The legend of the phoenix has been in the popular imagination since ancient civilizations. This magical, mythical bird has been a part of the plot since time immemorial. Even today, you would find mention of the phoenix, in books, tales and movies. A city in the United States is named after this bird, which rises from its ashes and the "Harry Potter" movie series has it interwoven in many sub-plots.

Birds are intelligent creatures with active minds and they can soon become bored if they had not kept entertained. Birds that are bored and start to exhibit a desirable behavior such as squawking a lot and pulling out all the feathers. One way to keep your bird amused even when you're not around is to make sure that you provide him with a variety of bird toys.

Birding is one of the fastest growing recreational activities. As with any such thing, it has developed a language all its own. Here is a primer on some key phrases.

Bird watching is like an addiction. Once you are hooked, there is no getting away from it. Since doing so is hopeless, you need to understand the terminology you will here.