US Considers Removing Humpback Whales from the Endangered Species List
Critter News
OCTOBER 1, 2009
Tags: marine life whales us endangered species.
Isla Isabel – Mexico’s Galapagos
10,000 Birds
APRIL 23, 2013
Northern Humpback Whales visit the waters surrounding Isla Isabel every year to mate and its not unusual to see dozens of these cetaceans breaching and whacking their tales on the ocean surface. Swimming with a whale shark on the boat-trip to Isla Isabel. A Brown Booby, one of three booby species to be found on the island.
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Mammals of Madagascar (Lynx Edicions)
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 7, 2021
No, Madagascar is the most famous for an endemic group of mammals: lemurs, sifakas, indri, aye-aye – in total, 112 endemic species and subspecies of lemurs alone! Still, there should be no problem with larger species that allow for longer observation time (e.g. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.
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Best Bird of the Weekend (Second of July 2020)
10,000 Birds
JULY 12, 2020
A Saturday morning seawatch netted Corey a Cory’s Shearwater , a nice year bird, but he couldn’t get good enough looks at the two Great Shearwaters that went past for him to count them as a new species for his Queens list.
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Blue Whales Reappearing Again
Critter News
NOVEMBER 7, 2009
BLUE whales, the world’s largest animals, are reappearing in parts of the oceans where hunting once wiped them out, signalling that they may finally be returning from the brink of extinction. Research also suggests that the Antarctic population of blue whales may now be growing at 6% a year. And here's some good news for today.
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Whaling Compromises Of Little Use
Critter News
FEBRUARY 12, 2009
Iceland recently announced a quota of 100 fin whales - an endangered species - which is a dramatic increase its original self-assigned quota of nine. They also almost doubled their quota of Minke whales. ". Tags: norway iceland whale Japan whaling. And they flagrantly continue killing.
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Good News About Blue Whales
Critter News
MAY 18, 2009
Looks like blue whales may be coming back to Alaska. From the Associated Press: Blue whales are returning to Alaska in search of food and could be re-establishing an old migration route several decades after they were nearly wiped out by commercial whalers, scientists say. Here's hoping Sarah Palin leaves them alone.
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Right Whale Sighting in the Azores
Critter News
JANUARY 24, 2009
A brief story with two subjects I love, whales and the Azores. On 5th January 2009 a North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) was seen 5 miles south of Faial Island in the Azores by biologists from Whale Watch Azores and the University of the Azores (UA). Tags: oceans right whale azores whaling.
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Whales Losing the Will to Live?
Critter News
APRIL 8, 2010
The steeply declining number of whales in the world's oceans is causing the remaining creatures to suffer loneliness and 'lose the will the live', a leading expert has claimed. The psychological impact of over-hunting on the highly intelligent and sociable animals has been identified as the latest threat to the survival of the species.
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Palin Now Going After Endangered Whales
Critter News
JANUARY 26, 2009
First wolves, then polar bears, now beluga whales. At issue is the population of {the Cook Inlet beluga) whales, which were put under the protections of the Marine Mammal Protection Act eight years ago, which scientists argue hasn't sped their recovery: Palin begs to differ.
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Honey, I Shrunk The Dinosaurs!
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 19, 2014
Whales are cows. The point is, of course, that whales are not cows. Whales emerge from within the larger group of mammals that includes cattle, deer, pigs, camels, with camels being the most deeply rooted. (So You should have said whales. Even though whales are cows. Meanwhile I have a few random thoughts.
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Sad Fate for Rare Whale in Olympia, WA
Critter News
DECEMBER 3, 2010
A severely injured whale off the shores of Olympia has little chance of survival, an expert said Thursday. The animal is either a sei or Bryde's whale, said biologist John Calambokidis with Cascadia Research. The Bryde's is a more tropical species not usually seen north of southern California." Both would be extremely rare.
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A Field Guide to the Wildlife of South Georgia: A Book Review by a Penguin Groupie
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 4, 2012
The descriptions of the territory’s birds, seals, whales, introduced mammals, invertebrates, and plants are written within the framework of the conversationist, so it is more than a field guide, it is a record of endangered wildlife and the efforts being made to protect it. Who can resist penguins and whales?
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Mammals of South Asia (Lynx Edicions)
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 22, 2020
Despite depicting 540 species/56 families, it is a lightweight book of 173 pages, easy to pack and carry. Mammals of South Asia follows the latest taxonomy, describes all the species recorded within the region and provides a range map for each species. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.
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Birding by bicycle along the beach
10,000 Birds
JULY 24, 2011
They can walk forwards unlike other species that can only walk sideways and form large armies. Soldier Crabs My biggest excitement this week on my bike was chasing three Humpback Whales ! They were absolutely everywhere on low tide and although I have seen them before on other beaches I had not seen them in this area before.
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Life Birds at Point Reyes National Seashore
10,000 Birds
APRIL 7, 2015
We were woefully under-prepared in terms of planning – which almost kept us from meeting our friends – but we were also surprised and thrilled to learn that not only were Gray Whales migrating past the lighthouse, but Elephant Seals were lounging on a nearby beach! Migrating Gray Whales. Point Reyes is a magical place.
