10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

For once, eBird gives a good description of the Asian Glossy Starling, calling it a “Fierce-looking, large songbird” As are humans, this species is fairly urbanized – it “sometimes enters urban areas to roost, e.g. in Singapore” (HBW). Lucky ducks. “Odd, me?”

Singapore 264

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 264

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. Scanning the water for rarer species… S. We counted more than 35 of them, relaxed and fearless, clearly not hunted. Easy – it is forbidden to hunt at night.

Geese 189

Geese Boars Hunting Serbia 189

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2012

Not how many bird species , but how many bird individuals. The Wagbachniederung is reknown for its waterfowl, shorebirds, and good breeding populations of several species that are very localized in Germany. I want to know – just roughly – how many birds I have seen in my life.

Germany 238

Germany Birds Ducks Feral 238

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

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. They may have also had hunting dogs with them as well. Which would be weird.

Turkey 260

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 260

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 200

Geese Serbia Estonia Ukraine 200

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2015

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. Their impressive speed is used for hunting, and roadrunners will eat almost anything that moves. Not so much, as the above photo demonstrates.

New Mexico 124

New Mexico Mexico Coyotes Feral Cats 124

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. What’s in a name?

North America 113

North America Vermont America Farmed Animals 113

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

I find it astonishing that people argue of whether feral cats are bad for birds in North America. The plethora of approaches to the feral Cat problem is not an outcome of a diversity of great ideas; it is the ugly chimera of inappropriate compromise among biased and often poorly informed stakeholders. Which would be even worse.

Feral Cats 257

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 257

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2015

This is what we need for birds, whose rights as government-protected species are violated every day by free-roaming cats. Thanks to groups like Alley Cat Allies, outdoor and feral cats have become above the law. They would be made up of people who are sick and tired of government-protected species being slaughtered by domestic cats.

Feral Cats 259

Feral Cats Feral Cats Wildlife Rehabilitation 259

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2014

In Australia we definitely have our fair share of invasive species and the main problem is that we are such a huge land mass with such a small population. The population of Australia is concentrated mainly around the city areas along the coast and many invasive species have been able to spread with ease.

Australia 157

Australia Species Feral Cats Feral 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2015

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.

Africa 198

Africa Ethiopia Feral Tanzania 198

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

The other day, Minneapolis, Minnesota passed a feral cat ordinance. So I put together a “carnival” (of sorts) of Feral Cat Ordinances and Issues that samples current events across the US. From the Star Tribune : Feral cats win a round at Minneapolis City Hall. This got me wondering what other cities were doing.

Feral Cats 256

Feral Cats Feral Cats Minneapolis 256

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2020

I always approach the bridge slowly to see what bird species are below and around the area. 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. Once I find a few active species I watch and wait.

Fox 213

Fox Feral Ducks Horses 213

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2012

The Purple Swamp-hen ( Porphyrio porphyrio ) I turned south, walking past large groups of picnickers which were being patrolled by Australian White Ibis , one of the species of ibis also known as the Sacred Ibis. Rounding off the waterbirds were Australian Pelicans, Eurasian Coots , the iconic Black Swans and feral geese.

New Zealand 217

New Zealand Ducks Australia Japan 217

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

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.

Mauritius 133

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 133