A Belgian bird protection group released a statement, saying, “Taken by panic, a lot of bird owners … are releasing their birds in to the wild, putting their old pets but also the fauna’s balance at risk.” Read Julien Ponthus’ article Belgian owners release pets in bird flu scare from Reuters.
During World War II, the U.S. Air Force developed a new type of bomb – a glide bomb. Instead of falling straight on a target, it would instead float at an angle towards its target, guided by a variety of tools. Behaviorist Burrhus Frederic Skinner thought of a brilliant new way to guide these missiles during World War II using pigeons.
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A Dutch quail farmer has confessed to keeping a pair of rare songbirds in his hen house. He lost them both to mass poultry culling in 2003. He managed to save one egg, which has now been hatched. History is threatening to repeat itself, and the near-extinct Redscowl Bluesingsky.
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The scientific significance of the fossil is unquestioned and its monetary value thought to be in excess of $1 million; the fact that it is bound for a private museum has drawn scorn from some scientists.
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British pet owners abandon their parrots in droves as fears of bird flu fly. A record 23 pets, worth ~£20k, turned up on the National Parrot Sanctuary’s doorstep this past weekend.
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A macaw owned by a Pennsylvania man attacked a burglar last month when the criminal broke into its owner’s apartment. The bird drew blood and the attack lead to the culprit’s confession. Read the story Pet Bird Beats Up Burglar at Fox News.
Swans have been hard hit by the deadly H5N1 virus in Europe; new individuals are found dead each day and the list of countries where they are found is growing. The mute swan, one of three species of swan found in Europe, has been the hardest hit by the disease, though they do not migrate. They are known to fly up to 180 miles to flee cold temperatures, which may explain the large number of mute swans who have been killed by the virus. Scientists are studying the spread of the virus and investigating the role played by swans. Read the story Swans useful pointers to spread of bird flu, experts say.
“Swiss swans have just one more weekend to have a fling before a government ban on keeping birds in the open air comes into effect on Monday. Forcing the birds to stay indoors will disrupt their behavior just as they are getting ready for reproductive action in the mating season which is about to start.” Read the story Bird flu fears will ruin swans’ sex lives, Swiss zoo warns in the Daily Times.
“Hundreds of panicked swimmers were evacuated from a Hong Kong swimming pool when a bird flew into the water, a news report said (Sunday). The incident at the indoor pool in Hong Kong’s Wan Chai district Saturday was an indication of the level of fear over avian flu in the city of 6.8 million.” Read the story Swimmers in flight as bird hits water in HK in Gulf Times.
“The Tower of London has decided to keep its famous ravens indoors to protect them from bird flu. Special aviaries have been created for the six birds within one of the towers of the fortress on the Thames.” Read the story Tower’s ravens are kept indoors on BBC News.
