10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2020

I am only responding to my subjective impression of a single species’ appearance here; specifically, that of the Bronzed Cowbird. But when raised, they seem to have a sort of weird cape. In other words, they never raise their own young. In contrast, the Brown-headed Cowbird is a same-continent invasive species.

Blackbirds 155

Blackbirds Mexico Cattle Birds 155

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

I once knew a guy who kept and raised cats. Also, feral Cats on islands seem to be a serious problem, causing the extirpation of some indigenous species. A hungry feral Cat in Minnesota goes and finds new prey in an area it previously had not explored, leaving the last few of one or another bird species alone for a while.

Feral Cats 256

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 256

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2020

These were Torresian Crows that realised that the Channel-billed Cuckoos were likely to try and lay eggs in their nest, so they could raise their young for them. This line gets used every day by many bird species. They had arrived from Asia and were being chased away by Torresian Crows.

Asia 272

Asia Australia Eggs Raised 272

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2023

With my recent relocation to the central forests of Trinidad, I have been afforded the incredible opportunity of observing three oft-confused species in close proximity to one another. In reality these species are rarely in the same place at the same time, however! All the more reason to keep birding!

Trinidad 149

Trinidad Abandonment Abandoning Abandon 149

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2016

The species, which migrates from the Russian Arctic to Southeast Asia, is down to about 200 breeding pairs in the wild, due to habitat loss and poaching. Two different females among the captive group have laid eggs , and scientists are keeping a watchful eye on a few others. Now, it’s Spoon-billed Sandpipers’ turn.

Louisiana 190

Louisiana Eggs Breeding Asia 190

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

The HBW even mentions the importance of Ruoergai for this species: “Key sites for migrants include the Ruoergai Plateau (China), which is also an important breeding area” Common Mergansers also seem to use these wetlands as breeding area. Understated elegance is also something the White-browed Tit is rather good at.

China 176

China Mongolia Russia Birds 176

10,000 Birds

JULY 1, 2018

This year is the eighteenth year since we discovered our first Pied Oystercatcher nest on Cable Beach in Broome and it didn’t take us long to realise that they are not at all successful at raising young due to egg and chick predation. He last raised a chick successfully in 2016 and has nested in this area since 2008.

Breeding 100

Breeding 2018 Eggs 2008 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

They may be about bird eggs ( The Most Perfect Thing: The Inside (and Outside) of a Bird’s Egg , 2016), or a 17th-century ornithologist ( Virtuoso by Nature: The Scientific Worlds of Francis Willughby, 2016), or How Bullfinches learn songs from humans ( The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology.

Dissection 226

Dissection Birds Europe Eggs 226

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2023

Note to other species: better do not rely on mature primary forests, as this may lead to extinction. This says more about my inability to differentiate between warbler species than about the rarity of the bird – but the bird was kindly singing. Also, do not smoke as it is not good for your health.

Birds 130

Birds Cattle Raised Mammals 130

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 23, 2014

When you monitor a species of birds over many years you learn a lot from your observations and you soon become aware of the fact that some birds are just better at parenting than others. There is egg predation, chick loss and sometimes possibly just some “bad parenting”! Three eggs in the nest.

Eggs 165

Eggs Raised Breeding Family 165

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Even the Latin species name soror (“sister”) indicates the similarity to another pitta species (blue-naped). The eBird description of the Small Niltava starts with the surprisingly dull statement that “size distinguishes this species from other niltavas” Who would have thought.

China 234

China Birds Pythons Eagles 234

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2014

Less than 1% of all species exhibit role some type of role reversal where males do what females typically do. Male Phalaropes, Jacanas, Tinamous, and Rheas build nests, incubate the eggs and take care of the chicks. Females then begin to lay eggs in the nest the male prepared. Some of the eggs will be lost to the elements.

South America 153

South America Eggs Raised America 153

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

Their name is no accident – Piratic Flycatchers closely monitor the nesting activities of pendulous-nesting species like Crested Oropendolas and Yellow-rumped Caciques. Having successfully claimed ownership of the nest, the Piratic Flycatchers move in, lay and incubate their eggs, and ultimately raise their young in the pirated nest.

