article thumbnail

The Cattle Egret Expansion

10,000 Birds

When you think of invasives, you think of the birds that have been helped by human beings to get where they are, such as House Sparrow or European Starling. I’d like to introduce you to a diminutive heron, the Cattle Egret Bubuclus ibis. Cattle Egret has been introduced by humans to Hawaii and the Seychelles.

Cattle 170
article thumbnail

Birding Nanhui, Shanghai, in September 2021

10,000 Birds

Being a bit older myself now, I have to point out that young human males usually do not look that good, at least to me. Cattle Egrets have perfected that smudgy look. Breeding in Northern Japan and wintering in the Phillippines, some seem to take a migratory rest stop (and slight deviation) at the Shanghai coast.

Birds 231
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

Birding Chongming Island in summer

10,000 Birds

Where it is not – for example, in Japan – it will have difficulties finding a partner to mate. ” I can see how this line of thinking leads to all kinds of sci-fi types of thought (“would I mate with an alien if I was the last human on earth”, etc.), How convenient. How efficient. How surprising.

Birds 162
article thumbnail

Birding Shanghai in May 2023 – Part 1

10,000 Birds

The bird on the photo is one of the estimated 3500-15,000 individuals still alive according to the HBW – a frightening thought given the (too) large number of humans, of which there are about 1 million times more (and of course, each of which weighs 5000 times more than the flycatcher). It is probably all downhill from here.

Birds 130
article thumbnail

From Today's New York Times

Animal Ethics

No wonder rBGH has been banned in Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Europe and Canada outlawed using hormones on dairy cows because of such human and animal health concerns. June 29, 2007 The writers are cattle ranchers. In cows, the hormones have been shown to increase lameness, udder infections and bone cancer.

article thumbnail

Birding Shanghai in May 2023 – Part 2

10,000 Birds

One study in Korea found that 37% of injuries and deaths were caused by predation by natural enemies, another 37% (a worryingly high number) by window strikes, 10% by traffic accidents, 7% each by flooding and dehydration, and 3% by human disturbance. I wonder what Barn Swallows did before humans started building houses.

Birds 130