10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

Jennifer Ackerman points out in the introduction to What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds , that we don’t know much, but that very soon we may know a lot more. What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds is a joyous, fascinating read.

Owls 224

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 224

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

Natural areas include Pelham Bay Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Woodlawn Cemetery, New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo. 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.

New York City 156

New York City New York Birds Breeding 156

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2022

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. It seems that quite a few zoos keep Tawny Frogmouths. They just sit and pretend not to be there to avoid interaction.” Just please do not return to this website afterward.

Birds 242

Birds Australia Ducks Mountain Goats 242

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

We have photographs and newspaper obituaries of Martha, the last living Passenger Pigeon, who died after a lifetime in captivity, mostly in the Cincinnati Zoo. We immediately get a sense of the pigeons’ abundance, beauty, and danger to human activity. We have a lot of source material. It’s an effective introduction.

2014 161

2014 Killing Michigan Kentucky 161

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

None fly, most are curious and social, which probably contributes to our cultural perception of penguins as one step away from human. They are software mascots, cartoon characters, animated film dancers, children’s book heroes, zoo celebrities, and documentary film stars.

Penguins 209

Penguins New Zealand South Africa Albatross 209