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Acheron Delta, Greece: Hell is Closed for Renovation

10,000 Birds

I can hear the mooing of cows, interrupted by gunshots, while two scared flocks of ducks fly above the delta. In a low tree crown above the road stands an Icterine Warbler , while a smaller flock of Sand Martins hunts insects low above the reeds. High ’tsi-tsi-tsi’ and one turquoise Common Kingfisher flies by.

Greece 162
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Hawking for Nighthawks

10,000 Birds

Scores of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks circled overhead, these vocal ducks are often hunted illegally here so it was refreshing to see so many. We had no idea if the nighthawks would hunker down or flee. Arriving before sunrise, we could already see the thick clouds on the horizon. Such is birding, such is life.

Livestock 202
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The Final Days of the Danube backwaters in Belgrade: Chinese Belt and Road Initiative is coming to Serbia

10,000 Birds

When I reached the levee earlier that morning, I met an elderly hunter from whom I learned that there was an ongoing duck and pheasant hunt, but no one was shooting from, nor towards the embankment, hence I should be safe there. The only wildcat I found was illegally killed by hunters during closed season.

Serbia 242
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We are Just Money Grubbers

10,000 Birds

This species’ population is suspected to have decreased rapidly, owing to levels of hunting on the staging and wintering grounds, and habitat deterioration (largely as a result of land cultivation). In the Western Palearctic at least 20-30% of the population are shot each year, often accidentally during hunting of other species.”

Serbia 198
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The Wildlife Conservation Stamp: An Additional Income Stream for Our National Wildlife Refuges

10,000 Birds

Without adequate funding, habitats are not restored, invasive species are left unchecked, poaching and other illegal activities occur and our nation’s wildlife suffers 1. ” Elizabeth Jackson of the Duck Stamp Program is not optimistic about birders or non-hunters embracing the Duck Stamp as hunters have.

Wildlife 192
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The Whistle Blowers

10,000 Birds

The haunting call of the West Indian Whistling Duck has long been a sound synonymous with the ever-shrinking wetlands of the Caribbean. The whistling duck call carries with it the crimes of big business, the failures of governments and the ignorance of irresponsible hunters. They are also the rarest. Until recently.

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The Falcon Thief: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

It didn’t occur to me till I started reading The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird that there was also a possible threat to the eagle herself: poachers, who steal raptor eggs and chicks. We are cautioned to keep the location of the eagle a secret. 2019), and now this book.

Falcons 198