Support Farm Sanctuary!
Critter News
JUNE 15, 2011
Love this group! Here's a book that you can buy about rescued farm animals and their stories. It should be inspiring and it's a great way to support an extraordinary organization.
Beef Farm's Trucks Burned by Activists
Critter News
JANUARY 11, 2012
Animal rights activists are behind the burning of cattle trucks at Harris Farms in western Fresno County early Sunday, according to a statement released by a clearinghouse for activists.
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Unexpected Farm Animal Deal in Ohio
Critter News
JULY 3, 2010
Animal welfare groups led by the Humane Society of the United States have agreed to abandon a fall ballot issue against animal cruelty as part of a deal with state farm groups brokered by Gov. Tags: ohio humane society farm animal welfare.
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The Cry of the Curlew
10,000 Birds
MARCH 29, 2024
Her long beak indicates that she is a female An email to Tony Cross of the Mid Wales Ringing Group brought a speedy reply. He went on to write that “Time was when every farm in the dale had nesting curlew, but they have slowly disappeared. Yellow IM in the long grass, her rings no longer visible.
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Rancho Naturalista Lodge, Costa Rica, or in the Land of Coffee and Chocolate
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 1, 2022
Now we were in Finca Tres Equis, a family cocoa farm (if I understood well, it translates as Triple X Farm) and a private reserve of over 300 hectares, of which more than 70 percent is a forest, representing part of a Jaguar corridor. A group (maybe 4-5 ex.) At least one Boat-billed Heron awaited us in the thickets.
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Farm Animal Welfare Fight Heats Up in Ohio
Critter News
OCTOBER 31, 2009
Issue 2 in Ohio would create 13-member state board to oversee the care of farm animals in the State. The Humane Society and other groups oppose it as a power grab by big agriculture to prevent another Proposition 2 (the initiative passed last year in California to improve standards for farm animal care.)
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CBC in Paradise
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 21, 2022
I’ve been leading a small but faithful group on Trinidad for several years to count birds within a livestock farm that is generally restricted to the public (you can read about some of those shenanigans here ); this was the first time I was to embark on a CBC on the smaller island of Tobago. Anyway, I digress. Mangrove Cuckoo.
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PETA Among Groups Spied on by Maryland State Police
Critter News
JANUARY 4, 2009
According to the Washington Post , PETA was one of many groups the Maryland State Police considered a security threat. A "very casually dressed" undercover trooper attended a speech by PETA's president that month and waited afterward to see whether anyone talked about chickens.
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Birding Tengchong, Yunnan (again)
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 26, 2024
He should not be confused with Stewart Traill (1936–2018), the founder of a cult-like group of evangelical Christians, the Church of Bible Understanding. A 2004 paper looking at the conflict between this owl and cold-water fish farmers in Taiwan found that owls were an issue at a quarter of the farms observed.
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Shortage of Donkeys in Africa
Reddit Animals
FEBRUARY 25, 2024
Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Giovanni Mereghetti Chinese demand for gelatin is decimating donkey populations in Africa, prompting officials to curb exports of the animals. Africa curbs donkey exports ?Universal
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High Elevation Birding in Costa Rica at Providencia
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 27, 2021
The group I was guiding saw and heard a few pairs of these special birds along with Black-capped Flycatcher, Black-cheeked Warblers, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatchers , and so many other wonderful birds of the cool, high elevations. A bird of treeline and paramo habitats in Costa Rica and Panama, this wren is a main target for visiting birders.
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Lisbon’s Lezirias in Winter
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 23, 2023
The Lezírias de Vila Franca de Xira (often and erroneously named Ponta de Erva after the most southerly tip) are an extensively farmed area in the north of the estuary. Large groups of Little Bustard are not uncommon in winter. Merlin and Short-Eared Owl are almost a “dead cert” in winter.
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Casa Tangara dowii, Costa Rica, or over the Misty Mountains cold
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 15, 2022
Spangle-cheeked Tanager Its position at the Panamerican Highway means that many birding groups travelling either north or south will stop by, bird the reserve trail (looking for e.g. Black Guan , Purple-throated Mountain-gem , Northern Emerald-Toucanet , Hairy and Spot-crowned Woodpeckers , Barred Parakeet , etc.)
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Out Birding to Help an Endemic Sparrow in Costa Rica
10,000 Birds
MAY 28, 2022
It doesn’t require forest but the coffee farms and scrubby green space it does need are under constant pressure of being destroyed and replaced with urban housing. The funds for this important project are raised through an organization called Rainforest Biodiversity Group (the legal name is Friends of the Great Green Macaw).
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If your cat or dog is having a litter, is it ok to keep most or a considerable part of the puppies if you have the conditions, or is there risk of inbreeding in the future?
Reddit Animals
NOVEMBER 18, 2023
I tried to search the internet for that and for people who raise pets in farms, ranchs, etc, could never find a good answer about how it goes if you keep your pet's entire group of children together with the parent(s) and don't give them away.
