10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2013

In a sad, stupid, and short-sighted move, the National Audubon Society has decided to suspend their contract with Ted Williams and remove him from his position of “Editor-at-Large” on the masthead. Ted has contributed articles to Audubon Magazine for over 33 years. The reason for Audubon’s actions? He wrote a column , not for Audubon, but for the Orlando Sentinal , in which he advocated the killing of feral cats instead of the use of trap-neuter-release.

Cats 272

Cats Feral Cats United States Euthanasia 272

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 26, 2013

KONG Premium Treats are made in the USA (hurray!) and are great for training your dog, or just rewarding your dog for being awesome! They are shaped like the popular KONG toy, and also will fit inside of a KONG to provide your pooch with a fun challenge! The treats are free of wheat, corn and soy. There are no artificial colors or flavors, no animal byproducts or harmful preservatives.

Dogs 196

Dogs Animal 196

Animal Ethics

MARCH 13, 2013

According to the Guardian , the new pope (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) took his name from Saint Francis of Assisi (depicted above), who is the patron saint of animals. This would be a wonderful opportunity for the Roman Catholic Church, which has 1.2 billion adherents, to drive home the point that animals are not resources for human use but fellow denizens of the planet, with lives, a good, and a dignity of their own.

Animal 43

Animal Humane 43

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

On 14 March, 2013, the Orlando Sentinel published an opinion piece by Ted Williams under the headline “Trap, neuter, return programs make feral-cat problem worse.” In the piece he made the arguments that one normally makes when arguing against trap-neuter-return (TNR): it encourages more abandonment, it’s ineffective at reducing feral cat populations, the colonies are reservoirs for diseases that can infect people and other species, the cats often suffer from grievous injuries,

Feral Cats 271

Feral Cats Trap Neuter Return Tnr Extremist 271

Speaker: Steve Romanco

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2013

In the last month or two, Americans and Canadians alike have been buzzing about Black Hawks. Discussion of such an uncommon raptor in northern latitudes seems all the more inexplicable when Black Hawks are mentioned in the same breath as Chicago, as if we’ve ever known an ABA-approved sighting of Common Black Hawks in Illinois… Of course, hockey fans know that the Chicago Blackhawks have set the first months of the abbreviated 2013 NHL season ablaze with a record-setting scoring stre

Chicago 241

Chicago South America 2013 Illinois 241

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2013

Pro-tip: If you are a Red-tailed Hawk don’t attack a Bald Eagle on its nest. Such an idea when put into practice will not end well for you.

Bald Eagle 266

Bald Eagle Eagles Birds 266

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2013

It’s that special time of year when birds begin to move north and people see a migrant during a snow storm and ask, “Can that bird survive??” The answer? Yes. Usually. I was reminded this week as Minnesota received a few more inches of snow and some sub zero wind chills. Great Blue Herons are returning to the state (as they do this time of year) and people see them and worry.

Minnesota 198

Minnesota Coyotes Nashville Birds 198

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2013

The upside of rehabbing Turkey Vultures is they’re smart, funny, cool, fascinating birds. The downside is sometimes they’ll bite you and throw up on you. It’s a small price to pay. This gorgeous guy was hit by a car, I’m guessing, in a town south of me. He hobbled into the driveway of a woman named Terry, limping badly and unable to fly. She made the 10 or 14 calls it usually takes to find a wildlife rehabilitator, finally finding me.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 196

Wildlife Rehabilitation Soreing Turkey Suffering 196

10,000 Birds

MARCH 26, 2013

Now this is some seriously good news ! Or, in Ted’s words: I’ve just been informed by Audubon that I am benched for the next issue but will be permanently back in the game the following issue. I knew I had fans out there, but never imagined there were so many and with such strong feelings. Your support went as viral as the emails from Alley Cat Allies.

Feral 196

Feral Game Cats 196

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

In 1898, Hermon Bumpus published a paper about change in the morphology in a population of House Sparrows that he proposed was an example of Darwinian Natural Selection in action. Some time after that, the Bumpus study was incorporated in teaching about evolution and is now found in textbooks and problem sets for intro biology in high schools and colleges around the world.

