10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2014

The story of the flightless Dodo, discovered on the island of Mauritius in 1598 and killed off by 1700, is sad and familiar. Do you include objects related to conservation–a copy of Silent Spring , maybe a photo of one of the lime traps that kill thousands of songbirds in Cyprus? I’m not sure what to make of this.

Mauritius 173

Mauritius Collecting Egypt Cyprus 173

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2018

Nonprofit organizations, science, and the best intentions in the world came to the rescue with a captive breeding program, and we now have over 400 Pink Pigeons living in Mauritius, the nearby island of Ile aux Aigrettes, and the zoos hosting the breeding program, including the Bronx Zoo. They have a hard enough time with Canada Geese.

Mauritius 102

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 102

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Kills in Canada, Alaska and Mexico are not included in the count. Texas and North Dakota together account for 88% of the total yearly kill of sandhill cranes. This represents 6% of the estimated mid-continental spring population of 322,700 birds for the same two decades. Isn’t that neat? Tennessee found that out in January.

2011 252

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 252

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

The magnificent history and diversity of birds on Earth came into sharper focus this month with the publication of 28 new scientific papers in Science and other journals. American Flamingo photo by Dick Culbert). Have you noticed ducks and quail replacing loons and grebes at the beginning of newer bird field guides and checklists?

Family 279

Family Birds Parrots 2014 279