Critter News

DECEMBER 14, 2008

Quantico Military Base is really behaving cruelly when it comes to the feral cats on its base. Of course, this is the military, so why should they be any better than humanity in general?) It is their belief, he said, that rendering most of the feral cats sexually inactive will humanely decrease their numbers. ‘‘The

Feral Cats 100

Feral Cats Feral Cats Compassion 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2022

Honeyeaters are a large bird family (190 species) with a strong presence in Australia. According to the HBW entry for this species, it “has been claimed that loss of native mammals after European settlement created shortage of nesting material, explaining this species’ penchant for taking hair from humans.”

Australia 189

Australia Birds Feral Cats Kangaroos 189

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2014

We can, of course, count wild, native, species. We can count vagrant species that made it to the area we are in under their own power. We can count introduced species that have met the criteria of the “Bird Police” for the area to which they are introduced. There are lots of birds we can’t count.

Chickens 193

Chickens Florida Feral Species 193

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2014

It is also known for the 500 exotic species of animals and plants that now call the Sunshine State home. Exotic species are animals that did not historically occur in Florida. Most were introduced, meaning they were brought to Florida by humans. One such species is the familiar mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).

Florida 201

Florida Ducks New Zealand Feral 201

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2015

Because of its distance to the mainland, Hawaii is home to over 60 species of endemic birds. Over time, the webbing in its toes has decreased, and its longer lakes and shorter wings also make walking easier for this species. Ah Hawaii, land of beautiful beaches, surfing, warm weather, and unique birds.

Hawaii 155

Hawaii Feral Cats Mongoose Geese 155

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

On 14 March, 2013, the Orlando Sentinel published an opinion piece by Ted Williams under the headline “Trap, neuter, return programs make feral-cat problem worse.” Then he gave a couple of alternative solutions to the feral cat problem: There are two effective, humane alternatives to the cat hell of TNR.

Feral Cats 271

Feral Cats Trap Neuter Return Tnr Extremist 271

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

Mute Swans are large, white, and decorative, and as such their natural range has been significantly altered by humans who generally enjoy having them around. Contradicting this relentless shooting were efforts to establish feral populations in many regions of Europe, both within and outside its natural range.

Feral 168

Feral Europe Asia North America 168

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

I find it astonishing that people argue of whether feral cats are bad for birds in North America. The plethora of approaches to the feral Cat problem is not an outcome of a diversity of great ideas; it is the ugly chimera of inappropriate compromise among biased and often poorly informed stakeholders. Which would be even worse.

Feral Cats 253

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 253

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

However, in this post, I’d like to lay out the basic numbers as we pretend to know them about overall bird mortality, human related causes of mortality, and somewhere in there I’ll note that the number of birds that are killed by windmills is so small that it says “zero” on my pie chart. So keep that in mind.

Killing 274

Killing Cats Fish Birds 274

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2024

Osborn, a passionate field biologist who participates to the core of her being three re-introduction projects aimed at saving three very different, endangered species: Peregrine Falcon, Hawaiian Crow (‘Alala)*, and California Condor. Sophie Osborn’s stories are personal and inspiring, but this is more than a personal memoir.

California Condor 171

California Condor Falcons California Birds 171

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2015

I didn’t realize how many new species I would see within the city itself! Because of this, areas around the city that were once sleepy are now “urban,” with humans and wildlife struggling to keep up. After all, part of getting to know any city is learning its non-human inhabitants!

Austin 108

Austin Texas Birds Non Human 108

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2014

And they would realize that any species whose young tried to nurse with a pointed beak would be a short-lived species. That is, until the ducklings grow up, are released into a pond, and greet the local feral cat colony as long-lost relatives. A pet cat raising orphaned ducklings! That is, until … you get the picture.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 257

Wildlife Rehabilitation Wildlife Feral Cats Hamburgers 257

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2013

The general public is out and about, birds and animals are raising their young, and human/wildlife interaction is at its peak. I wish for a federal law prohibiting domestic and feral cats from roaming free outdoors. Why is there no state or federal money available to care for federally protected species? Summer is high season.

Wildlife 242

Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Oklahoma New York 242

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2011

Dirt hawking is a form of falconry that involves hunting rabbits and other small game with Harris Hawks (other hawk species also qualify). One of the primary reasons that these hawks make such excellent falconry birds is because they are one of only two raptor species (the other is the Galapagos Hawk ) that hunt cooperatively.

League Against Cruel Sports 269

League Against Cruel Sports Rabbits Falcons Hunting 269

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2011

Beyond natural events, bird-life that requires fresh water takes advantage of the water that we provide due to human habitation. These waste water treatment plants offer the perfect environment to bird-life due to the fact that water is constantly available and is fenced for further protection from feral animals.

Feral Animals 170

Feral Animals Australia Ducks Feral 170

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

” Most shrugged and said very few US falconers fly owls because they’re slow and some species you can only hunt at night, that wouldn’t be much fun to watch. All apprentice falconers are allowed only 1 of 2 species: American Kestrel or Red-tailed Hawk. Falconers can trap any bird of prey any time they want.

Wisconsin 237

Wisconsin Falcons Owls Hunting 237

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2022

At the same time, or ideally shortly thereafter, the science will convince and stimulate popular writings to reach a broad audience, one that eventually enlist the general public to demand reasonable, justifiable changes that will benefit human society, which is part and interdependent with nature. (p. Did the model work?

