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Birding Yancheng, Jiangsu

10,000 Birds

According to Wikipedia, these birds are good at multitasking, being “in some parts of its range … known as a symbol of luck, longevity, and fidelity” As in humans, “the social implications of dancing [among the cranes] are complex in meaning” ( source ). If everybody did this, the result would be chaos.

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Every sperm is sacred

10,000 Birds

Because unlike those of mammals, avian ova need penetration by multiple sperm in order to successfully develop into baby birds. By studying Zebra Finches and domestic chickens, the scientists discovered that multiple sperm appear necessary for a fertilized egg to progress to the embryo stage (a process called “polyspermy”.)

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Do Not Feed Baby Birds Milk or Bread

10,000 Birds

Birds hatch out of eggs, like some species of snakes, who also have no boobs, although with a snake the fact is more readily apparent. While snakes protect their eggs, and may protect their young for a short period of time after they hatch, baby snakes are very soon on their own.

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Birding Sepilok, Borneo (Part 2)

10,000 Birds

The species is classified as Near Threatened for all the usual depressing reasons – pollution, drainage, hunting, and the collection of eggs and nestlings ( source ). In the unloved “Other” section of today’s post, we have a few more mammals.

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The “Birds” in the Brush

10,000 Birds

When you move on to Montana, you discover that there are worse things that one species of tiny screaming mammal tricking you each year as you try to cope with an influx of songbirds and a winterized memory bank that contains only Black-capped Chickadees and Dark-eyed Juncos (and only about half their calls at that.)

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African Pythons Targeted for Removal

10,000 Birds

The analysis of Python stomach contents indicates that they eat mammals, as small as mice, and as large as a fully grown deer. Pythons have been observed swallowing birds and mammals, and coiled up resting in trees where wading birds were actively nesting. The best chance to catch a Python is during a cold front. Rock Python.

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Birding Shanghai in May 2023 – Part 1

10,000 Birds

The bird on the photo is one of the estimated 3500-15,000 individuals still alive according to the HBW – a frightening thought given the (too) large number of humans, of which there are about 1 million times more (and of course, each of which weighs 5000 times more than the flycatcher).

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