Critter News

AUGUST 12, 2009

If you think it's fun killing animals in your own forest in Austria and bring them to your hunting estate, we will destroy it. Understand this: This will continue until you sever all ties with Huntingdon Life Sciences. We will attack your private life wherever possible. Have you got any more hobbies Daniel? We will destroy them.

Animal Rights 100

Animal Rights Austria Rights Animal 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2015

It therefore comes as no surprise that it has been regarded as a subspecies of the Spanish Sparrow or the House Sparrow, or as a species in its own right. We currently are experiencing a rare time where all major taxonomic bodies tend to regard it as a species in its own right, the Italian Sparrow Passer italiae.

Sparrows 209

Sparrows Italy Asia Austria 209

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2012

This last weekend I was in eastern Austria in the state of Burgenland – just a mile from the Hungarian border – where a small population of Great Bustards persists. But what is even more spectacular than the sheer size of this bird, is its absolutely crazy lekking display.

Austria 170

Austria Spain Ducks Rights 170

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2017

Austria, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and a brief visit to California have kept me in new birds and it has been wonderful. The nuthatch also foraged in a more traditional way, walking right-side-up and up-side-down on tree trunks and branches. This year has been a good year for me in terms of travel.

Puerto Rico 100

Puerto Rico Austria Bahamas United States 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2017

Before my trip to Austria that bridged January and February, I had never really had that country high on my list of places I wanted to go. What I knew of Austria was very little: The Sound of Music, mountains and skiing, Vienna, Hitler’s birthplace, Krampus, good beer, and often confused with Australia. And am I ever glad I did!

Austria 100

Austria Europe Birds United States 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2017

After all, exposing a child to nature is important in their development, right? You might think it would have been no big deal to take off to the Adirondacks for a day chasing a rare gull a couple of days before leaving your family for a week while you gallivant around Austria but you probably live alone and will continue to do so.

New York 101

New York Owls Beavers Puerto Rico 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2012

Now that probably sounds rather simple, but, in the case of the EL32, the length of the barrels and optical system needed to be increased (no mean feat) in order to ensure that the ergonomics were just right. It was the incredible image that got me wow-ing over and over again.

Austria 170

Austria Thailand Montana Protection 170

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2017

I know for a fact that a certain birder from the US only joined an esteemed bird blog and blogged like a madman just so he would eventually be invited by makers of fine optics to Austria where he would have a chance at seeing his lifer white-throated dippers. Crazy, I know. And you know what? Ridiculous really, but there you go.

Germany 100

Germany 2016 Hamburgers Austria 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

And most recently, a team of researchers from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Austria have demonstrated that New Caledonian Crows understand UCAs. Here’s the idea. The following graph shows the experimental setup and results.

Abandon 221

Abandon Abandoning Abandonment Research 221

Animal Ethics

AUGUST 30, 2007

The volume „Tierrechte – eine interdisziplinäre Herausforderung“ (literally „Animal Rights – an interdisciplinary challenge“ has just been released from Harald Fischer Verlag (publisher), Germany. We would be pleased if you would support us by announcing the book in your Blog (Newsletters, Website etc.). We really appreciate it! Thanks a lot!

Germany 40

Germany Animal Ethics Switzerland Netherlands 40

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2011

bla bla bla (add interesting text here) >> fast forward >> the end bit… so the real reason I wanted to write this blog post is that I wanted to share this video: [link] All these images were taken right here, where we live and make fancy schmancy binoculars. But then again, those are some pretty hard acts to follow.

South Africa 173

South Africa Factory Parrots Africa 173

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

Yet, here I am, back from Austria, minus one Black Woodpecker sighting. It’s not that I wasn’t in the right spot. It is not right what they have done to me and I will have my revenge. Well, that doesn’t even bear thinking about. I better not miss this bird again. It’s not that I didn’t try.

Woodpeckers 100

Woodpeckers Austria Europe Hungary 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

Rueppell’s (facing left) and White-backed (three birds facing right) Vultures have worryingly leapt two categories from Near-Threatened to Endangered. An adult (left) and subadult (right) White-backed Vulture with full crops after feeding on the remains of a Lion kill, Ndutu, Tanzania by Adam Riley.

Endangered Species 183

Endangered Species Species South Africa Morocco 183

Animal Person

MARCH 29, 2009

The underlying premise is that you can know what is right (such as me knowing what's right then eating cow flesh in the form of filet mignon for a year), but that by no means will necessarily manifest in your behavior. In contrast, abstract-rational entities, like personhood or rights, are not.

Psychology 100

Psychology Campaign Animal Rights Movement Suffering 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

After meeting the woman of his dreams, he moved to Austria where he now has the coolest job in the world making awesome toys for birders ( Swarovski Optik product manager ). Wicked, right? He happens to also be obsessed with photography, particularly digiscoping, and despite all efforts will almost certainly never be a good birder.

2011 203

2011 Breeders Breeding Deer 203

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2012

Yesterday was a public holiday in Austria and we had decided to take a drive out to Lake Constance / Bodensee to see what we could turn up – given that migration season has just started to kick in and we had had a dramatic turn of weather (fresh snows), we had high hopes for something spectacular turning up.

Austria 189

Austria Birds Breeding Africa 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2018

Yet, it takes great logistical effort to organize the census all the way from Germany to Austria, Hungary and Serbia in the same day, to count on numerous volunteers and hope for the best February weather. The idea behind is simple, some birds may move and if counted within a week or a month, double counting is almost guaranteed.

Hungary 138

Hungary Serbia Austria Eggs 138

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2011

After meeting the woman of his dreams, he moved to Austria where he now has the coolest job in the world making awesome toys for birders ( Swarovski Optik product manager ). Wicked, right? He happens to also be obsessed with photography, particularly digiscoping, and despite all efforts will almost certainly never be a good birder.

Cats 146

Cats 2011 Costa Rica Deer 146