HUMANS AND BIRDS
James, Ah Kat Tan (Dr.)
Consultant (Design, Systems, Innovation, Management)
On a sunny morning, a couple, husband and wife, went home after a jog and saw a sunbird in their living room. All the windows in the living room were closed except one which was partially open. The bird apparently flew into the living room from the partially open window.
When the bird saw the couple, it looked cautious and started to fly around in the living room and seemed to try finding an opening to get out of the apartment in a desperate manner. The couple decided to stand still and silently for a couple of minutes to allow the bird to calm down, and then walked slowly to open all the windows, including the large window at the balcony of the apartment, so that the bird could fly out through one of the windows. Eventually, the bird noted the widely open balcony window and flew towards it. However, it did not fly away straight, but instead stopped on a branch of a plant on the balcony, turned its head and looked at the couple. The couple were surprised that the bird stopped and looked at them and did not fly to safety directly. They stood still and silently for a few moments, and the bird finally flew away.
A few days later, on another sunny morning, while the couple were watching a news programme on the television in the living room, a bird flew into the balcony, stopped on the rail of the balcony, and looked at them. The couple saw the bird and found that it looked familiar – it had a blue spot near to each eye – it was the same sunbird that flew into their living room and got out safety a few days earlier. Then, another sunbird came and joined the first bird on the balcony rail. The two birds seemed to be a couple themselves, male and female, possibly also husband and wife.
The human couple and the bird couple stared at each other for a minute or so and the birds flew away and seemed very happily.
The man asked his wife, “Did the birds come to acknowledge their gratitude to us for letting the first bird out of our place safely the other day?” The wife answered, “Very likely.”
What can we learn from the humans and the birds?