Trinidad 220

Trinidad Abandon Abandonment Abandoning 220

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2015

There are sixteen pairs of Pied Oystercatchers and they have varying success at raising young birds. To the north they are very unlucky with predation before the eggs even hatch out, but to the south the eggs hatch out and then the predation occurs on the chicks.

Feral Cats 159

Feral Cats Eggs Feral Cats 159

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

The Cuckoos in Australia call shrilly and in a frantic descending or ascending call and often you will only hear the variety of species and not actually observe them. It was a juvenile bird and no doubt its parents had used one of the many Paperbark Flycatchers nests to lay its eggs in.

Australia 172

Australia Eggs Raised Species 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2013

The first eggs were laid in the first week of July, which is the case each year. The eggs take 28 days to hatch and it is then at least 35 days before the chicks are developed enough to fly and there have been problems with predation as in other years. Pied Oystercatcher sitting on eggs in the nudist area of Cable Beach.

Breeding 159

Breeding Eggs Camels Shelters 159

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2023

In total, there are eight species of hornbills in Borneo – the best place to see them seems to be the Kinabatagan River area (also known as Sukau). Another paper reviews information on Oriental Pied Hornbills raiding the nests of various bird species in Singapore and even pet bird cages.

Rhinoceros 128

Rhinoceros Singapore Transported Hunting 128

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2017

The grass is green, the wildflowers are spectacular and now we have numerous species of dragonfly to enjoy as the season starts to change. Masked Lapwings have been busy breeding for some months now and some may well be on their second clutch of eggs. Masked Lapwing nest with eggs and chicks. Masked Lapwing protecting a nest.

Breeding 100

Breeding Eggs Protection Cows 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

One of my favorite bird species living by my house is the Juniper Titmouse. Although the Juniper Titmouse is not officially a threatened species, its numbers have been declining due to loss of habitat. But a Bewick’s Wren did build a nest, which it promptly abandoned before laying any eggs. Others had more luck.

2017 157

2017 New Mexico Groups Abandon 157

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2019

While I harbor mixed feelings about zoos in general, this facility seems to make the best effort possible to keep animals in interesting enclosures, move them to different areas of the zoo to maintain novel surroundings, and invest money and space into a 30 acre mixed species enclosure, where the animals can move freely.

Zoos 113

Zoos Geese Canada Rhinos 113

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2017

Our recent bush-walking has involved some long muddy walks and are always productive as far as birds and wildflowers go and we have found several species nests. Australian Painted Snipe nest with four eggs. Four eggs in the Australian Painted Snipe nest. Australian Painted Snipe nest. Three swimming Australian Painted Snipe.

Breeding 100

Breeding Eggs Raised 2017 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 15, 2012

There are thousands of shorebirds that visit Broome each year and the majority of them are now in the northern hemisphere hopefully sitting on eggs. Not all of our shorebird species migrate and those that reside here are also currently sitting on eggs, or thinking about laying eggs in the upcoming weeks.

Eggs 215

Eggs Raised Breeding Species 215

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2014

Among birds the Egyptian Vulture uses rocks to crack Ostrich eggs, the New Caledonian Crow and Woodpecker Finch (one of several Darwin Finches of the Galapagos Islands), uses sticks to extract grubs from inside a branch. This is similar to the fact that all birds, even first time breeders within a species build identical nests.

Fish 163

Fish Ostriches Woodpeckers Breeders 163

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2013

Once again Pied Oystercatcher breeding season is fast approaching in Broome and we can expect the first batch of eggs to be laid within the next few weeks. We have also discovered that they are very rarely successful with the first eggs laid due to predation of either the eggs or the chicks. Sooty Oystercatcher having a shake!

Eggs 175

Eggs Breeding Australia Raised 175

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

A few families have a small number of eggs in the clutches, like gulls or cormorants. Others, like the petrels and some of the auks, will lay a single egg per breeding attempt. One North American species I am very familiar with is the Cassin’s Auklet , which ranges from the end of the Aleutian Islands to California.