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Bird-Eating Fish
10,000 Birds
JANUARY 15, 2013
It has also found its way to Japan where it is considered to be an invasive species. Now and then individual catfish of various species hunt nearer the surface and larger catfish such as the American Channel Cat will take a duck or other water bird. It is sometimes known as the European Catfish. Cucherousset, J., Boulêtreau, S.,
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Kereru, the New Zealand Pigeon
10,000 Birds
MARCH 7, 2012
As pigeons go it is very large, measuring up to 50 cm, and it is one of two species of pigeon endemic to New Zealand. Unlike the rare Parea the Kereru is a relatively common species as does particularly well around Wellington, where they are often seen flying round in search of fruit and leaves.
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206 Hey, What About the Great Auk?
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 12, 2014
Everything was going to be extinct – the condors, the whales, the Whooping Cranes , the elephants and tigers, the whole shebang, and that was even if we didn’t get nuked. A species, wiped off the earth, never to exist again. Extinction is what befalls the species that fails to adapt, to survive, to thrive.
The Elusive GUIANAN TROGON: A Serendipitous Backyard Encounter
10,000 Birds
JULY 23, 2024
Fitz used his free time to observe the many hummingbirds in his mother’s flower garden and soon, with the help of the internet he was able to identify the various species. His interest soon grew to include other species of birds developing a love for wildlife and especially bird photography.
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241 Offshore Sea Life: East Coast, Birds of Pennsylvania, & Texas Birds: Three Books, Three Reviews
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 2, 2016
A little longer than its predecessor (by eight pages to be exact), the East Coast guide is your handy dandy, pocket-sized, all-in-one guide to the seabirds, marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, and other creatures you are likely to encounter on pelagics or whale watching trips, from Bar Harbor, Maine to Ponce de Leon Inlet, Florida.
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189 An Amazing Boat Ride from Santa Cruz Island to Ventura Harbor
10,000 Birds
JUNE 24, 2013
It took me awhile, but I managed to get on quite a few, especially when the boat slowed down to go check out some Humpback Whales and a huge number of Common Dolphins. Sooty Shearwaters and a Western Gull fly back the aftermath of a Humpback Whale breaching. Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae. It was amazing.
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Offshore Sea Life ID Guide: West Coast–A Book Review
10,000 Birds
JULY 7, 2015
Offshore Sea Life ID Guide: West Coast is designed to be a quick, handy resource for use on whale watching and one-day pelagic trips. But, I did take many photos, and used the book, in spurts during the trip and more closely afterward, to identify three seabird species, two expected (Sooty and Black-vented Shearwaters) and one a surprise.
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9 (almost) Birds that live underwater
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 11, 2011
This Yellow-crowned Amazon was not quite as vociferous as his Central American cousins And like many of these birds, I too love to spend time beneath the water – there are few things better than free diving or scuba diving with dolphins, whale sharks or coral reef fish.
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236 The longest way to Costa Rica goes around the world!
10,000 Birds
JULY 18, 2019
Reachable by direct flights from Portugal, the island country of Sao Tome and Principe lying in the Gulf of Guinea, in the armpit of Africa, has about 140 bird species and 28 endemics – more endemics per square mile than anywhere else on Earth. The main island of Sao Tome has about 100 species and 17 endemics among them.
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Are Birds Really Dinosaurs?
10,000 Birds
JUNE 16, 2011
It is much stranger and illustrative of the ways of evolution to point out that whales are a form of “hoofed animal&# (unlikely but true). Also, there are reasons why statements like this are scientifically incorrect even if there is ‘some truth’ to them.
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African Penguins in Peril
10,000 Birds
JULY 16, 2013
The birdlife in the Cape is nothing short of spectacular, with a healthy dose of charismatic endemic species. Over 40 species of South African endemics can be found in the Cape – Cape Sugarbirds, Cape Rockjumpers, Orange-breasted Sunbirds to name but a few.
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249 Kaikoura in the Summer
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 13, 2013
One is the sea canyon that comes close to shore, ensuring plenty of pelagic species can be found close to shore. The canyon also brings Dusky Dolphins and Sperm Whales close in, and has turned Kaikoura from a sleepy fishing village on the Picton to Christchurch road into a premier ecotourism site. This lovely bird is Westland Petrel.
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Rooiels – Funny Name, Serious Birding
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 1, 2011
So much so that the two species are placed within their own family, Chaetopidae. The species is insectivorous and nests amongst the scree and boulders on the steep mountain slopes. Chaetops frenatus, the Cape variety, is endemic to the mountain fynbos vegetation of the extreme southern Cape and therefore has a small range.
