This frog may not look like much, but its a rare species with a long evolutionary pedigree! Mainland island sanctuaries are popular in New Zealand for any number of reasons. On an island where a major cause of biodiversity loss is from introduced predators, fencing off an area and clearing the predators once is a usually effective method of protecting species where removing the invasive from the whole area isn’t feasible (yet). MORE

You may recall that the hosts Sweden had some pedigree in this competition when Abba won with “Waterloo”, but their Scandinavian neighbours have been guilty of some dreadful entries including , the shame of Finland, Lordi and “Hard Rock Hallelujah”. Tonight, Malmo hosts the high camp drama that is the Eurovision Song Contest. It is a celebration of trite, ridiculous and frankly disturbing pop music. This is the Czech Republic entry for 2009; [link]. MORE

Headquartered in Brussels, Mars Petcare produces brands such as PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA®, CESAR®, ROYAL CANIN®, NUTRO®, GREENIES®, KITEKAT®, CHAPPI®, and CATSAN®. Mars Petcare recently launched The Power of Pets! What is The Power of Pets? It’s a great new new initiative to help people live a healthier life! Mars Petcare is collaborating with the YMCA in 5 cities to start, to bring pet-friendly health and physical activity education and programming to communities. MORE

This is a bird with some pedigree. European Storks are majestic, they’re graceful and stately and all of the positively connotated adjectives that are applied to birds to which humans have a long and pleasant history rooted deep in our western cultural heritage. In fact, there’s hardly a bird in the world that has such a venerated relationship with us. MORE

Pedigree is resurrecting is insanely successful Write a Post, Help a Dog program. In 2010, 391 bloggers wrote about the program and with each post, Pedigree donated 20 pounds of its Healthy Longevity dog food to shelter animals. Simply spread the word about Write a Post, Help a Dog 2011 and once again Pedigree will donate 20 pounds of food for each blogger’s post. Apply for a shelter grant from the Pedigree Foundation by completing a form at www.pedigreefoundation.org. MORE

The ABA is still considering its response to the gull and its provenance, but more to the point, Jochen has called its pedigree into question by asserting that it is a Ring-billed Gull x Black-headed Gull hybrid. I was worried that I may not have a post for this weekend until I noted Corey’s submission about the Gray-hooded Gull at Coney Island, New York. MORE

I’m excited to share the Pedigree Write a Post, Help a Dog campaign! To help, simply write a blog post about Pedigree’s commitment to adoption and finding shelter dogs loving homes. For each post written, Pedigree will donate a 17-pound bag of Pedigree Dry Dog Food to a shelter in need. Or perhaps get some inspiration from the Pedigree Adoption website. Now in it’s third year, the program has generated 650 blog posts and 6.5 MORE

With such a pedigree, it comes as no surprise that the French winemaker and professor of oenology at the University of Bordeaux, Denis Dubourdieu, stated that “Aglianico is probably the grape with the longest consumer history of all.”. MORE

And though this beer was brewed in America’s Motor City, it boasts a true Eastern European pedigree in its hops, Lublin and Saaz, two varieties that respectively hail from the Polish and Czech cities of the same name (though Saaz is more properly known these days by its Czech name Žatec). MORE

Shift-It Tip: If you’re set on a purebred dog or cat, buy one from a rescue association instead of getting a pedigree from a breeder. We recently got a review copy of a great new book called Shift Your Habit: Easy Ways to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Save the Planet , which is going to be available on March 9th. We really enjoyed the book a lot! It’s jam packed with simple ways to reduce your impact on the planet, while also making an impact on your wallet! MORE

While this ibis might not be as visually conspicuous as the vivid hordes at the Caroni Swamp , it compensates for its unexpected lack of color with its pedigree: The Scarlet Ibis was first commissioned by the trendy New York City cocktail bar Death & Co. One of the first things most people think of when they think of Trinidad – perhaps after steel drums and calypso – is rum. MORE

This frugal selection may seem like an inauspicious choice for our inaugural wine review, but its cost belies its pedigree: the entire line of La Vieille Ferm is blended and bottled by the Perrin family of the southern Rhone Valley, best known for producing Chateau de Beaucastel, a respected and long-lived Chateauneuf de Pape. I’ve been dragging my feet on wine reviews here at Booze and Birds for quite some time. MORE

If you just like the idea of being seen with a pedigree pup, buy a bag. The idea of owning a dog is alluring for many of us. That adorable bundle of fur with puppy-dog eyes, and the promise to be your best friend forever, is surely going to tug at anyone’s heartstrings. But, putting emotions aside, owning a dog is a massive responsibility and requires considerable thought before you make the commitment. Ask questions. MORE