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Evidence of earlier humans in Madagascar is unconvincing but interesting

10,000 Birds

It was always thought that humans first inhabited the island of Madagascar about four or five thousand years ago or so. It was after that date that many of the great and strange animals of that island went extinct, presumably because of human hunting. If they are the only evidence of humans, then not fine.

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How did the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale get its name?

Reddit Animals

People in North America began using the term “right whale” in the early 1700s, and originally “right” may have meant “typical,” as these whales were considered common and ordinary. However, over time, the term evolved to refer to how they were hunted—they were considered “the right whales to hunt.”

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A Birder’s Guide to The Wilderness Act

10,000 Birds

Simply put, wilderness areas are the most protected public lands in America. And it prohibits human infrastructure, e.g. , roads, buildings, dams, and pipelines, etc. For example, hunting is not permitted in most NPS wilderness areas, but it is often allowed in wilderness areas managed by the other agencies.

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Vultures, Human Evolution, Global Warming, and Windmills

10,000 Birds

The topic was the concept of humans as predators, or hunters, or really, eaters of meat, and I was discussing the many ways in which people misconceived this notion. Even though this referred to a period after the supposed “scavenging” phase, it lent support to the idea of a stepwise evolution of the ability to hunt.

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A few Barbets

10,000 Birds

There are also 14 species of New World Barbets and 2 species of Toucan-Barbets (all in South America). Unfortunately, I have so far seen only a few of them, and none of the ones in the Americas … but here are ten that I have seen and got halfway decent photos of.

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Birding Sepilok, Borneo (Part 2)

10,000 Birds

The drongo perches above the flock, snatching insects that they disturb, and keeping an eye out for predators that might go unnoticed by its hunting flock-mates. The species is classified as Near Threatened for all the usual depressing reasons – pollution, drainage, hunting, and the collection of eggs and nestlings ( source ).

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This is my dream – this is my nightmare

10,000 Birds

Hunting and disturbance, deterioration, fragmentation and destruction of habitat were the forces behind the decline of this, once widespread species, making it Critically Endangered on the IUCN Global Red List. We come a little closer, but not closer than 100 meters, admiring the sight in a religious silence, careful not to disturb them.

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