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257 Jaegers, Shearwaters, and Storm-Petrels – A September Pelagic out of NewYork
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
From the fishing boats we spotted lots of water in the air, both from a whale breaching and blowing. We tracked it down and had a great show of a Humpback Whale breaching repeatedly, one of two in the area. Nonetheless, I added a species to my state list and two to my year list so there was that… …
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Birding Santa Cruz Island
10,000 Birds
APRIL 25, 2013
Like several species, breeding Peregrines were extirpated during the height of the DDT era but have reclaimed their island domain in more recent years. The Channel Islands have all sorts of species and subspecies that are endemic to the islands, including mammals, reptiles, plants, and of course birds, many of which are nonmigratory.
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201 Birding the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve in Newfoundland
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 4, 2013
The inscrutable species frustrated me and I found myself especially stumped by the difficulty I had distinguishing them, and wildly mystified by the excitement they inspired in my fellow-birders. We later signed up for a whale and birdwatching tour with Captain Wayne , who had a smallish 12-person boat. Happy puffins.
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196 Efforts to Rescue Lolita the Orca from Miami
Critter News
DECEMBER 2, 2011
They sued the National Marine Fisheries Service for excluding captive killer whales from listing under the Endangered Species Act. The federal complaint focuses on a whale named Lolita, who was captured more than 40 years ago, and has been held at the Miami Seaquarium.
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Seabirding off Cape Point
10,000 Birds
APRIL 2, 2012
It was a Benguela Nino year, and pelagic seabirds were in super-abundance in the south eastern Atlantic, with the total of species by variety and number exceeding all expectations for the birders on the inaugural trip as we pitched and wallowed about in the rolling swells on our way out to the trawling grounds.
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Whooper Swans at Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido
10,000 Birds
APRIL 15, 2024
They are ridiculously unafraid of people there – so the cynic in me suspects that swan meat is not regarded as tasty by the Japanese (another explanation, that the Japanese just like animals too much, can presumably be discarded given the country’s very principled approach in insisting on the right to kill whales).
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Galápagos: A Natural History, Second Edition–A Book Review
10,000 Birds
FEBRUARY 7, 2023
Because, let’s face it, when you get off that plane and look at those severe volcanic landscapes and then find yourself face to face with one of the islands’ four mockingbird species, you’re not going to think, “Oh, look, lava and a mockingbird.” The updating of the text is very important.
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PETA's Orca Lawsuit Dismissed by Federal Judge
Critter News
FEBRUARY 9, 2012
Do whales deserve constitutional protection against slavery? PETA went on to request that the whales be freed and released to a habitat better suited to their needs. SeaWorld’s attempts to deny [orcas] the protection solely based on their species is the same kind of prejudice used to justify any enslavement. On Wednesday, U.S.
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100 Kaikoura in the Autumn
10,000 Birds
APRIL 17, 2013
Two hours after getting off the boat after checking out Sperm Whales we were off again out to find some albatross. It wasn’t quite winter yet, with all the species that brings, but already some summer species like the Hutton’s Shearwater and Salvin’s Albatrosses were gone.
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174 Of Birds and Bigfoots
10,000 Birds
AUGUST 23, 2013
Birds are less compelling to human interest than our fellow primates, in many regards, but surely they are more arresting than a big wad of tentacled whale chow. Birds are less compelling to human interest than our fellow primates, in many regards, but surely they are more arresting than a big wad of tentacled whale chow. Unexplained!
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Why Do Penguins Wear Tuxedos?
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
Artists rendition of Inkayacu paracasensis There are 17 living species of penguins, which make up their own Linnean family (Spheniscidae), which is the only family in the order Sphenisciformes. Penguins are flightless, but some species locomote over long distances on antarctic ice to travel between breeding grounds and the sea.
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Shearwaters from Shore
10,000 Birds
OCTOBER 8, 2019
According to eBird, there have been approximately 270 species seen at the hotspot that includes the harbor. Bonus : A couple of years earlier, a blue whale washed up several miles south of Half Moon Bay, at Bean Hollow State Beach. Sequoia Audubon Society has an excellent overview of the hotspot.)
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163 Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching: A Review by an Aspiring Seawatcher
10,000 Birds
SEPTEMBER 3, 2013
It is acceptable to point out other sea creatures–dolphins or whales or dragonflies–but the main goal is the observation and identification of the birds. The King Eider photograph, which is the “marquee” photo for that species account, is by Hugh Harrop). It is a challenging activity. No rails or gallinules.
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Birding Iceland on the Fly
10,000 Birds
JUNE 29, 2013
Hundreds of birds all huddled closely together, dangling from the jagged ledges, seemingly separated by species in separate levels along the cliff. Thankfully the Puffins and Razorbills (arguably the most photogenic species) perch on the uppermost ledges, making them readily available for close-ups. Total Species: 37.
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To the Gulf Stream Once Again
10,000 Birds
JUNE 5, 2016
As it was when a small pod of Gervais’ Beaked Whales, small whales that look like bulked up Bottlenosed Dolphins tolerated our approach and allowed us to have a surreal experience with this mysterious marine mammal. Up until the middle of last century, this species of whale was only known from the remains of beached individuals.
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