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New Birding Site in Costa Rica: Snowcaps, Raptors and More!
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 7, 2021
Some years ago, Miguel, an experienced naturalist guide, began to plant fruiting trees and Porterweed bushes on part of his uncle’s farm. Since Nectar and Pollen is located on a small farm, reservations are required for Miguel to open the place and show you around. The site is just down the road from the Rainforest Aerial Tram.
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Birding Around the Farm
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 20, 2023
As mentioned in my previous post , we were hosted for an afternoon session at Jonathan ‘s farm. Coming off a high from our morning boat ride, excitement was high as we pulled into the farm compound. On the slow crawl into the farm, the first sighting was a small group of Green Ibis – a new species for me.
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Parrots in My Costa Rican Neighborhood
10,000 Birds
JUNE 20, 2020
They seem to be particularly interested in a group of large trees in a nearby coffee farm. Incredibly, during a recent visit to the Caribbean lowlands, we had close looks at a group of Great Green Macaws in a neighborhood of a small town! I see and hear a small flock of these small Amazons on a daily basis.
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Wake for the Wild
10,000 Birds
MAY 17, 2011
Wind farms are an emotive and divisive issue, especially amongst birders. A badly sited wind farm can lead to devastating consequences as we know only too well for many large birds, particularly raptors. Dunmaglass is an area close to locations known to be frequented by Golden Eagles.
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Birding Wolongshan, Sichuan, China
10,000 Birds
JULY 22, 2021
Like the Collared Finchbill, they seem to like living near farms. The common local tit here at Wolongshan is the Green-backed Tit. The first two photos were actually taken right from my hotel room. Bird photography for extremely lazy people. Another species seen directly from my room was the Marten’s Warbler.
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Animal Cruelty at Texas Horse Farm
Critter News
DECEMBER 15, 2010
The group also included pregnant mares and a few yearlings. Most of the horses on the 70-acre ranch are quarter-horses, and most showed signs of neglect and severe emaciation. Some even suffered from parasite infestation and overgrown hooves. Rescuers also found several dead horses and numerous equine skeletons on site.
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Zero Gravity Brewing Company: Bobolink Saison
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 11, 2019
Birders know that the pairing of farms and birds represents more than mere bucolic romance – it’s a match borne out of a real avian dependence on these man-made landscapes. Once brewed, saison would be laid down for use during the hot summer months, when a farming household would be much too occupied with fieldwork for making beer.
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Summer Birding at Conboy Lake NWR
10,000 Birds
JULY 14, 2020
The namesake “lake” generally only exists when there is enough runoff during the spring, as the area was extensively modified for farming years ago. There were several conspicuous groups of Hairy Woodpeckers, including this female. When I arrived in the morning, there were many birds and no people.
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Birding Chaco at JV Gonzles – Trip Report
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 28, 2014
This land has gone through extensive ecosystem destruction from farming cattle and soybeans. Gonzales the greater the size of soybean farming fields and our expectations to see birds on this road trip had quickly died and turned into a boring flat-land ride. The closer we got to J.V. Lesser Rheas. Black-capped Warbling Finch.
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Looking for Lost Warblers at Parque Rio Loro, Costa Rica
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 29, 2022
The stars of the bird world take many forms and fame is often related to location but some species, some cool groups of birds are accorded priority no matter when or where they are seen. This cheerful little bird is very common in second growth and coffee farms of the Central Valley. Yes, you read that right. Chestnut-capped Warbler.
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265 Freeze-birding down the Danube
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 4, 2016
In front of us, the river is two miles wide… and it is paved with birds: smaller groups of Greater White-fronted and Greylag Geese , numerous Mute Swans and Mallards , plus Eurasian Teals , Gadwalls , Common Pochards , a few Ferruginous and Tufted Ducks , Common Goldeneyes and several Smews. A goose hunt sounds like a WWII battle.
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165 Birding Beyond Lake Yojoa and Panacam Lodge
10,000 Birds
JULY 4, 2018
But our adventurous group, led by Oliver Komar and Yobani A. Alex first led our group to nesting Yellow-tailed Orioles , which made spotting these exquisite but elusive birds gratifyingly easy. We spent two blissful days exploring both the waders and wildlife of Lake Yojoa and the tropical splendor of PANACAM Lodge.
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Bird Migration and Conservation Meet at Selva Bananito, Costa Rica
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 28, 2017
Selva Bananito was actually founded in the seventies but back then, it was a sizeable farm like any other. However, some time between then and now, the children of the original farm owner convinced their father to leave the stands of primary forest alone, to let precious mahogany trees just be and keep on growing.
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Light Colored Bald Eagle
10,000 Birds
MARCH 19, 2014
A few turns around a farm field and the bird was found just hanging with some Brewer’s Blackbirds. We were with a large group of people and we didn’t want to flush the bird so we kept our distance while we enjoyed, but what fun to look for this bird among the 500 other Bald Eagles in the area.
