That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

More than 50 parrot species are now breeding far outside of their native ranges.  If your city or town is home to a feral (released or escaped) population of parrots, the group City Parrots would like you to help out with the World Parrot Census.

Why Study Urban Parrots

Shrinking habitats and growing human populations have forced many wild animals into close contact with people.  Sometimes, such as with the Peregrine Falcons that nest in the heart of New York City, all works out well…the coyotes that arrived there recently were, however, less welcome.   Read More »

New Zealand’s endemic parrot, the Kea (Nestor notabilis), was nearly driven to extinction by ranchers who believed the bird was a threat to their sheep (please see below).  Hunting is now outlawed, but the Kea’s troubles are not over – a recent study has documented that stoats, possums and rats, all introduced from elsewhere, are eating chicks and attacking adults. Read More »

Last winter I wrote about the Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count (CBC), which is the world’s longest running volunteer wildlife survey.  Now in its 111^th year, this winter’s effort promises to be both enjoyable and of vital importance to birds throughout the Western Hemisphere.  Today I’d like to highlight last year’s amazing successes, and once again remind all how easy it is to participate.

A Record-Breaking Bird Count

Last year’s CBC ran from December 14, 2009 to January 5, 2010, and surpassed all previous ones on every level.  The turnout was incredible… 60,753 people counted nearly 56 million individual birds representing an astounding 2,319 species.  The species count shattered the previous year’s record by 200 species.

Observations were made in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, Guam, Bermuda, Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Mariana and Virgin Islands.  Spearheaded by birders in Columbia, several Latin American countries joined in as well. Read More »

Many countries have placed an outright ban on capturing wild parrots (Mexico, most recently) and, as in the USA, require proof that birds offered for sale have been bred in captivity. Abuses occur, but rarely on the scale exhibited recently in the central African nation of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Major conservation groups are outraged at the behavior of the DRC government, which seems to be in collaboration with parrot smugglers. Read More »

I’d like to depart from pet trade birds today to highlight a serious conservation concern that has remained largely un-noticed until quite recently.  Most bird enthusiasts are aware that superstition has played a role in the demise of rhinos, tigers and other creatures, but our avian friends usually face other threats.  However, it now seems that an unlikely combination of ancient sorcery and modern pop culture is threatening the continued existence of owls in India and, perhaps, elsewhere. Read More »