There are numerous bird blogs and websites on the internet and I presume my readers read and subscribe to others as well. Most bird blogs are well- written, researched, and informative. But occasionally I run across a real loser, whether badly written, full of inaccurate information, or just trivially stupid. BirdwatchingUSA fits all of those categories. Let’s look at some examples, starting with Can You Legally Own a Flamingo? Really, is this a question that needs answering? Oh, I suppose a few individuals who want their own exotic zoo might find this particular blog interesting, but I suspect there are reliable, sources of information on the topic. Similar blogs are about owning crows, ravens, owls, and Northern Cardinals.
And much more… How about the “birds that bring you good luck”, “the meaning of dead birds”, “the meaning of seeing 2,3,4, 5, or 6 crows”, “shocking things that ducks eat”, “birds with the longest necks and legs”, and “how much an ostrich costs.” The blog answers other desperate need-to-know questions like “What Do Ducks Look Like?”, “Are Birds Cold-blooded?” And “Are Birds Mammals, Reptiles, or Something Else?” Want to be able to tell vultures from buzzards? Your answer is here. And answering that old puzzle, “Are Swans Birds?” Then this is the blog for you. You won’t want to miss the articles about blue flamingoes, blue birds (not bluebirds, “blue birds”) mating for life, what duck poop looks like, and whether birds with three or four wings actually exist.
Have You Seen a Blackbird with a Yellow Beak? It’s about the European Blackbird, which the author lists as “species Turdus merula, genus Turdus.” Huh? The author asks “Inquisitive to learn the difference between sparrow genders?” Well, you can learn that in this blog in excruciatingly unnecessary detail.
The author says: My name is Iñigo and I’m the founder of Bird Watching USA. When the lockdowns started in 2020 I tried to do everything I could to entertain myself when I wasn’t working. That’s when I discovered Bird Watching! I started this blog because I tried looking online for a lot of information regarding the birds I was watching through my living room window, but I couldn’t find the answer to many of those questions. But now you can!
So, with less than a little knowledge, the author puts up a website to address subjects like “messenger” pigeons. And you will read “Accordint to orthinologists, the wild birds that you are serving are vigilant and fast at finding new food sources for themselves.”
It appears that all 230 articles were written between May and November of 2021, 12 of them on June 13 alone. Aside from silly topics, nonsense statements, bad grammar and spelling, the site is full of advertisements. Iñigo might be getting paid for the ads, and apparently doesn’t realize he should be ashamed of his seriously embarrassing website.
You can submit your name and email to join the other 50,000 (so he says) subscribers for a free bird guide from him, but I strongly recommend against it.
Search engines will reward this nonsense for as long as it brings advertising dollars. We all once hoped the web would be a fountainhead of facts and quick reference. Indeed it is, unfortunately buried in a blizzard of clickbait and misinformation.
Snickering… gratefully I haven’t run across the silly blog.. Shameful how humans can be suckered for dollars.
The “…birds that bring you good luck”, “the meaning of dead birds”, “the meaning of seeing 2,3,4, 5, or 6 crows…” belong in fun mythology. I have an entire book, a gift from a grandson, on the meaning of particular birds. I enjoy it immensely, but understand it as mythical tradition, not science.