Killing 193

Killing South Africa Nebraska Collecting 193

Advertisement

this is a test

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2013

Gyrfalcons are big birds. A male Gyrfalcon , the smaller of the pair, can clock in at 24 inches tall and weigh up to 3 pounds. Females can get up to 4.5 pounds and a couple of inches taller. After spending most of my time watching them at an aerie some 150 feet up a cliff I never really appreciated just how big they are until I held an injured one in my hands.

Industry 189

Industry Breeding Rights Animal 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 28, 2013

Keep your eyes to the skies for fun celestial bodies! (Did you see Pan-Starrs? Clare Kines spotted the charismatic comet above Admiralty Inlet in Nunavut!). Spring is here! I know this not from the gradual appearance of robins, grackles, and blackbirds around me, but rather from the fact that our local schools are about to embark on spring break. Party!

2013 186

2013 New York Blackbirds Eggs 186

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2013

Robins are one of those taxonomically confusing terms, like bunting or grosbeak or warbler, that are applied to groups of birds in different, often disparate, families. In the New World, the birds we call “robins” are deep-bellied, melodious-voiced, thrushes of the genus Turdus. In the Old World, they’re little, roundish, chats (another of those odd terms).

Family 185

Family Groups Birds 185

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2013

The Bee-eaters are a beautifully coloured Old World family of birds that sit out on prominent perches watching for insects to prey upon. This Green Bee-eater , Merops Orientalis , was seen at the Pivot Fields in Dubai where it was perched on a sprinkler head and was constantly looking out for something to eat. Bees are eaten, as you might imagine, but so are most other flying insects including dragonflies, beetles and butterflies.

Family 184

Family Birds 184

Advertisement

Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.

Experience

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2013

The first batch of proposals for the 2013 American Ornithologists’ Union North American checklist supplement has hit the ‘tubes. Let’s take a look at some of what lurks inside: Pygmy-owl split. Proposal 2013-A-2 would split the “Guatemalan Pygmy-Owl” ( Glaucidium cobanense ) of southern Mexico and northern Central America from the widespread Northern Pygmy-Owl ( G. gnoma ) on the basis of vocal differences and a discrete range.

2013 184

2013 Sparrows Owls Stray 184

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2013

Bushtits ( Psaltriparus minimus ) are the only New World representative of the long-tailed t**s ( Aegithalidae ) and they are primarily limited to the western parts of North America and the highlands of Central America. You can tell from the look of the male in flight above that they are not strong fliers. Lucky for them, they don’t have to be because they don’t migrate.

North America 181

North America Breeders America Breeding 181

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2013

It’s been awhile since we added a new Beat Writer here at 10,000 Birds and I am pleased to announce that the long drought has ended. Please give a warm welcome to our newest Beat Writer, Meredith Matthews! … Meredith Matthews is a long time reader of 10,000 Birds who regularly let Mike and Corey know about cool news stories, blog posts, and other tidbits related to birds that she found.

Chicago 180

Chicago Massachusetts Eagles Medical 180

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2013

The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae is Australia’s largest bird standing at up to 2 metres (6 foot 6 inches) tall. Although it is flightless it is able to run at considerable speed and it is not uncommon to have them running alongside your vehicle at up to 50km/hr (31mph). They are also inquisitive, so if you observe some near the edge of the road and you want to gain their attention you can turn on your car indicators and they will often investigate rather than run off.

Australia 178

Australia Investigation Family Groups 178

Speaker: Gabriel Wagner Presenter

10,000 Birds

MARCH 22, 2013

It’s a sign, I think, when I receive a book to review and realize I just bought the same book, on my own recognizance, for my own pleasure. Also a sign when I spot other books by the same author on the shelf in the office of a member of my thesis committee, and on my own Christmas wish list. In this case, the signs were right. This is a good book.

Sparrows 178

Sparrows Feral Cats North America Feral 178

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2013

At last, we stand on the threshold of a new season, moving inexorably into a period of phenological flux. Nature lovers love those magical months between winter and summer, so get your affairs in order… migration is either coming or may have already come! I took a run up to the lake today to find that most of the winter seaducks have moved offshore, at least for the weekend.

