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Birding the Kruger Park (4): Letaba area

10,000 Birds

Of course, the second explanation makes a lot more sense. However, it is kind of sophisticated in that the females lay very individualized eggs in order to be able to detect the added eggs of parasite cuckoo finches. The Latin species name vermiculatus (worm-like) refers to the markings on the upperparts.

Zimbabwe 147
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Birding Nonggang, Guangxi, China – part 1

10,000 Birds

Presumably, Grey-throated Babblers are not very fond of monkeys, especially the (potentially misnamed) Grey Leaf Monkey. One was reported to have raided the nest of a Grey-throated Babbler , eating at least two eggs and possibly one nestling ( source ).

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Come@Me: Don’t Mourn for Extinct Birds

10,000 Birds

The Zoo episode focuses on two Pink Pigeon couples: The Stud and Serendipity, a male and female that the zoo people hope will mate and produce a viable egg, and Thelma and Louise, a same-sex pair-bonded couple who the zoo people hope will incubate the egg and nurture the chick. Because, Ms. On the WCS web page, Ms.

Mauritius 103
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How much bird is there, anyway?

10,000 Birds

But of course, I do understand that bird watchers strive to see the birds that are at the lower end of the distribution of abundance, or to observe unusual behavior, so in a sense all this other bird-biomass out there consisting as it does of mundane birds is a distraction rather than an objective. This is also because mammals are large.

Mammals 182
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Birding Shanghai in April 2023

10,000 Birds

To be honest, both the robin and the flycatchers shown above remind me of the easter eggs I hunted for as a child – the same strong colors in front of a green background, same time of the year (feel free to insert your own Proust Madeleine reference here) … Bluethroats apparently are good at imitating other birds.

Monkeys 147
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Birding Kangding, Sichuan

10,000 Birds

The most likely explanation – as judged by the authors – is something called the farming hypothesis, which states that brood parasites such as the koel may deliberately destroy nests as it gives them a good chance to deposit an egg in the replacement clutch. Yes, sexism, I know.

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