We took this photo while on a jeep safari in India’s Ranthambhore National Park in March 2006.
The Rufuos Treepie is similar to the familiar Magpies of North America and Europe. This guy was begging for scraps and posing for photos at a ranger checkpoint.
We’re in Bourgueil, France, which is a village in the Loire Valley known for fine red wines. But when we were out shopping today we picked up two brands of beer we couldn’t resist.
First we found Britt, from a brewer in Brittany, featuring an iconic bird of the region on the label, the Atlantic Puffin. There is even a puffin on the cap!
We also found La Becasse, which is actually a Belgian kriek (cherry beer), with a Eurasian Woodcock on the label. La Becasse is the French name for Eurasian Woodcock.
We haven’t tried them yet (we’re drinking wine, duh!)
This was posted on Flickr by user Steve took it.
This photo, titled “loons in the mist,” was taken at Big Elbow Lake in Minnesota. The Common Loon, also known as the Great Northern Diver, is the state bird of Minnesota.
Wednesday morning a White Pelican escaped from the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam. White Pelicans are native to Russia, Eastern Europe and Africa. According to a zoo spokesperson, although Amsterdam is not an ideal habitat for a White Pelican, the bird should be able to survive in the wild.
In 2005 another Pelican escaped from Artis. The bird left the area and settled in Friesland, in the north of the Netherlands. The Pelican thrived at first but later fell into ill health and the zoo was able to recapture it and return it to Artis.
Source: Pelikaan gevlogen uit Artis
Six Nandus escaped from a farm in Germany eight years ago and began to breed in the wild. The Nandu is also known as the Rhea and stands five feet or taller and weighs 70 lbs or more. They are native to South America and are sometimes referred to as the American Ostrich.
The group of at least 30 feral birds is breeding in a nature reserve south of Luebeck. There is little doubt they are having an adverse affect on native wildlife, but as of now it is illegal to shoot or hunt them. The flightless birds are expanding their range towards the east. Read more here.
The Boreal Owl (aka Tengnmalm’s Owl) has raised a brood in the Netherlands for the first time in 30 years, according to the Dutch Forestry Department (Staatsbosbeheer). The Boreal Owl is about the same size as the Little Owl, which is common in the Netherlands.
In 1971 a dead Boreal Owl was found in the Netherlands, and in 1974 and 1977 unsuccessful Boreal Owl nests were seen in the country. Since the mid-1980’s male Boreal Owls have been heard calling, although none had been seen. After a group of interested birders reported hearing males and possibly females calling, the Dutch Forestry Dept. blocked off an area of forest. In April a nest was discovered although both chicks were killed by birds of prey. A second nest was found in June, where apparently at least two chicks survived to fledge.
Looks like Mattel is planning to release a special The Birds edition Barbie Doll later this year. Based on the Alfred Hitchcock film The Birds, the doll is wearing a lime green suit like Tippi Hedren’s character Melanie Daniels.
I’d rather see a Birder Barbie but I guess that market has yet to be tapped. There was a Safari Barbie back in the 1980’s, apparently.
This week I read three separate news stories about wild birds sending people to the hospital. In one case a man died.
A 19-year-old man was distracted by a bird and crashed his car. When I read this headline I assumed it was a birder who got carried away, but it turns out the bird actually flew into his car! He suffered minor injuries.
In the U.K. a woman was attacked by a gull while taking a walk. She came away with three puncture wounds and required a tetanus shot.
Finally, a bird is being blamed for a fatal cycling accident that occurred last month. In Highland Park, Illinois, a man riding a bike was apparently dive-bombed by a Red-winged Blackbird. In trying to evade or ward off the bird, the man fell off the bike and hit his head. He was bought to the hospital where he remained unconscious until his death about two weeks later.
Someone ought to call the cops on these birds. Maybe this Blackbird can help.
A pair of Kirtland’s Warblers were seen in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest in northern Wisconsin. It was the first time they were seen in the area in over 70 years. The bird has been considered endangered since 1967. Read more about the rare bird sighting.
