Let me start by saying I love this game. Let me follow by saying I love the natural environments in this game. I think it really adds to the experience to see fog flowing off the mountains, deer and elk running along, mammoths in the plains, and rabbits running away when I approach. But I noticed something recently that is missing from the game's wildlife that REALLY detracts from the experience now that I've noticed it.

Where are the birds?

There are plenty of butterflies, fireflies, and moths. I've seen bees and even ants on tree stumps! But there are no birds!

There is an occasional hawk flying in the air. But there are more dragons than hawks in this game. When I Shout, I expect to see birds take off. When a dragon roars or swords clash, I expect to see birds take off. When I'm walking around, I expect to see birds flying in the air, dotting the skyline. I expect to hear bird songs in the wild (note: there are some trees that twitter rather loudly, but the source of these odd sounds that are supposed to pass for bird songs is quite obvious and unchanging).

Bethesda, you cannot have a "natural environment" without having birds. Period. Please patch this. Even if you cannot kill the birds, having the aesthetic and audio will significantly improve the experience. Don't tell me its too difficult, you have hawks already. Add more of them. Shrink the model and call them songbirds, for all I care. If you can have tons of butterflies in a small area, you can have more birds flying around too.

Thoughts?

There are birds in the game, lol. Eagles and crows mainly.

Occasionally you will see a bird of prey, yes. I mentioned that. But there are not nearly enough to make it realistic. For a good example, play some Red Dead Redemption. Go out into the middle of a field and fire a gun.

there's already so many things going on I'd hate for something like birds to kill my frame rate. Also, birds are very hard to do well, for the little that they add.

I don't feel it detracts from the game but I think if someone was to create a mod that put in some more birds (small flocks of birds would be awesome) then that would be great and enhance the immersion some more.

Would be cool to kill birds for feathers, which you then use to craft arrows.

And yeah... I loved shooting the birds in Red Dead, lol.

Chickens :3

Where are the pheasants? Seriously where do those hunters get pheasant briasts from...

There aren't tons of butterflies, though, due to limitations of the hardware. Actually, it's pretty amazing what they managed to do, overall. It's far better than other games like Dragon Age: Origins, for example. Remember that all of the elements have to be rendered simultaneously.

We already have enough flying animals, I think, but it would be nice to add squirrels. Exploring the environment of Skyrim makes me feel like walking through Yosemite National Park in California, except for the lack of squirrels.

It is cold. Most birds are hiding. Also there are dragons around. I wouldn't be flying around very often if a huge flying lizard is hanging around.

But pheasants should be somewhere. There are lots of them hanging above fires. You can harvest them that way! Maybe they import them from warmer climes

Again, look at Red Dead Redemption. Best wildlife I have ever seen in a game. Birds everywhere. As for too much going on that might affect frame rate, I feel like there is way more going on in that game than Skyrim visually.

I recall a mod that added cats to Morrowwind. Mayhap someone can add some avians to this game (and some cats too).