2013 173

2013 Blackbirds Birds Experience 173

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2013

Rick Wright has exploded the conventional wisdom and advanced an alternative theory as to why the Prothonotary Warbler is called the Prothonotary Warbler. Click through to unlearn what you already thought you knew and have your mind blown. (Yeah, that might be a bit hyperbolic but whatever.).

Birds 173

Birds 173

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2013

This week, the future is being heard and not seen. I pass over the bridge on my way to class and a Song Sparrow is starting to defend a clump of bushes along the river. The Black-capped Chickadees have been adjusting their songs for weeks; now they are well-practiced and ready to get on with the business of breeding. I lie awake at one in the morning and a Killdeer cries somewhere in the dark.

Canada 172

Canada Sparrows Humane Breeding 172

Speaker: Steve Romanco

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2013

When I worked for a wild bird feeding store, as snow melted people would ask, “When do I stop feeding birds?” Some of the concern is that birds will rely on bird feeders and not seek out “natural foods.” That’s not really a concern, I mean, your peanut butter suet and black oil sunflower seeds may be awesome, but they really can compare to an early spring insect hatch.

Birds 170

Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 170

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2013

Alfredo Begazo grew up with Peruvian Meadowlarks and Marvelous Spatuletails, and was used to waking up to the morning choruses of Pacific Doves in Lima, Peru. He now wakes up to the choruses of Northern Cardinals and Northern Mockingbirds in sunny Vero Beach, Florida. Alfredo, an experienced birder in Peru and well-rounded naturalist, founded a birding and nature eco-travel company , known as Surbound Expeditions (Sur=Spanish for south).

Peru 170

Peru Birds Parrots Chile 170

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2013

Janice Dunlap, author of the Birder Murder Mysteries, wanted to make sure everyone knows that North Star Press is offering her first Birder Murder, The Boreal Owl Murder , as a FREE Kindle edition for the next 5 days. This might be as close as you get to a Boreal Owl this year, so move quickly!

Owls 167

Owls 167

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2013

In the UK, we have a long-running soap series called ‘Coronation Street’ A set of three flying ducks graced the muriel (sic) on the wall of Hilda Ogden’s back room at No.13, Coronation Street. Greatly loved by Hilda, she credits the ducks and her scenic wall, for keeping her ‘hand from the gas tap’ on her bad days. But to her long-suffering husband Stan, the rest of the residents in ‘The Street’ and to the millions of television viewers, they were the e

Ducks 167

Ducks Geese Suffering Canada 167

Advertiser: Aggregage

Testing

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2013

This weekend had something for everyone: celebrations, congregations, and migrations. And also sports! Please tell me you found something special to do… I took my kids on our traditional Easter morning hike, though the timing this year meant that spring has scarcely sprung. Still, hearing the tricksy triplets of a Northern Mockingbird made my weekend.

2013 165

2013 Birds Experience Experiments 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2013

On our recent visit to Queensland we encountered Apostlebirds Struthidea cinerea firstly in Biggenden and then in numerous locations as we travelled west. We had last experienced this cheerful family of birds in Katherine in the Northern Territory over 13 years ago, so although the population is isolated there they had the same characteristics. They roam in family groups varying from eight birds upwards and have a certain confidence about themselves as they strut around the bush.

Investigation 165

Investigation Australia Family Collecting 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2013

Ever been to a party where a couple get onto the dance floor and start throwing some moves before the food is served? Dressed up to the nines they just can’t resist the urge to get out there and put on a display for the rest of the party-goers who are often still in the early stages of waking up or acquiring the necessary dutch courage to get out and give it some.

Factory 165

Factory Ireland Breeding Rescue 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2013

It’s barely a question that needs to be asked, in all actuality. What is a heron? Herons end up being one of the few groups of birds as beloved by the general public as by those of us who know birds. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been a social situation wherein I’m outed as a birder and the first thing the person I’m talking to mentions is the heron on their neighborhood pond.

North America 165

North America Birds America Groups 165

Speaker: cha cha dwyer

testing erfgjnea;rgfnae