April, 2011

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How Fast Can A Roadrunner Run?

10,000 Birds

Every child who has ever seen a cartoon featuring Wile E Coyote and Road Runner has to have wondered if poor Wile E ever had a fair shot at catching the Road Runner. According to Mark Lockwood’s Basic Texas Birds: A Field Guide , with or without Wile. E. Coyote chasing it, a Greater Roadrunner can reach speeds of 20 MPH (32 KPH) while a Coyote can reach speeds of up to 43 MPH (69 KPH).

Coyotes 279
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Get the Scoop on International Pooper Scooper Week

4 The Love Of Animals

If “every dog should have its day,” a whole week might make them feel even better. The Association of Professional Animal Waste Specialists (aPaws) declared the week of April 1-7 International Pooper Scooper Week, utilizing this annual event to draw attention to the importance of cleaning up after canine friends. “Dog waste can contain a lot of diseases and bacteria that people don’t know, about,” Paul Chesler, the president of aPaws said in an article on hometownstation.com.

Pets 159
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Action Alert to Help Louisiana Tiger

Critter News

This is an awful story of a tiger kept captive at a horrible truck stop in Louisiana. The Animal Legal Defense League is trying to save it. Please visit this link and respond.

Louisiana 109
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Clarification on Messaging

Animal Person

Vegan education/advocacy for animals is easiest for me when I know my audience. And by "know," I mean I have a relationship with them and/or I understand what drives them, what they appreciate and what they can tolerate. From there, my job is to use images and language that they are comfortable with, especially at the beginning, and then to nudge them gently into areas that challenge their thoughts and actions.

Advocacy 156
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Webinar & PDF Test

Speaker: Steve Romanco

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Brigid Brophy (1929-1995) on Animals

Animal Ethics

If I lunched on a pigeon, I should think myself immoral. If you do so, I must in honesty say I think you immoral. But I don’t think my cat immoral. I think him amoral. The whole dimension of morality doesn’t apply to him, or scarcely applies to him. ( Brigid Brophy , " The Darwinist's Dilemma ," Critical Society [winter 2009/10]: 15-22, at 18 [first published in 1979]) Note from KBJ: I commend this essay to your attention.

Morals 43
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Plugging Kids Into Birding

10,000 Birds

My 8-year old daughter got interested in birds from a VERY early stage. By age 2 she could identify over 10 species of birds in our Johannesburg, South Africa, yard by call alone. And perhaps 20 others by sight. Her natural talent was astounding and surprising. Astounding because she picked up birding before she could speak and surprising because this ability was definitely not inherited from anyone in my family, myself included.

Birds 277

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What is a Phoebe?

10,000 Birds

When the word “phoebe&# comes up, most people automatically think of things like the outermost of Saturn’s known satellites, the Greek Titan-goddess of the moon, or the most fascinating and complex character from that happily departed sitcom, Friends. Anyone who has gone bird watching in North America, however, knows another kind of phoebe, a bold little genus that turns up with remarkable frequency from the arctic circle to the equator.

Argentina 220
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Sword-billed Hummingbird

10,000 Birds

Not all bird species are equally spectacular. Just as we malign the little brown jobs nature churns out with such fiendish facility, we exalt the birds that bring something new and unusual to the table. And although every hummingbird is a special snowflake, some of these nectar jockeys exceed their charismatic kin through some remarkable feature or behavior.

Bolivia 219
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Win a Free Trip to Thailand!

10,000 Birds

We here at 10,000 Birds are VERY pleased to announce that we have procured a place on a two-week, all-inclusive birding tour of Thailand for January of next year that will be guided by field guide authors David Allen Sibley and Richard Crossley and American Birding Association President Jeff Gordon! Rather then take the trip ourselves we figured that we would share it with one lucky reader who wins a little competition we have cooked up.* Just imagine looking at a Spoon-billed Sandpiper with t

Thailand 218
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What is the National Bird of Guatemala?

10,000 Birds

The national bird of Guatemala is one of the most magnificent birds in the entire world – the Resplendent Quetzal. Is there any bird more astoundingly jaw-dropping then the electric green, bright white, and scintillating scarlet Pharomachrus mocinno ? I can neither think of a better bird nor imagine what a better bird could possibly look like.

