10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Sadly, they no longer breed in Algeria, while in Turkey no free-flying birds remain. (In Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World states that “disturbance by local people, tourists, and egg and zoo collectors has similarly reduced the colonies, and more protection is vital”. In 1890 an estimated 3,000 pairs nested in Birecik.)

Morocco 217

Morocco Austria Algeria Germany 217

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2023

During the breeding season, some Cattle Egrets look like teenage girls who have just discovered the existence of make-up, and consequently massively overdo it. But what do I know about the taste preferences of Cattle Egrets. It is probably all downhill from here. What’s next? Identification of subspecies?

Birds 130

Birds Raised Cattle Mammals 130

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2022

I should have known that birding High Island meant I would be 20 minutes away from a place where hundreds of thousands of shorebirds and waterbirds rest, feed, breed, and generally have a good time. I love American Avocets and I rarely see them in such marvelous breeding plumage, so I was in heaven. Clapper Rail. Back to the Flats.

Houston 203

Houston Texas Sanctuary Sparrows 203

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2020

But when raised, they seem to have a sort of weird cape. In other words, they never raise their own young. Instead, they lay their eggs in other species’ nests, and let those nest-making birds (often significantly smaller than the cowbirds) raise their young. So that is a negative mark on both their records.

Birds 153

Birds Blackbirds Mexico Cattle 153

Animal Ethics

MARCH 8, 2009

If a genetically engineered animal’s legs periodically fell off, would not its legs be more like a product of an animal (analogous to eggs) than a part of the animal? These people abstain from eggs and dairy products the production of which involves suffering for the animals. Would the blood be analogous to milk or eggs?

Vegetarian 40

Vegetarian Morals Suffering Vegan 40

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2021

The fields near the Tiaozini mudflats look very much like a lunar landscape, but this does not seem to keep a number of species from breeding there, sometimes directly on dirt roads. But now back to birds … Little Ringed Plovers also seem to like to breed directly on the road. Blandness sells. Also available as a set of two.

Birds 207

Birds Uganda Breeding Rats 207

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2022

I have written about the interesting sex life of these jacanas a few times already (short version: female mates with male, lays a bunch of eggs for him to incubate and raise the chicks, leaves him, finds another male, repeat). Black-naped Orioles are breeding in Fengxian. Here is a presumed pair. but they do.

Birds 147

Birds China Eggs Breeding 147