New York City 249

New York City Birds Illinois Science 249

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2018

More than 50 years ago, the Hawaiian Goose (Nene) was one of the first birds listed under the Endangered Species Act, part of the inaugural “ Class of 1967 ”. Under the Endangered Species Act, any listing, uplisting, downlisting, or removal from a list requires a formal “rulemaking” process.

Endangered Species 101

Endangered Species Species Hawaii 2018 101

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 199

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 199

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

First published in 1973 in association with the Asa Wright Center, the book focuses on species descriptions, with illustrations grouped together in plates positioned in the center of the book. The guide covers 477 species, an expansion of 35 from the second edition, which was published in 1991. The AOU has not accepted that split.

Trinidad 190

Trinidad Birds South America Research 190

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2021

In 2012, I reviewed The Jewel Hunter , an absorbing narrative in which author Chris Goodie travelled throughout Asia, Africa, and Australasia to observe and photograph every Pitta species in the world. Hummingbird species, on the other hand, number in the hundreds.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Brazil Ecuador Bolivia 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

Back in 2009, Tai Haku sent us a fascinating post exploring a question that ecologists worldwide grapple with: can the translocation of rare species into niches left empty by extinction be successful or justified? It is extinct. Sadly though the Clappers have been nowhere near as successful as our next candidate.

Puerto Rico 183

Puerto Rico Guam Virgin Islands Feral 183

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2013

How far is the closest human settlement? Does the word define a species within country terms, regional terms etc? Is the term defined at the sub-species or full species level in terms of classification? The species must be restricted to an internationally recognized country, island or island group.

Birds 199

Birds South Africa South America Feral Cats 199

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2015

Mum, Dad, I’m sorry I described my childhood as feral. Once upon a time, when I started birding, this great family included a wide range of species collectively known as the robins and chats. They are a single genus, Cichladusa , with three species, found mostly in Central and Eastern Africa. They remain little know.

Mozambique 162

Mozambique Zambia Zimbabwe Namibia 162

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2012

I know on some level, I think that’s something almost all of us can get behind…no one, except the most callous and cold-hearted of the human race things its fine to torture animals, or deny that they are capable of pain and suffering. . – The Great Ornithologist Felonious Jive Animal rights.

Animal Rights Movement 204

Animal Rights Movement Animal Rights Rights Wildlife 204

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2020

I always approach the bridge slowly to see what bird species are below and around the area. There is a family of feral foxes that I often encounter near Bennison Creek. Once I find a few active species I watch and wait. This particular tree has been excellent for a variety of bird species including Eastern Spinebills.

Fox 152

Fox Feral Ducks Horses 152

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Humans have made migration much more difficult with our roads, our huge glass buildings, our rapacious appetite for development, our introduction of predators. But that is what I believed happened to this Common Yellowthroat which I found dead in Kissena Corridor Park which has great habitat for birds but also hosts a feral cat colony.

Feral Cats 181

Feral Cats Cats Killing North America 181

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2018

Basically, this species is so dimwitted, it doesn’t know how to survive. Because, Pink Pigeons are not capable of doing the tasks required to create and bring up children of the species. Don’t these birds care about propagating their species? The thunder of wings made shouting necessary for human communication” (p.54).

Mauritius 101

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 101

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2011

I am proud to say that I have managed to see over 60 species of birds in my 6 weeks in Busan and that is a lot more than I had expected. Birds are no doubt in decline in all cities around the world as human populations increase and feral birds thrive, so we should all appreciate what we see every day wherever we are.

Chipmunks 154

Chipmunks Eggs Feral Squirrels 154

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

Australia is a vast country with a very small human population, which mostly clings to the edge of the continent. The lack of people does not mean we have any less extinct or threatened bird species than other countries. Since European settlement there has been the loss of at least 23 species and sub-species of birds.

Species 174

Species Australia Birds Parrots 174

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2012

In the event I’m in a life or death struggle with an Oregon Junco or a particularly feral Dunnock I’d rather my birding companion was at least nominally on my side. A young bird contemplates a future of attacking humans in a funny field. Signs are posted warning of particularly aggressive birds in parks.

New Zealand 148

New Zealand Birds Australia Kangaroos 148

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2013

Case in point: some of my family members have become active with feral cat colony organizations. On the one hand, it’s better than doing nothing with a feral cat colony. But I don’t agree with the supplemental feeding that happens with feral cats–if you’re gonna call them wildlife, treat them as such.

Feral Cats 177

Feral Cats Feral Cats Family 177

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2011

The most common habitat you’ll drive through is modified human farmland, although particularly in the hills you’ll find large areas of forest (although this habitat is typically harder to road bird in. Feral Turkey are also quite common. But these aren’t the only large ground-loving birds you might encounter.

New Zealand 173

New Zealand Birds Thailand Falcons 173

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2013

There has been a great deal of talk these days about “reviving” extinct species. Setting aside the feasibility of extracting DNA from specimens and fossils, and finding a suitable similar species to donate an egg, there is much debate on whether we should bring back those species we’ve lost. Should it be?

Feral Cats 192

Feral Cats Eggs Cats Feral 192