10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Few American birds have the publicity problems of the titmouse. Even though they are numerous, if not downright gregarious throughout most of their range, despite the fact that the Tufted Titmouse is consistently one of the top ten most frequently reported species in the Great Backyard Bird Count , titmice lack the popularity of other common birds like cardinals, jays, doves, crows, or even their close cousins, chickadees.
4 The Love Of Animals
SEPTEMBER 29, 2012
Does your kitty have what it takes to be the next internet star? Be sure to submit a video for a chance to win The Friskies, the major award for the best new Internet cat videos of 2012. Many great art forms have awards for the best new work created each year. Films have the Oscars®. TV shows have the Emmys®. And now, finally, Internet cat videos have “The Friskies.”.
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Critter News
SEPTEMBER 5, 2012
African elephants being poached in unprecedented numbers. They are disappearing from the continent as the poachers become increasingly militarized. Full story here at the New York Times.
Animal Ethics
SEPTEMBER 17, 2012
To the Editor: In “ Where Cows Are Happy and Food Is Healthy ” (column, Sept. 9), Nicholas D. Kristof describes “happy” cows that are loved “like children” by an organic dairy farmer. I applaud his recognition that cows are individual feeling beings that share with us the ability to experience happiness and contentment, fear and pain. The article does, however, gloss over the undeniable fact that even cows with names produce milk only because they have recently given birth to calves who, if male
Speaker: Steve Romanco
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10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 11, 2012
Two weeks ago I wrote a post entitled, “How do Birds get their Color?” This got me thinking about eye color in birds. As humans we place exceptional value in the beauty of an individual’s eyes. Most of us will have heard the saying, “Eyes are the windows to the soul” But besides the cosmetic value, the color of our eyes provides little other benefit to our lives.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 13, 2012
If you ever wonder why so many American birders leaven their love of nature with a little self-loathing, look no further than the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation , which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts every five years or so. Many of our most puzzling statistics arise from this otherwise innocuous report.
Animal Rights Zone brings together the best content for animal advocates and activists from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 11, 2012
The world’s 17 megadiverse countries have either massive landmasses or are situated in tropical zones, thus supporting a very rich fauna and flora. However South Africa doesn’t meet either of these criteria, but one special factor nevertheless carries it into this auspicious list of 17 nations – the Cape Florisitic Kingdom. By far the smallest of the world’s six floristic kingdoms (the others cover vast areas, being: Holarctic – all of North America, Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia; Pala
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
We know that the human mind has capacities that are not common in other animals. Some of these capacities seem to be linked with language or with complex thinking or inference, and probably evolved in connection with our linguistic and complex social behavior. For example, humans have “Theory of Mind” which is not a theory in the scientific sense, but rather, a capacity whereby we have an internal theory of what is going on in other people’s minds.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 14, 2012
With an election coming up I thought I would present this collection of strictly non-political, indecisive birds, who are on the fence about a variety of issues. The Red-tailed Hawk above is on the fence about flying off, or staying for the rest of this post. The Green Heron is a mysterious bird, on the fence about whether to reveal more of its nature, or return to skulk in the reeds as might be expected.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 19, 2012
Ron Pittaway has published his winter finch forecast for the winter of 2012-2013. Though Ron is based in Ontario his reports are eagerly anticipated by birders across the northeastern United States and eastern Canada because it takes into account a vast array of data to figure out which irruptive species might show up where. It is reproduced in full below, with minor changes to the format and with illustrations added by yours truly.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 21, 2012
Yet another Red-tailed Hawk ! Two friends were driving down a winding country road in the pouring rain, listening to the radio announcer warn that a tornado could be heading our way. We’re in upstate New York, so this is unlikely, but still disturbing. They saw movement on the grassy area to the side, slowed, and found a young hawk, soaking wet, unable to get off the ground.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 28, 2012
It is fall migration season and the birds are flying. We have had quite a run of birds overhead as they stream down along the Pacific flyway. I’ve been banding birds of prey for 5 years it is easy to put ourselves through endless fog days and cramped quarters when the end result is good research, accurate data, and minimal impact on the raptors we encounter.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 25, 2012
It is that time of year when a birder must keep at least one eye on the skies for migrating raptors. They make their way south in big numbers, especially on days when the winds are right, which generally from the north, though they do tend to pile up very nicely at many hawkwatch sites in the northeastern United States when the winds are out of the northwest.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 26, 2012
In January 1971, two oil tankers collided under the Golden Gate Bridge, spilling more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil into the San Francisco Bay. Little was known about oiled bird care at that time and despite the courageous attempts of hundreds of volunteers, only 300 birds survived from the 7,000 collected. Alice Berkner , a registered nurse, came up with the concept of International Bird Rescue while trying to help the more than 7,000 birds that filled warehouses around the San Francisco Ba
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10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 16, 2012
Many of us in North America are facing the imminent departure of “our” hummingbirds for the next few months, though across the Gulf Coastal Plain, a few western hummingbirds are staking out winter homes, and hardy Anna’s Hummingbirds will do just fine along the Pacific Coast and in Arizona all winter long. Rufous Hummingbird ( Selasphorus rufus ) wintering in Louisiana © David J.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 7, 2012
My rehabber friend Lisa Acton, who is with Animal Kingdom USA Wildlife Rehabilitation , picked up her phone and heard the voice of an elderly lady. “It’s a Raven ,” said the voice. “He’s hurt and he can’t fly. I’m afraid to go near him, because I think he’s going to attack me and peck my eyes out.” “Run, Tippi!” screamed Lisa. “Get away, before he and all his psycho bird friends tear the roof off your house!
