10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2013

In a sad, stupid, and short-sighted move, the National Audubon Society has decided to suspend their contract with Ted Williams and remove him from his position of “Editor-at-Large” on the masthead. Ted has contributed articles to Audubon Magazine for over 33 years. The reason for Audubon’s actions? He wrote a column , not for Audubon, but for the Orlando Sentinal , in which he advocated the killing of feral cats instead of the use of trap-neuter-release.

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Cats Feral Cats Euthanasia United States 272

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 26, 2013

KONG Premium Treats are made in the USA (hurray!) and are great for training your dog, or just rewarding your dog for being awesome! They are shaped like the popular KONG toy, and also will fit inside of a KONG to provide your pooch with a fun challenge! The treats are free of wheat, corn and soy. There are no artificial colors or flavors, no animal byproducts or harmful preservatives.

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Dogs Animal 196

Sales and Marketing Management

MARCH 28, 2013

Issue Date: 2013-03-29. Author: Michael D. Krause. Teaser: A good lawyer knows the answers to every question before asking it. It may not be quite the same with salespeople, but there are some key questions to avoid. A good lawyer knows the answers to every question before asking it. It may not be quite the same with salespeople, but there are some key questions to avoid.

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2013 109

Animal Ethics

MARCH 13, 2013

According to the Guardian , the new pope (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) took his name from Saint Francis of Assisi (depicted above), who is the patron saint of animals. This would be a wonderful opportunity for the Roman Catholic Church, which has 1.2 billion adherents, to drive home the point that animals are not resources for human use but fellow denizens of the planet, with lives, a good, and a dignity of their own.

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Animal Humane 43

Speaker: dsfn

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

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.” In the piece he made the arguments that one normally makes when arguing against trap-neuter-return (TNR): it encourages more abandonment, it’s ineffective at reducing feral cat populations, the colonies are reservoirs for diseases that can infect people and other species, the cats often suffer from grievous injuries,

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Feral Cats Trap Neuter Return Tnr Extremist 272

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2013

Few places on earth offer the opportunity to see 30 country endemics within a half-hour’s drive of a scenic coastal town. San Blas, situated on the north-western coastline of Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit is one such place. Here birding is combined with breathtaking natural beauty, a rich and vibrant local cultural scene and tantalizing gastronomical delights.

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Mexico United States Woodpeckers Sanctuary 264

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 5, 2013

A male dolphin calf was born at Discovery Cove in Orlando Monday, February 25, at 10:05 pm. The calf now weighs approximately 44 pounds and is 44 inches long. He is nursing and bonding with his mom, Kendall, both a good indication that the calf is doing well. This is Kendall’s fourth birth and the 26th dolphin born at Discovery Cove since the park opened in 2000.

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Dolphins 2000 Fish Experience 194

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2013

Pro-tip: If you are a Red-tailed Hawk don’t attack a Bald Eagle on its nest. Such an idea when put into practice will not end well for you.

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Bald Eagle Eagles Birds 270

10,000 Birds

MARCH 22, 2013

What is the number one cause of wildlife rehablilitator burnout? I mean, besides the killer hours, unending work, low or non-existent pay, heartache, and the fact that we’re almost always covered with something gross? The public. Luckily, the pendulum swings. We get a series of people who are so callous and downright stupid that we fear we will end up standing in front of a judge, fending off homicide charges.

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New York City Owls Rescue Wildlife 234

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

The grackle is the ultimate American bird, adaptable, intrepid, and obstreperous. Ten species of these iridescent ebon irritants, most in the genus Quiscalus , are distributed throughout the New World. The banner blackbird of most of Mesoamerica as well as much of the southwestern United States is the Great-tailed Grackle. In fact, this aggressive avian ambassador is usually the first bird a visitor encounters, often right outside the airport!

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Coyotes United States Blackbirds 2009 223

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2013

It’s that special time of year when birds begin to move north and people see a migrant during a snow storm and ask, “Can that bird survive??” The answer? Yes. Usually. I was reminded this week as Minnesota received a few more inches of snow and some sub zero wind chills. Great Blue Herons are returning to the state (as they do this time of year) and people see them and worry.

