After seeing so many wonderful birds in the wilds around the world I wonder about those kept in cages, Birds have been raised in captivity for many years for pleasure or profit. (For today’s discussion, I’m excluding birds like chickens raised for food.) I have met folks from Bird Clubs and have spoken at their meetings. They …
Remember the 50’s musical “Singin’ in the Rain” where Gene Kelly sings the title song while being pelted by raindrops? It is one thing to sing and dance in the rain with an umbrella and quite another to live in it as do birds. How do they do it? A storm comes in on a low …
Driving down the highway the other day I observed a number of road-killed skunks, deer, raccoons, and unidentifiable blobs of fur and muscle attended to by large blackish birds with red heads. These often misunderstood creatures are our friendly Turkey Vultures, filling their role as avian recyclers. Although some consider them ugly and their habits unappealing, …
There are more than 90 million pet cats in the U.S., the majority of which roam outside at least part of the time. In addition, millions of stray and feral cats roam our cities, suburbs, and rural areas. So how much of a problem are these feline predators to our feathered friends? Well, quite a …
You know about the swallows returning to Capistrano. Lesser known is the festival in Hinckley, Ohio celebrating the return of the Turkey Vulture. Although one is led to believe that the arrival happens on a certain date, it is really during a variable period of two weeks or so. Birds are induced to migrate by …
