chest which it uses to display to females.

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