Guatemala 214
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PDF 9.21.23

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Mysteries of the Mitred Parakeets

10,000 Birds

Seth Ausubel is one of the best birders in Queens, New York, and Corey is ever-so-thankful that Seth does not use eBird because that way Corey can pretend that he is the top lister in the borough. Seth is generous with his knowledge, and, knowing this, Corey cajoled him into providing this post about one of the many avian mysteries of New York City.

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What is the National Bird of Costa Rica?

10,000 Birds

The national bird of Costa Rica is the Clay-colored Thrush , perhaps my favorite decision for a national bird of any country’s. The Yigüirro , as it is called in Costa Rica, was declared Costa Rica’s national bird on 3 January 1977. But why choose the Yigüirro at all in a country teeming with iconic and flashy birds like macaws, motmots, toucans, and tanagers?

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Angry Birds Hitting Your Windows

10,000 Birds

I work part time for the National Park Service (although, we’ll see what happens this weekend if there’s a federal government shutdown) and our visitor center is located in the Science Museum of Minnesota. Last week, I noticed a familiar site as I passed the museum’s fleet of vehicles. An American Robin was perched on the side of one of the Science Museum vans.

Minnesota 198
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Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus

10,000 Birds

The Ruffed Grouse is a bird of the forests across much of North America, from Alaska and the mountains of the west through Canada, and in the east down through the Appalachians to Georgia. It is a beautiful bird and well worth taking examining closely if such a situation can somehow be arranged. A close look at a grouse is not something that is very likely unless the viewer is very lucky, however, as Ruffed Grouse tend to be wary and will explode into flight if approached too closely, usually

Georgia 197
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CST Sample_VideoTour

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.

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Man in Hummer Squishes Ducklings

10,000 Birds

In perhaps the ultimate expression of everything that is wrong with American culture, a 19-year-old man in a Humvee intentionally ran over ducklings in a McDonald’s parking lot in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dillon Pearce faces up to four years in prison after being charged with a felony. My money is on him getting off with community service. a.

McDonalds 191
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Tree-Eating Swans

10,000 Birds

I learned a new word today and am anxious to show it off and share it with the world. A FOLIVORE is an animal that eats leaves. With their high cellulose content and often raised levels of toxins drawn from the ground, mature leaves can be very difficult to digest so a folivore needs specialised equipment and adapted behaviour to be able to live off them.

Monkeys 187
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Sentencing for Bird Killers

10,000 Birds

An Indiana man, Wade Bennett, and a minor have pled guilty for their involvement in the shooting and killing of a critically endangered Whooping Crane way back in 2009, and been sentenced to probation and the paying of fines and fees. Thee is still no information on the more recent killings of the majestic birds. In a completely unrelated case, a South Dakota man, Randy Albers, pled guilty to charges related to poisoning Canada Geese on his farm and was sentenced to a year of probation.

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Great-tailed Grackles Are Expanding Northward

10,000 Birds

According to Birds of North America Online , the Great-tailed Grackle’s ( Quiscalus mexicanus ) breeding range has been expanding northward for several years. I must say that I agree with their assessment because we have been seeing more of them in northern California every year. Some fellow Audubon members recently spotted several male and female Great-tailed Grackles on a trip to Clover Creek Preserve in Redding, California.

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Gabriel PDF Webinar

Speaker: Gabriel Wagner Presenter

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A Little Known Fact

10,000 Birds

In spring, crows and ravens get jealous of all the attention that wood-warblers receive from birders. Sometimes the jealousy overwhelms their big corvid brains and they come up with crazy schemes to win the attention that they believe they deserve. For example, Fish Crows will actually swoop in and eat warblers you are trying to watch. Don’t believe me?

Jamaica 176
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Orange-throated Tanager In Ecuador

10,000 Birds

Most birdwatchers that visit Ecuador for the first time concentrate in the north-east and west slopes near the capital Quito. The diversity in these slopes plus the high altitude land give a unique taste of the Tropical Andes hotspot which is considered the highest biodiversity place on earth. On a recent scouting trip to southern Ecuador I came across some amazing birdwatching areas and birds that are commonly visited by those looking for a more complete exploration of Ecuador.