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Minnesota Coyotes Nashville Fox 205

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 2, 2013

You’ve got your itinerary set, your tickets are booked, your Bermuda shorts are packed, and you’re ready to go. There’s just one thing: where to leave your cat(s) and dog(s)? This is one of the most common questions travelers with pets encounter, and the answer really depends on what both you and your pets are most comfortable with. Here are a few solutions you might want to try out before settling on one. 1.

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Kennels Costa Rica Pets Vet 164

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2013

The upside of rehabbing Turkey Vultures is they’re smart, funny, cool, fascinating birds. The downside is sometimes they’ll bite you and throw up on you. It’s a small price to pay. This gorgeous guy was hit by a car, I’m guessing, in a town south of me. He hobbled into the driveway of a woman named Terry, limping badly and unable to fly. She made the 10 or 14 calls it usually takes to find a wildlife rehabilitator, finally finding me.

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Wildlife Rehabilitation Soreing Turkey Suffering 203

10,000 Birds

MARCH 26, 2013

Now this is some seriously good news ! Or, in Ted’s words: I’ve just been informed by Audubon that I am benched for the next issue but will be permanently back in the game the following issue. I knew I had fans out there, but never imagined there were so many and with such strong feelings. Your support went as viral as the emails from Alley Cat Allies.

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Feral Cats Game 203

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

In 1898, Hermon Bumpus published a paper about change in the morphology in a population of House Sparrows that he proposed was an example of Darwinian Natural Selection in action. Some time after that, the Bumpus study was incorporated in teaching about evolution and is now found in textbooks and problem sets for intro biology in high schools and colleges around the world.

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South Africa Killing Nebraska Cape Verde 198

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 23, 2013

Friskies announced their newest tablet game for cats called “Happy Wings.” This game, which takes place in an electronic garden full of flittering critters, can be downloaded from www.GamesForCats.com. Also, Friskies hosted their first Hackathon (March 23 and 24 in Venice, CA) to create the next potential Friskies game! It should be fun to see what people come up with!

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Game Cats 160

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 7, 2013

Rock & Rawhide , the charity that helps increase adoption levels of dogs and cats in shelters, announced today that it is included in Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C)’s latest advertising campaign, “New York’s Kindest” for their donations and assistance in increasing adoption levels through distraction therapy. The campaign encourages New Yorkers to support their city shelter by adopting, volunteering and donating to make a difference in the lives of shelter animals.

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New York City Homelessness Adopt Cat Adoptable 159

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2013

Smooth-billed Ani ( Crotophaga ani ) is a widespread and ubiquitous bird in disturbed grassy areas throughout much of the neotropics, including most of the Caribbean Islands. It is one of three species of ani ( Groove-billed and Greater Anis are the other two) and together form a unique branch in the cuckoo family. Incredibly social, Smooth-billed Anis form monogamous pairs that build a communal nest where all birds share in the responsibilities of feeding and tending to the young.

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Florida Virgin Islands Miami Breeders 195

Speaker: Gabriel Wagner Presenter 2

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10,000 Birds

MARCH 28, 2013

Keep your eyes to the skies for fun celestial bodies! (Did you see Pan-Starrs? Clare Kines spotted the charismatic comet above Admiralty Inlet in Nunavut!). Spring is here! I know this not from the gradual appearance of robins, grackles, and blackbirds around me, but rather from the fact that our local schools are about to embark on spring break. Party!

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2013 Blackbirds New York Eggs 192

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2013

Robins are one of those taxonomically confusing terms, like bunting or grosbeak or warbler, that are applied to groups of birds in different, often disparate, families. In the New World, the birds we call “robins” are deep-bellied, melodious-voiced, thrushes of the genus Turdus. In the Old World, they’re little, roundish, chats (another of those odd terms).