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 16, 2012
It has been twelve weeks now since the first pair of Pied Oystercatchers attempted to breed along the stretch of beach that we survey and as with each year there have been setbacks. In theory the eggs are laid, the adults share the incubation of the eggs for 28 days and then fluffy chicks emerge. The chicks are then fed and encouraged to feed themselves and after approximately 35 days they are able to fly and escape danger.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 1, 2012
The Australian Brush-turkey is far enough removed from the American Turkey’s Phasianidae family to not even get considered for wedding and funeral invitations. It belongs instead to the Megapodiidae branch of the Galliformes family tree. They are thought to keep in touch with the furthest reaches of their kin by sending Christmas cards, but are consistently disappointed and confused when their greetings are not returned.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 5, 2012
I am a migration junky. I love it. No matter how many times I see certain species, I’m happy to see them again when the seasons shift. I also love large congregations of birds. I take comfort in that, when I see a huge flock of birds, I feel so insignificant, it’s liberating. And though there are plenty of places in the United States to enjoy migration (heck even right here in my state of Minnesota) I’ve been fortunate enough to take in migration in other areas.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 12, 2012
Nashville Warbler ( Oreothlypis ruficapilla ridgwayi ) photos by Larry Jordan I have been enjoying some first time visitors to my yard this fall, including several warblers, one of which is the western Nashville Warbler ( Oreothlypis ruficapilla ridgwayi ). Click on photos for full sized images. Their are two separate subspecies of the Nashville Warbler , one occurs east of the Mississippi River ( Oreothlypis ruficapilla ruficapilla ) and the other, pictured here, formerly called the Calaveras W
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 21, 2012
Not an urban legend From the time I was a small child, I would flip through the pages of field guides and imagine the stumbling across this or that amazing bird. My criteria for amazing were less sophisticated in those days — mainly, they required that the bird be different that the ones I saw around every day, and different in a visually striking manner – bright colors, size, oddball crests or gular sacs or long tails.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Birders in fall look forward to cold fronts the same way a toddler looks forward to Santa Claus. With anxious days, sleepless nights, and the inkling in the back of your mind that the man can’t quite measure up to the myth. We in the south get migration some weeks after Corey and crew and, like Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part. I spend my mornings veering wildly between the too infrequent joy of stumbling across a mixed flock and wandering around in a misanthropic haze wond
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 29, 2012
A day spent with Sanderlings is surely a day well spent. Even when they are not feeding in their endearing manner, chasing the waves back and forth, Sanderlings are still one of the most watchable birds that you are ever likely to see. I missed my OCD therapy session today and do you know, it didn’t matter. My travels this week took me to Miami , where the ocean could barely summon the energy to lap gently against the sand.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 26, 2012
In all of North America, only one avian species serves as both the beloved mascot of seven states as well as the totem to two professional sports teams (and an infinity of amateur ones!) Ironically, this feathered figurehead is neither a bird of prey nor particular distinguished athletically. Rather, this icon is extremely adaptable and eye-catching.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 19, 2012
There are few more vexing questions in birding than the question of whether or not a bird counts. Counts for what, exactly? That’s a good question. Presumably for some form of list. Or perhaps not. Even the most free-wheeling of birders don’t usually consider going to a zoo or a chicken farm a form of birding, but just because they choose to distinguish doesn’t mean they keep a list.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 27, 2012
It’s snowing back home. That’s not unusual this time of the year, nor is it guaranteed that this will be the snow that stays. But it is likely. And I’m a long ways from home, at the opposite end of the world’s fifth largest island, some 1200 kilometres away. I’m missing my family and that probably doesn’t leave me in the best frame of mind to write.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
The brilliant orange coloration and rich, haunting song of the Spot-breasted Oriole ( Icterus pectoralis ) makes this species one of my favorite permanent residents in southeastern Florida, even though it is an introduced exotic. How can an introduced species be a favorite among birders? Don’t they compete with native birds? Aren’t introduced species somehow in the wrong for existing where they should not be?
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
I like pelagic birding. Being on a boat surrounded by the endless blue of the ocean is a wonderful experience, especially when the waves aren’t too high, the sun isn’t too bright, and the birds are showing. On the recent (16 September 2o12) pelagic trip out of Freeport, New York with See Life Paulagics the waves weren’t too high, the sun wasn’t too bright, but the birds, at least the really good ones that we were hoping to see way out in the Hudson Canyon, failed to show.
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 15, 2012
I dimly recall a variety show from my early years named the “Black and White Minstrels” It was an ill-conceived light entertainment show on the BBC in which white performers wore “black-face” make up (they actually used red make-up to show better on the black and white televisions of the day. Ironically when colour TVs were introduced, the show was one of the first to make the change).
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 4, 2012
There are two things you need to know about A Field Guide to the Wildlife of South Georgia , edited by Robert Burton and John Croxall, and produced by the South Georgia Heritage Trust. First, if you are, like me, geographically challenged, then you need to know that this is not about Georgia, the U.S. state. Nor is it about Georgia, the country in Eurasia.
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