article thumbnail

15 Australian Birds (Episode 2)

10,000 Birds

Quite likely, these birds are also the inspiration for Australian science communicator Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki. 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 194
article thumbnail

Urban Ornithology: 150 Years of Birds in New York City–A Book Review

10,000 Birds

Not all habitat change is due to humans; there is Chestnut Blight destroying American Chestnuts in the early 1900s, and the more recent Dutch Elm disease. This is a project that clearly spanned decades. It’s a very mixed chapter. Another big year memoir? I love reading all of the above.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

15 Australian Birds (Episode 4)

10,000 Birds

Gisela Kaplan has written a book about the species, and how they seem unperturbed by humans: “It’s one of their most successful defense strategies. Of course, if science is not for you, you can also look for the Spiritual Meaning of Willie Wagtail (“Unlock the amazing secrets of this spiritual symbol”) here.

Birds 227
article thumbnail

Africa’s endangered species

10,000 Birds

More than 150 bird species are known to have become extinct over the past 500 years, and many more are estimated to have been driven to extinction before they became known to science. This plain used to be little affected by humans, being grazed by just a few cattle, goats and camels.

article thumbnail

Hotspur’s Revenge: A Review of Three Books

10,000 Birds

I am a human being, so I am entitled to, and I do, say that the starling is an ugly bird. Thomas acknowledges that the Anthropocene epoch, the age of humans, is bringing a sixth great extinction, but that, by itself, is not something he much mourns. Prum, Doubleday). What’s magic about 1970? What, for that matter, is normal?

Humane 103
article thumbnail

Birding Shanghai in November 2022

10,000 Birds

Unfortunately, Hen Harriers die disproportionally near British Grouse moors – most likely killed illegally by people hunting grouse for sports ( source ). So assuming that these results are transferable to humans, parents should feed their offspring regularly (first finding) but restrict themselves to one child (second finding).

Birds 206