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Crested and Proud

10,000 Birds

A crest is a “comb or tuft of feathers, fur, or skin on the head of a bird or other animal” Birds use them for display purposes – they can be either recumbent (not noticeable when not erect) or recursive (noticeable in all states). Quite a few bird species have crests. Crests are made of feathers.

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Big Year Birding Update

10,000 Birds

The birders birding on a budget and doing a lower-48 big year, Renee Rubin and Michael Delesantro , are doing nicely at 614 species for the year, amazing considering how little money they have spent. Not only that, but they are doing their big year to raise money for the Houston Audubon Society and the Katy Prairie Conservancy.

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Cavity Nesting Birds of North America and Their Babies!

10,000 Birds

Bufflehead ( Bucephala albeola ) Female at Cavity Entrance photos by Larry Jordan “Some 85 species of North American birds excavate nesting holes, use cavities resulting from decay (natural cavities), or use holes created by other species in dead or deteriorating trees. Talk about cute! www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWDXIhy9oJA

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Close Encounters

10,000 Birds

The young birds had looked like they were ready to fledge, the season is getting late and they looked ready to leave. I half-heartedly searched the opposite side for the fledged birds and turned to climb back out. As I walked along the ocean’s edge I looked ahead with my bins to see if any birds worked the shoreline.

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The Geladas of Ethiopia

10,000 Birds

They strut about flicking their luxurious fur capes, roaring, displaying their massive canines, chasing off rival males and generally just releasing their built-up testosterone, but back at the ranch, it’s the females that actually call the shots. Gelada communications include intense staring with raised eyebrows. Photo by Adam Riley.

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The Emotional Lives of Animals

4 The Love Of Animals

After publishing my stories I got emails from people all over the world who had seen similar behavior in various birds and mammals. These birds can learn to pull a string to retrieve a short stick, use the stick to pull out a longer one, then use the long stick to draw out a piece of meat. Empathy Among Elephants.

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Comebackers

10,000 Birds

birds that we are lucky to have with us today, species that seem to have beat the odds and have been migrating on the long and bumpy road to recovery. Not only were they a common bird, they were a common bird nearshore; indigenous peoples hunted them up and down the coast. Here are some U.S. is on a boat in the Aleutian chain.

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