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Some Ingenuity Can Go a Long Way

10,000 Birds

Among birds the Egyptian Vulture uses rocks to crack Ostrich eggs, the New Caledonian Crow and Woodpecker Finch (one of several Darwin Finches of the Galapagos Islands), uses sticks to extract grubs from inside a branch. Further support for inherent behavior comes from experiments. The use of tool by animals is surprisingly rare.

Fish 163
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The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent–A Book Review

10,000 Birds

Going back to that assumption that birds don’t have a sense of smell, it can be traced to John James Audubon (of course), who performed several experiments with Turkey Vultures and concluded that the vultures used sight, not scent, to find food. 241) that contribute to a bird’s odor. It is also a bit misleading.

Science 219
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Bird of Prey: The Story of the Rarest Eagle on Earth – A Film Review

10,000 Birds

Today, we know a little more, such as the fact that an eagle couple produces one egg every two years, but numbers remain low, too low. And, he tells us about the time he was attacked by a parent Philippine Eagle as he handled an egg at the nest, hundreds of feet above the ground. It’s a future that seems fragile.

Eagles 203
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Birding Sepilok, Borneo (Part 2)

10,000 Birds

Even to the author of the paper, who cautiously adds that “nest architecture is unlikely to be irrelevant to females, and its role deserves further investigation” (if swear words were allowed on 10,000 Birds, I would say that he is trying to cover his ass). My cats refuse to even try Fiery Minivets.

Birds 211
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The Kirtland’s Warbler: The Story of a Bird’s Fight Against Extinction and the People Who Saved It: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

It’s the warbler that is often the last unchecked species on birders’ life lists and, whether you list or not, for most of us observing it is a once in a lifetime experience. A nest wasn’t found until 1903, which set off a craze for Kirtland’s Warbler skins, nests, and eggs.

Michigan 227
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Hal Herzog's "Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat"

Animal Person

Over at Animal Rights and AntiOppression , we’ve been discussing tactics and sharing our thoughts and experiences about what works and doesn’t work when it comes to advocacy. The answer, throughout the entire 300 pages, essentially is: Because they do. People believe one thing and do another. All day long.

Vegan 100
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The Birds of Trinidad and Tobago: Two Guides, One Book Review

10,000 Birds

Experiments in the field (the famed Asa Wright Nature Center veranda) involving Bananaquits and bananas came up with numbers ranging from 7 to 16, but a tanager always came along to interfere with Bananaquits’ noisy appreciation of their namesake fruit. (2) Which hummingbird was more beautiful—Tufted Coquette or Ruby-topaz Hummingbird? (3)

Trinidad 194