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This would be a night drive, cold, dark, uncomfortable seats, loud engine in the giant 26-seater truck, scanning the brush and the roadside with three or four strong spotlights wrangled by volunteers among the nature-loving tourists, and of course, the headlights of the truck. And, of course, something interesting came along.
Perhaps our outrage at invasive species can be a bit hypocritical at times. Listers are quick to put aside their condemnation of invasive species once they attain that coveted status of exotic: not native, not fully naturalized, but established well enough to be countable by the prevailing authority. That’s where we come in.
We can, of course, count wild, native, species. We can count vagrant species that made it to the area we are in under their own power. We can count introduced species that have met the criteria of the “Bird Police” for the area to which they are introduced. There are lots of birds we can’t count.
Quantico Military Base is really behaving cruelly when it comes to the feral cats on its base. Of course, this is the military, so why should they be any better than humanity in general?) It is their belief, he said, that rendering most of the feral cats sexually inactive will humanely decrease their numbers. ‘‘The
On 14 March, 2013, the Orlando Sentinel published an opinion piece by Ted Williams under the headline “Trap, neuter, return programs make feral-cat problem worse.” Then he gave a couple of alternative solutions to the feral cat problem: There are two effective, humane alternatives to the cat hell of TNR. ” Wait, what?
Back in 2009, Tai Haku sent us a fascinating post exploring a question that ecologists worldwide grapple with: can the translocation of rare species into niches left empty by extinction be successful or justified? It is extinct. Sadly though the Clappers have been nowhere near as successful as our next candidate.
Of course they have nothing to do with the quality or knowledge of a birder since they are primarily a function of a) dedication b) time c) money and d) a good internet connection. One of the best aspects of this post is that it is not about a specific bird species. Frustration all around. Which is fair enough.
But of course, you can skip them when getting near the end of this post – though that will mean not using your knowledge and skills to help Afghan women. And of course, there is a large number of Rock Doves (feral), particularly near one particular mosque. Oh god, I sound like the Pope now.
It can’t have escaped your notice lately that the blog has been overrun with articles about North America’s pseudo-warblers (or wood warblers, as some people, apparently unaware the name is taken by a proper European species, call them), and, even worse, no small amount of poetry. And they are always a pleasure to see.
Because of its distance to the mainland, Hawaii is home to over 60 species of endemic birds. Over time, the webbing in its toes has decreased, and its longer lakes and shorter wings also make walking easier for this species. Ah Hawaii, land of beautiful beaches, surfing, warm weather, and unique birds.
More reviled than perhaps any other species for the mess they make, their copious poop, and their general ubiquity, they are disliked, cursed, and stuck with monikers like “rat with wings.” ” But the Feral Pigeon has much about it that should be admired. Pigeons get no respect. Instead, enjoy the pigeon.
What’s even more frustrating is when animal rights people learn of plans to cull nonnative species. Yes, of course it is too bad that so many animals (most often rats, mice and rabbits) have to be killed. As you can see here , PETA does not even address these issues at all, while portraying themselves as indeed giving a damn.
My award-winning picture of a Feral Pigeon was of course taken in Rotterdam. Many species come here to winter, breed or moult despite the presence of six refineries. While enjoying a cold beer or a hot coffee. Jackdaws and Carrion Crows eat discarded chips throughout the city.
And so, when Salvador Ramirez left, there were feral goats on the island of San Clemente, the southernmost of the Channel Islands off the coast of California. And so, these goats ate the flora of the island: unique species of Indian paintbrush and woodland star, bushmallow and wirelettuce and morning glory.
These waste water treatment plants offer the perfect environment to bird-life due to the fact that water is constantly available and is fenced for further protection from feral animals. To a birder these Poo Ponds offer the perfect place to see a large number of species in a relatively small area close to towns.
More than 50 years ago, the Hawaiian Goose (Nene) was one of the first birds listed under the Endangered Species Act, part of the inaugural “ Class of 1967 ”. Under the Endangered Species Act, any listing, uplisting, downlisting, or removal from a list requires a formal “rulemaking” process.
Also, in relatively natural, or wild, lands in much of the US the feral cat population will be limited by a healthy wild predator population. About 15 million birds are killed annually by hunters, and of course this is distributed among a very small number of species. Also, the comparison with cats is not particularly relevant.
It isn’t a very promising park, to be sure – it’s loaded with art, and everyone knows that birds hate art, or maybe they hate the feral cats that live under the art (probably the latter.) Expected, but still lovely native species that liven up our urban spaces. People walk their dogs and do yoga there.
Honeyeaters are a large bird family (190 species) with a strong presence in Australia. 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.”
During the early 1990s, rumours surrounding the occurrence of a few Egyptian Geese in far north-western Germany emerged, the result of an increasing and spreading Dutch feral population. Of course, our imagination did not incorporate the Egyptian Goose. Of course I considered it to have been blown there from the Netherlands.
In 2012, I reviewed The Jewel Hunter , an absorbing narrative in which author Chris Goodie travelled throughout Asia, Africa, and Australasia to observe and photograph every Pitta species in the world. Hummingbird species, on the other hand, number in the hundreds. Jonas D’Abronzo.
The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.
