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15 Australian Birds (Episode 2)

10,000 Birds

According to the HBW entry for this species, it “has been claimed that loss of native mammals after European settlement created shortage of nesting material, explaining this species’ penchant for taking hair from humans.” If you are interested in toxoplasmosis in Bar-shouldered Doves , this weblink is perfect for you.

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Big Ticks; What Was Your Last New Family?

10,000 Birds

Sometimes you gain armchair big ticks, like the White-tailed Blue-flycatcher I saw in Uganda in 2005 which later turned out to be in the Stenostiridae, a recently erected family. The year before I only got one, the shrike-tits (Falcunculidae), although if you include mammals also I finally got my lifer wombat (Vombatidae) too.

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The Emotional Lives of Animals

4 The Love Of Animals

It’s not surprising that animals—especially, but not only, mammals—share many emotions with us because we also share brain structures—located in the limbic system—that are the seat of our emotions. After publishing my stories I got emails from people all over the world who had seen similar behavior in various birds and mammals.

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