Eggs 165

Eggs Puffins Breeding Albatross 165

4 The Love Of Animals

DECEMBER 20, 2013

On November 30, SeaWorld Orlando welcomed the first chick to hatch at Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, the all-new attraction featuring a colony of more than 250 penguins from four species – king, Adelie, gentoo and rockhopper. Caring for the king chick is a full-time job shared by mom and dad, and it starts before the penguin even hatches.

Penguins 100

Penguins Transported Eggs Raised 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2013

The two dozen species are, nearly to an individual, long bodied and bicolored. Unlike most of its cogeners, Venezuelan Troupial does not build one of those hanging bag nests so well known by the other Icterus species, it’s a nest parasite. Just lazy ones.

Baltimore 179

Baltimore Broker North America Raised 179

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2016

We have several of the cuckoo species around the Broome area and all cuckoos are more likely to be heard than seen, but every now and again you get lucky! Pheasant Coucals are also a member of the cuckoo family, but are unique because they do actually raise their own young. At 28-33cm they are one of the larger cuckoos. Pallid Cuckoo.

United Kingdom 100

United Kingdom Raised 2013 Africa 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 26, 2013

I had always seen them well over my head, in rocky canyons, and given that they are an exclusively Western species, I assumed this is why. In fact, it seems like Violet-green swallows will nest anywhere they can fit in an egg and someone to incubate it. And that’s why they caution you about assumptions.

Montana 158

Montana Woodpeckers Eggs Raised 158

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

Bufflehead ( Bucephala albeola ) Female at Cavity Entrance photos by Larry Jordan “Some 85 species of North American birds excavate nesting holes, use cavities resulting from decay (natural cavities), or use holes created by other species in dead or deteriorating trees.

North America 219

North America America Barn Owls Fur 219

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2012

The Barred Warbler , otherwise known as Sylvia nisoria , is one of those species that is aptly named if you only ever see an adult male. When the adult male bird has more than one mate, the femaleincubates the eggs and tends to the chicks alone. You know what is interesting about Barred Warblers?

Hungary 170

Hungary Eggs Abandonment Abandon 170

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2016

La Paz, the capital city of Baja California Sur, the southern half of the Mexican Baja, has been a real joy, with both the desired weather, and a much expanded variety of bird species. Once the nest was done, she began sitting on it, preparing to lay her eggs. And, it is on this boat that I got to be a part of a great story.

San Diego 175

San Diego Seattle Eggs California 175

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

For mankind to snatch away a species’ very existence is wrong on so many levels that I can’t begin to explain them. However, despite our best efforts to wipe them off the face of the earth, some of the more vulnerable species have managed to hang on. this species breeds. Here are some U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Albatross 209

Albatross Endangered Species Bald Eagle Alaska 209

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2012

He had two major strikes against him: one, he had been found and raised alone by someone with little knowledge of birds, and so was imprinted. Two, he was a starling, an aggressive, overly plentiful invasive species that are edging out our more gentle native songbirds. Harley the Starley was a young European Starling.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 185

Wildlife Rehabilitation Parrots Game Eggs 185

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

As a Northeast birder I am familiar with the alarming decrease in the number of Red Knots along Atlantic shores and have signed petitions and written e-mails calling for legislation and rules that will limit the overharvesting of the horseshoe crab, whose eggs Red Knots depend on. million in the late 1990’s. Should the gulls be controlled?

Delaware 181

Delaware New Jersey Eggs Research 181

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2021

With this headline, and my bias, I am tempted to include every bird however I will restrict myself, on this occasion to just three species. Each of these species is an amazing bird and ones that can only be seen, observed, and enjoyed here in Australia. The first two species are related. They are both bowerbirds.

Guinea 263

Guinea Australia Birds Eggs 263

Critter News

DECEMBER 12, 2009

Another animal dies at the Calgary Zoo and more questions are being raised about their practices. The Calgary Zoo is again under scrutiny as details emerged Friday about how a capybara, a species of giant South American rodent, died after becoming caught in a hydraulic door last weekend as it was being moved from one area to another.

Zoos 100

Zoos Animal Welfare Welfare Elephants 100