Ecuador 173
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We’re On Twitter. Now What?

10,000 Birds

When I first joined Facebook (all the way back in 2008? Really?) I didn’t exactly have a plan, other than to steer clear of Bejeweled, Farmville, and all the other productivity snares. Also, being on Facebook was a good way to avoid committing to Twitter. However, we couldn’t resist joining the conversation any longer because we’ve finally figured out how that channel fits in with the blog, feed, FB page, etc. etc.

2008 173
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Smuggled Parrots in South Africa

10,000 Birds

A sad reminder of what is ultimately behind the birds you find in cages: birds being taken from the wild and subjected to horrible stress and, often, death. Even birds that were bred in captivity are still not domesticated, have wild instincts, and are not meant to live in cages. a.

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Webinar 5.9.22

Speaker: Steve Romanco

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What is the National Bird of Estonia?

10,000 Birds

The national bird of Estonia is the Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica. Of course, in Estonia the bird is not called Barn Swallow. In Estonian the term is Suitsupääsukese which, when translated by Google, comes out as Smoke Swallow.* According to a report by sixth-graders at the International School of Estonia Suitsupääsukese was chosen as the national bird “because of a campaign conducted by ornithologists at the beginning of the sixties.&# The campaign probably had to do with the fact th

Estonia 168
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SeaWorld Saves Some Sandhills

10,000 Birds

SeaWorld and similar attractions that serve up cetacean entertainment to the masses don’t do that much for me. However, many of the professionals who work at places like these exhibit enormous compassion for animals. Two recent non-marine examples both include Sandhill Cranes. First, an adult Sandhill Crane with a rubber gasket around his bill was brought to SeaWorld Orlando.

Rescue 167
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Great Texas Birding Classic: Big First Day on the Upper Coast

10,000 Birds

Boykin Spring. Jasper Fish Hatchery. Marvin Dies. Sabine Woods. High Island. Boy Scout Woods. Smith Oaks. Bolivar Flats. Rollover Pass. The Galveston ferry. Sea Rim State Park. Any of these bodacious Upper Texas Coast bird watching destinations deserve hours if not days in order to be fully appreciated. To visit them all should be the work of weeks.

Texas 166
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Cat Catches Bird

10,000 Birds

Cats should not be allowed outdoors. Period. Especially when the domesticated feline is an extra from The Matrix. Yes, there will be those who will think that the mockingbird had it coming but what the mockingbird was doing was defending its territory, which likely included a nest with young, from what it judged (obviously correctly) was a threat.

Cats 166
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Test

Testing

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Disappointed with a Florida Fork-tailed Flycatcher

10,000 Birds

Steve Walter is a New York nature photographer, birder, and long-time member of the New York City Butterfly Club. Readers of 10,000 Birds who pay attention will remember him from when he showed Patrick and me some really cool damselflies out in Suffolk County. This blog post is written by Steve and by writing it he risks inciting the wrath of a horde of North American birders.

Florida 163
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What is the National Bird of Latvia?

10,000 Birds

The national bird of Latvia is the White Wagtail which, it being Latvia, they call Balta Cielava.* It was affirmed as the national bird in May of 1960 by the International Council for Bird Preservation while they were meeting in Tokyo.** I have been unable to determine why or how that organization had anything to do with the national bird of Latvia – one would not think that the Latvian people would need the affirmation of an international group for their national bird!

Latvia 164
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Swift Parrots of Muckleford

10,000 Birds

Debbie Wortland is an inspiration and a reminder that citizen-scientists can make significant contributions, even with an endangered species. Her obsession (her word) with Swift Parrots Lathamus discolor , a species that breeds in Tasmania and migrates each year to Australia and is listed as Endangered by BirdLife International, led to some interesting observations and now a 25-minute DVD, Swift Parrots of Muckleford. a.

Parrots 163
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Man-o-war Birds

10,000 Birds

Last week I introduced the Great Frigatebird , one of five species of man-o-war bird. I got rather carried away showing all the plumages you can see around a breeding colony, which means I had to split my post on the species into two. Here I’ll finish off what I started, looking at the lives of these amazing birds, using the pictures I took working on Tern Island in French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii.

Albatross 163
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New Production Test

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