10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2014

Erika is a first year graduate student studying Ecosystem Science and Conservation at Duke. When I say “cut,” I mean paper-cut sized wounds here. In her free time she travels near and far to find birds to continue building her life list, though many of her favorites can still be found right in her own backyard.

Florida 237

Florida Birds Groups Breeding 237

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2013

If we were just birders, or photographers, this would be dreadful behavior, but we were here to watch people engaged in Science. And Science requires Sacrifice. Any bird that was wounded — and a bander could often prevent that fate by firing the net quickly enough — was nursed back to health. Do I sound facetious?

Eagles 234

Eagles Tethering Wounded Science 234

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2022

On the other hand, their preferred food is blood, and they also feed on it directly, pecking at a mammal’s wounds to keep them open ( source ). On the one hand, an adult will take nearly 100 blood-engorged female ticks in a day. T his is an African Sacred Ibis at Ndumo.

South Africa 147

South Africa Africa Birds Fish 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2022

Fate eventually caught up with him when he was killed by a wounded elephant in the Okavango area, though possibly the blow was lessened a bit by being elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences since the news of his death had not reached Sweden yet ( source ). but later switched to forestry (?).

Swaziland 147

Swaziland Landlord Sweden Birds 147