10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2014

State biologists are observing more and more mixed flocks and mixed pairs in the wild and these feral mallards are mating with mottled ducks, producing a hybrid offspring. Mallards did not occur in New Zealand naturally, but were released to provide hunting stock. These hybrid offspring are fertile, which further compounds the problem.

Florida 256

Florida Ducks New Zealand Feral 256

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

Within its European range, it was heavily hunted until the late 19th century, and the Mute Swan was subsequently a very rare bird to encounter in the wild. Contradicting this relentless shooting were efforts to establish feral populations in many regions of Europe, both within and outside its natural range.

Feral 190

Feral Europe Asia North America 190

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

After all, there is no hunting and while I watched the turkeys they routed a feral cat that dared come near the flock of twelve which consisted of two tom turkeys and ten hens. There is a flock of Wild Turkeys that strut around like they own the place and they might very well be right.

Turkey 201

Turkey New Jersey Feral Cats New York City 201

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

A shot or two coming from the opposite bank, but they do not sound like geese shooting – more like boar hunting. A goose hunt sounds like a WWII battle. The only mammals of the day were feral Nutrias (Coypus), aquatic rodents originally from southern South America released from the bankrupt fur-farms and well established here.

Geese 189

Geese Boars Hunting Serbia 189

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2011

The combined effects of hunting, habitat loss and predation by introduced animals like rats and mongoose have extirpated the species from some islands and reduced numbers significantly on others. Between 1985 and 1991, the ducks suffered a further drastic decline with fewer than 100 birds estimated from Grand Cayman.

Antigua and Barbuda 247

Antigua and Barbuda Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Jamaica 247

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2015

In addition to historic habitat loss and hunting, Nenes face introduced predators such as mongoose and feral cats. With help, the Nene population has increased to around 2,000 individuals. Still, these geese face significant population threats.

Hawaii 183

Hawaii Feral Cats Mongoose Geese 183

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2015

Thanks to a relatively feral childhood I have been left immune to the power of poetry, so I shall dismiss the poetry (a form of art comparable at best to interpretive dance) with a simple dismissive wave of the hand. They are birds at their most composed, soaring effortlessly on thermals across the sky, and birds at their most feral.

Africa 182

Africa Ethiopia Feral Tanzania 182

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2014

European Red Foxes were brought into Australia in the 1850′s for recreational hunting and soon spread rapidly. Feral cats have been able to adapt very well in Australia and have grown larger over the years and can survive in areas that you would not expect. Feral cat predation on Pied Oystercatcher eggs.

Australia 157

Australia Species Feral Cats Feral 157

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

Ditto for the feral Muscovy Ducks , though they are a bit less nice. The most likely bird would be Fulvous Whistling-Duck which I tried for and dipped on last year thanks to the refuge that was good for them being closed for hunting on the day that I made the attempt. Find at least one life bird.

2015 250

2015 Wildlife Florida Honduras 250

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

Lesser Whistling Ducks are “not threatened by hunting as they are not considered good to eat” ( Wikipedia ). If you take a feral pigeon, bleach it and then batik it using the right colors, the result might be a Pink-necked Green Pigeon (1). Whether you are a creature of the night (like this Large-tailed Nightjar ) or not.

Singapore 264

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2012

A fine adult male Goshawk where you scarcely ever see it – perched on reeds after an unsuccessful waterfowl hunt As a purely “recreational” birder, who only writes down what is personally interesting, the sum would be 30, or 1.6% of the individuals present at the time of my visit.

Germany 234

Germany Birds Ducks Feral 234

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2018

There is a cat curfew for domestic animals in some states and a cull has been instigated to try to reduce the number of feral felines, currently estimated at 2 million. Cats hunt most actively in the hours around dawn and dusk, so please keep them in at these times. They rely on cover from which to launch their hunting attacks.

Cats 118

Cats Culling Hunting Feral 118

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The believability of this is underscored by the fact that the Pilgrims and their guides listed among their possession numerous “fowling pieces” … for hunting wild birds. They may have also had hunting dogs with them as well.

Turkey 255

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 255

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2019

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. Several poachers were waiting in ever thickening darkness (Serbian legislation forbids night hunting).

Geese 197

Geese Serbia Estonia Ukraine 197

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Their impressive speed is used for hunting, and roadrunners will eat almost anything that moves. Car collisions, feral cats, and run-ins with hunters also cause problems, even for this speed-racer. Not so much, as the above photo demonstrates. Rattlesnakes are fair game, as are other reptiles, scorpions, frogs, birds, and insects.

New Mexico 108

New Mexico Mexico Coyotes Feral Cats 108

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2019

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.

North America 113

North America Vermont America Farm Animal 113

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

” 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. If anything, falconry birds like the above red-tailed hawk are a hunting partner, especially wild caught birds. I learned that I knew nothing of falconry.

Wisconsin 260

Wisconsin Falcons Owls Hunting 260

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2011

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.

League Against Cruel Sports 270

League Against Cruel Sports Rabbits Falcons Hunting 270

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2018

The causes were the usual reasons for island extinction—deforestation by both humans and invasive plants that crowded out native plants, hunting, and invasive rats, mongoose, monkeys, and, of course, feral cats. Yet, think a bit about what our world would be like if the Passenger Pigeon still existed.

Mauritius 113

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 113

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2020

There is a family of feral foxes that I often encounter near Bennison Creek. Foxes were introduced to Australia in 1855 for hunting and have established themselves far and wide. Bennison Creek Bridge. White-eared Honeyeater. They usually bolt as soon as they see me, but I have been able to take a few photos of them. Tiger Snake.

Fox 181

Fox Feral Ducks Horses 181

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2012

The grassy areas were also patrolled by Laughing Kookaburras , which engaged in the typical watch and wait hunting methods of the kingfisher family, and the engaging Willie Wagtail. Rounding off the waterbirds were Australian Pelicans, Eurasian Coots , the iconic Black Swans and feral geese.

New Zealand 192

New Zealand Ducks Australia Japan 192