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The Falcon Thief: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

It didn’t occur to me till I started reading The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird that there was also a possible threat to the eagle herself: poachers, who steal raptor eggs and chicks. McWilliam realizes he’s dealing someone special, a career falcon egg-thief.

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Bernd Heinrich’s new book “White Feathers” — a review

10,000 Birds

His first surmise seems like a good one – that the feathers are meant to hide the eggs from other female swallows seeking to parasitize the nest, by disrupting the parasite’s timing (if eggs are present, the parasite would know that the nesting mother is ready to incubate – that is, incubate not only her own eggs, but the parasite’s, as well).

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