I didn’t realize how many new species I would see within the city itself! The first looked very similar to a Mourning Dove , which of course can be found across the United States. Though I have been birding for a few years now, I had only birded west of the Mississippi once before my recent trip to Austin, Texas.
Of course, the CBC has sexier abbreviation: with the IWC (or iWC?) One odd flock of Feral Pigeons above an arable field under deep snow – nothing for them to eat there, but I didn’t give them the attention they deserve and only a few hours later realised that they actually were Stock Doves. My mind, at least.
They range from the successful eradication of feral cats from Marion Island (hear that, Corey?) Betty’s Bay was also a great place to see all of South Africa’s cormorant species, including the endangered Bank Cormorant. We observed far fewer Lesser Flamingos, a near-threatened species. How do you tell the difference?
Every March, hope springs anew that I’ll cross paths with one of these feral fluffballs, but as April ends, so do another year’s delirious dreams. Driving along ice-choked inlets off Lake Ontario, admiring Mute Swans and scaup species, my commitment to nail this nemesis never wavered. Enjoy the details and proof here.
First published in 1973 in association with the Asa Wright Center, the book focuses on species descriptions, with illustrations grouped together in plates positioned in the center of the book. The guide covers 477 species, an expansion of 35 from the second edition, which was published in 1991. The AOU has not accepted that split.
Walking along a dirt track next to a prairie, my friend and I were on the look-out for different sparrow species when a large bird suddenly darted into the clearing. Of course, only thirty minutes later I saw my second roadrunner, this time standing on a lawn adjacent to a busy street!
Most birders would guess the village name has something to do with pigeons and doves, and of course it does: “Sainte-Colombe” means “Holy Dove” in French. Its holiness may not be in question, but from the label drawing, I’m not quite sure which species of the family Columbidae the Sainte-Colombe pigeon belongs to.
But come spring, an even luckier few may even find a fellow survivor of their own kind with whom to start a family, unwittingly causing contentious debates among birders about the countability of established feral populations in the process. What’s in a name?
Osborn, a passionate field biologist who participates to the core of her being three re-introduction projects aimed at saving three very different, endangered species: Peregrine Falcon, Hawaiian Crow (‘Alala)*, and California Condor. Sophie Osborn’s stories are personal and inspiring, but this is more than a personal memoir.
The cliffs survived along with the rest of the island and are still manned by endless rows of Common Guillemots during the breeding season, offering German birders an easy way – the only easy way – of enjoying this iconic species. But what is it about the species that makes the Germans think it is a bit dim-witted?
7 beats contributed their sightings from 7 countries (Hong Kong, UK, China, USA, Serbia, Australia and, of course, Costa Rica). 149 checklists were submitted, accounting for 465 species. You may notice a few non-commital “sp” entries and/or a few domestic/feral/hybrid forms.
It is a story of recent and future conservation efforts within New Zealand to conserve their endemic bird species. Anyone interested in birds, bird conservation and, in particular, the strategy of feral animal control will find it fascinating. Kiwis are featured of course. I am not sure what I liked the best.
The lack of people does not mean we have any less extinct or threatened bird species than other countries. European settlement in Australia has been the cause of the decline of a variety of bird species and if not directly, then indirectly by the introduction of other species that have been the cause of their decline.
” Most shrugged and said very few US falconers fly owls because they’re slow and some species you can only hunt at night, that wouldn’t be much fun to watch. All apprentice falconers are allowed only 1 of 2 species: American Kestrel or Red-tailed Hawk. Of course I can’t speak for every falconer out there.
Dirt hawking is a form of falconry that involves hunting rabbits and other small game with Harris Hawks (other hawk species also qualify). One of the primary reasons that these hawks make such excellent falconry birds is because they are one of only two raptor species (the other is the Galapagos Hawk ) that hunt cooperatively.
The park is located to the south east of the central business district, part of a larger complex of playing fields, stadiums and golf courses that the very outdoorsy Australians find so important. The other common duck species is the Hardhead , a local species of diving duck, but the rarest species (of which I saw only one) is the Musk Duck.
Basically, this species is so dimwitted, it doesn’t know how to survive. Because, Pink Pigeons are not capable of doing the tasks required to create and bring up children of the species. Don’t these birds care about propagating their species? What happened to Thelma and Louise? I know, that’s harsh.
Whenever possible we have used our Christmas Day to see how many bird species we can get in our local area and this year was no different. We usually try and plan a route prior to the day with particular bird species in mind and also taking into account the tidal range for the day. We rarely see them so close to town.
There has been a great deal of talk these days about “reviving” extinct species. Setting aside the feasibility of extracting DNA from specimens and fossils, and finding a suitable similar species to donate an egg, there is much debate on whether we should bring back those species we’ve lost. Should it be?
Feral Turkey are also quite common. 4) Sacred Kingfisher Sacred Kingfisher ( Halcyon sancta) These little guys, a ntaive species, can be very common – in a three hour trip two weekends ago I counted 21 without really trying, around seven times as many Common Kingfishers as I have seen in my entire life in England.
Case in point: some of my family members have become active with feral cat colony organizations. On the one hand, it’s better than doing nothing with a feral cat colony. But I don’t agree with the supplemental feeding that happens with feral cats–if you’re gonna call them wildlife, treat them as such.
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