10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

There are the endemics, which are odd in their own way, and then there introduced species, which are so varied in their type and origin that you get the feeling you’ve arrived at the aftermath of a small zoo that escaped. In many ways, that is exactly what happened. First of all they wanted useful species.

New Zealand 162

New Zealand Possums Rabbits Ferrets 162

10,000 Birds

MAY 31, 2012

The behavior could be especially disastrous for waterfowl, which are hunted by people, but less so for passerines, or perching birds, which regularly come into people’s bird feeders. Regular feeding can cause: Unnatural Behavior – There is no doubt that feeding birds causes unnatural behavior.

Birds 252

Birds New York City Fast Food Geese 252

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

One of the first examples I ever encountered was in the books of Gerald Durrell, the famous conservationist who was an early pioneer of the roles of zoos in conservation. He often defended that role in his books from animal rights activists who opposed “imprisoning” animals in zoos even if it saved them from extinction.

Animal Rights 267

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 267

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2019

For some reason, even though there are Mandarin Ducks in zoos throughout New York City, this escapee has become an internationally known tourist attraction, even heading the New York Times list of “Five Times the Internet Was Actually Fun in 2018.” It has always been a difficult bird to find, even when abundant.

2018 167

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 167