10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2015

My work as a wildlife rehabilitator over the past forty-five years has allowed me a unique perspective on a disturbing trend. Consider this: ninety percent of birds treated at wildlife centers are admitted as a result of human interactions that have nothing to do with “nature.”

Wildlife Rehabilitation 189

Wildlife Rehabilitation Bald Eagle Rescue Wildlife 189

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Originally a hunting term, the Big Five were the most dangerous and prized targets of the great white hunters on safari. As visitors’ and the public’s interests expanded from the Big Five, and an appreciation for lesser mammals, birds and smaller wildlife has became more widespread, the term Little Five was coined.

Buffalo 201

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 201

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

And for rodents and reptiles as well. This is approximated by the size of the animal, but really, this has to be adjusted for depending on modality of killing. And for thousands of years the lizards, rodents, and birds of North America adapted to Fishers, Badgers, Wolverines, Ermines, etc. Let me tell you this: They are.

Feral Cats 254

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 254

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

I’ve observed nesting owls, fledgling owlets, owls eating small rodents, owls coughing up their pellets, a Great Horned Owl silently flying over me, a Great Gray Owl sitting regally still on a post as a boy walks up to him, a pair of Barking Owls duetting in early evening hours outside my northern Australian hut as I brushed my teeth.

Owls 209

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 209

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2012

The quills of the “Saqu Ettair” Secretarybirds feed on small lizards, insects, rodents, birds eggs and, of course, snakes. Secretarybirds counter this by being very careful when killing snakes and ensuring that the prey is dead before eating it. Watching them hunt is fascinating. Note the huge wings.

Botswana 221

Botswana Eagles Porcupines Hunting 221