Extraordinary Everyday

Rare things are commonly seen as special, but common things rarely are.

That's an unfortunate truth when it comes to the human experience, and it is very apparent in how we think about our birds. We get excited about a bright, migratory western tanager, for example, and pay little notice to the LBBs (little, brown birds) we walk by on a daily basis. Well, Ordinary Extraordinary Junco, a film project from Indiana University, is attempting to bring attention to one of these overlooked species, the junco. Check out the trailer below:

Say Hello to the Junco (Intro/Trailer) from Ordinary Extraordinary Junco on Vimeo.

For more information about the film and where to see it, click here.

When I was young, I would feel disappointment about some species or the other not living in the Pacific Northwest, but we always had plenty of Oregon juncos, the PNW subspecies of the dark-eyed junco. In time, I realized the juncos were indeed special, partly because of their toughness and ingenuity and partly because they were common, which made them a defining part of the area.

Rare things can certainly be special, but when we realize how special the common things are, that's a truly amazing experience.