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Family Groups Birds 191

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2013

The Bee-eaters are a beautifully coloured Old World family of birds that sit out on prominent perches watching for insects to prey upon. This Green Bee-eater , Merops Orientalis , was seen at the Pivot Fields in Dubai where it was perched on a sprinkler head and was constantly looking out for something to eat. Bees are eaten, as you might imagine, but so are most other flying insects including dragonflies, beetles and butterflies.

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Family Birds 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2013

Bushtits ( Psaltriparus minimus ) are the only New World representative of the long-tailed t**s ( Aegithalidae ) and they are primarily limited to the western parts of North America and the highlands of Central America. You can tell from the look of the male in flight above that they are not strong fliers. Lucky for them, they don’t have to be because they don’t migrate.

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North America Breeders America Breeding 186

Speaker: Steve Romanco

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2013

It’s been awhile since we added a new Beat Writer here at 10,000 Birds and I am pleased to announce that the long drought has ended. Please give a warm welcome to our newest Beat Writer, Meredith Matthews! … Meredith Matthews is a long time reader of 10,000 Birds who regularly let Mike and Corey know about cool news stories, blog posts, and other tidbits related to birds that she found.

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Chicago Massachusetts Medical Eagles 182

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 7, 2013

This is Sam, an American Pit Bull Terrier that was rescued from a life of dogfighting. He was rescued by the Humane Society of the United States, and has since earned the nickname “Bulletproof Sam”! Even with his harsh past and permanent cosmetic damage, he is in no pain and he shows nothing but true happiness since being rescued! Sadly, stories like Sam’s are all too common, and they don’t always have a happy ending, but the Humane Society is working hard to put a stop t

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Humane Society Of The United States Family Pit Bulls The Humane Society 153

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2013

The Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae is Australia’s largest bird standing at up to 2 metres (6 foot 6 inches) tall. Although it is flightless it is able to run at considerable speed and it is not uncommon to have them running alongside your vehicle at up to 50km/hr (31mph). They are also inquisitive, so if you observe some near the edge of the road and you want to gain their attention you can turn on your car indicators and they will often investigate rather than run off.

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Australia Investigation Family Eggs 180

10,000 Birds

MARCH 22, 2013

It’s a sign, I think, when I receive a book to review and realize I just bought the same book, on my own recognizance, for my own pleasure. Also a sign when I spot other books by the same author on the shelf in the office of a member of my thesis committee, and on my own Christmas wish list. In this case, the signs were right. This is a good book.

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Sparrows Feral Cats North America Feral 183

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4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 1, 2013

A game show just for cats? You bet! Friskies has come up with a fun new show called “Will Kitty Play With It?” and you and your cat can get in on the action too! Each episode of the game show focuses on one specific item, hidden under a cardboard box, to be revealed to a curious cat. Once the box has been lifted, suspense builds as the item is revealed and described in detail before the big question, and moment of truth: “Will Kitty Play With It?”.

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Cats Game 149

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2013

At last, we stand on the threshold of a new season, moving inexorably into a period of phenological flux. Nature lovers love those magical months between winter and summer, so get your affairs in order… migration is either coming or may have already come! I took a run up to the lake today to find that most of the winter seaducks have moved offshore, at least for the weekend.

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2013 Blackbirds Birds Experience 177

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2013

Rick Wright has exploded the conventional wisdom and advanced an alternative theory as to why the Prothonotary Warbler is called the Prothonotary Warbler. Click through to unlearn what you already thought you knew and have your mind blown. (Yeah, that might be a bit hyperbolic but whatever.).

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Birds 177

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2013

Alfredo Begazo grew up with Peruvian Meadowlarks and Marvelous Spatuletails, and was used to waking up to the morning choruses of Pacific Doves in Lima, Peru. He now wakes up to the choruses of Northern Cardinals and Northern Mockingbirds in sunny Vero Beach, Florida. Alfredo, an experienced birder in Peru and well-rounded naturalist, founded a birding and nature eco-travel company , known as Surbound Expeditions (Sur=Spanish for south).

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Peru Birds Chile Parrots 175

Speaker: Gabriel Wagner

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