10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2024

Hauber Hauber’s mini-essays focus on specific behaviors, enhanced by references to recent research yet written in a relaxed, personal way. And there is diversity in charisma–few people can resist an Emperor Penguin or a Secretary Bird, but common birds like Indian Myna and Black-crowned Night Heron also get their due respect.

Chicago 193

Chicago Barn Owls Penguins New Zealand 193

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2022

The vampire bat is the vehicle for a discussion of what Higgins calls the human sense of pleasure and pain (but not, as to the latter, for the reason you might think). As late as 1963, Higgins says, there were various theories that sought to explain the hunting prowess of owls – smell, night vision, the ability to detect body heat.

Humane 250

Humane New York Owls Hunting 250

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2023

I remember that when I was still a research chemist developing dental materials, I once gave a presentation at that university, which was followed by my receiving a hideous and very colorful plate as a gift afterward. The Bat Hawk mainly eats bats, as the name suggests – in a curiously precise statement, Wikipedia claims that 49.3%

Birds 229

Birds Eagles Elephants Rhinoceros 229

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2015

Flight has evolved multiple times; it has emerged in lizards, snakes, fish, bats, maybe bats again, distant relatives of primates, regular primates, rodents, and a few other unlikely taxa, in a rather half baked fashion, not “true” flight. It has evolved in non-vertebrate animals like insects more than once.

Rodents 193

Rodents Primates Bats Science 193

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2021

Ranging in color from off-white to dingy black, with pastel to gelatinous shades of yellow, orange, purple, and brown in-between, found in moist crevasses, decaying trees, rain-soaked pastures, mushrooms lack the beauty of butterflies and wildflowers cannot equal the action of bats, or flying fish, and certainly lack the spiritual zest of birds.

North America 270

North America America Species 2018 270

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2023

Another item they feed on is hunting edible bird nest swiftlets, which are quite common in edible swiftlet houses in Sabah, Malaysia ( source ). The first attempt in hunting was made by the male hornbill which was seen snapping at a passing swiftlet, but was unsuccessful.

Rhinoceros 131

Rhinoceros Singapore Transported Hunting 131

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2018

We made several stops along the way, hoping our eBird research would give us local hotspots that might turn up a few gems. Once we were checked in, we headed straight out to begin our hunt. What did find right off the bat, was an amazing group of people, all willing to help out in so many ways. Tom and Connie, and John Y.

Texas 135

Texas Tucson San Antonio Owls 135