Here’s a simple trick. Next time you see a bird in your backyard, ask three questions:
1. What is it eating? (Seeds? Bugs?)
2. Where is it foraging? (Ground? High branches?
3. What time of day is it?
A sparrow on the ground at noon has a different niche than a finch in a bush at sunset. They don’t compete because they’ve each carved out their own little corner of the world.
Think of a niche as a species’ signature move. The honeybee pollinates flowers. The earthworm aerates soil. The vulture cleans up dead stuff. Each one is a specialist, and each one matters.