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October Global Big Day in Costa Rica- an eBird Trip Report
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 15, 2022
This is an inviting gravel road situated near Punta Uva that passes through lowland rainforest and a couple of small farms. Eventually, we made our way to the nearby beach, noticing a group of Eastern Kingbirds hanging with a pair of Long-tailed Tyrants en-route. Here’s a brief summary of that nice day of birding: Paradise Road.
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Hope for Hen Welfare
Critter News
JULY 8, 2011
A press release I received from the Farm Sanctuary. Animal Welfare Groups Win Industry Backing for First-Ever Federal Regulation of Hen Welfare Groundswell of Public Support Results in Full Court Press for Nationwide Law Protecting Chickens to Replace State-by-State Initiatives WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.
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100 Baby Chicks Ground Up
Critter News
SEPTEMBER 3, 2009
This is the second time this year that I've heard of this group capturing headlines. Tags: animal cruelty eggs farm animal welfare factory farm. Thanks to Mercy for Animals for their undercover work exposing this egg industry practice. I'd never heard of them before. I'm very impressed by their courage and tenacity.
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Update on National Meat Association vs. Brown
Critter News
SEPTEMBER 8, 2009
A coalition of animal protection groups consisting of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), Farm Sanctuary, and the Humane Farming Association (HFA), intervened in the case to ensure that the interests of animals and the public were represented.
Can Nature Take Care of Itself?
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 4, 2015
This blog was written by Marge Gibson, co-founder of Raptor Education Group, Inc. Casualties surrounding migration were limited to natural events such as weather – not wind generators, poisoned food and water from industry, farm run-off, or loss of traditional stopover areas due to habitat destruction.
Thousands of Tricolored Blackbirds Saved Through Farmer/Conservationist Partnership
10,000 Birds
JUNE 17, 2013
Recently, Audubon California announced that its partnership with six California farms and the U.S.D.A.’s So the conservation groups are working on ways to provide attractive alternatives. The combined efforts of conservationists and sustainability-minded farmers, however, are helping to save the species.
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Week 21: Our last week in Scotland
10,000 Birds
JULY 11, 2018
I found this little grouping of Guillemots, with parents, babies and even an egg. The Bellymac Farm turned out to be the location that the birds choose to gather in. What started as a small group of birds, with the hope they would make it on their own, is now a very strong breeding population.
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Animal Health Care is Part of the Bottom Line
Critter News
APRIL 24, 2009
We've argued in previous posts that factory farming is simply not conducive to animal welfare. I'm not arguing about the methods as I'm not a veterinarian, but it's a good example of the clinical discussion of costs when it comes to managing farm animal health. Tags: economics pigs farm animal welfare agribusiness.
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100 Collared Aracari at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, Costa Rica
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 9, 2014
Collared Aracaris are weird for toucans in that they often travel in groups unlike other toucan species which are in general likely to be seen in ones or twos. Both days I saw them there though, it didn’t take too long for the first bird to be joined by more. You won’t regret it!
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Radlo Foods Pledging Conversion to Cage-Free Eggs
Critter News
APRIL 10, 2009
Good news following an investigation of farm animal abuses by Mercy for Animals. Sometime soon, David Radlo of Radlo Foods says his sign in front of the former DeCoster Egg Farm will be coming down and all his business at the massive egg operation in Turner will come to an end. Here's a link to the investigative video.
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100 Update on Proposition 2 in CA
Critter News
AUGUST 17, 2008
Again, thanks to Farmed Animal Net for this update on California's proposition 2. Gregory is the president and CEO of UEP, an industry trade group. Gregory is the president and CEO of UEP, an industry trade group. Tags: california farm animal welfare factory farm us.
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100 Snow in Costa Rica!
10,000 Birds
DECEMBER 7, 2017
Hmmm… well I moved in 1984 to live at Rancho and it was a coffee and sugarcane farm back then. We tried everything, Hawaiian pineapple, black pepper, even jalapeños, and we could not make money from farming,” Lisa told me. “We We loved the forest and had never cut it since we first owned the property. My jaw drops.
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The great green Caribbean lowlands – Costa Rica
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 9, 2017
Somewhere else, the tricky group would be the LBJs, a.k.a. The 850 hectares / 2,000 acres farm turned into a private reserve is reachable by ordinary cars but once inside, there is a hundred metres / 300 ft drive through a river. The lodge itself lies at 80 m / 260 ft a.s.l., million acres).
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129 California's Ag Industry Worried that State Committee will Focus on "Emotion"
Critter News
JANUARY 19, 2009
Several environmental groups were represented at the news conference, during which Steinberg said the changes would usher in a new era in California agriculture policy. “My Tags: california bile farming farm animal welfare agribusiness food.
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100 Birdmania at the Cano Negro Bird Count, Costa Rica
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 11, 2017
Just look for the biggest, darkest green spot and that’s the farm, the last sizeable remnant of intact rainforest in the area. We would find out shortly after arriving at the farm but first we had to traverse muddy pastures with hedgerows where Red-eyed Vireos and Summer Tanagers fed. What still lived there? The damaged forest.
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