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birds

A collection of 9 posts

Chihuahuan Grasslands

Chihuahuan Grasslands

As discussed below, Chihuahuan Desert birds can be helped by planned grazing.

Wyoming Sage Grouse Counts Fall Again, Marking a 5-year Trend

Wyoming Sage Grouse Counts Fall Again, Marking a 5-year Trend

The more chemicals and pesticides we use, and the more we destock public ranges across the West, the more our treasured game birds decline. As usual, the “experts” blame climate change. NOTE: this article was originally published to JHNewsandGuide.com on September 13, 2021. It was written by Angus M.

History of Bird Banding

100-Years of Bird Banding

“Bird banding goes back to 1902. Since 1960, over 70-million birds have been banded. This paper summarizes what has been learned from this effort. NOTE: the article posted below originally published in Scientific American’s March 2021 edition. It was written by Kate Wong (text), Jan Willem Tulp (graphics) and

Protecting America’s Duck Factory

Protecting America’s Duck Factory

As described in the article below, the success of waterfowl conservation efforts proves it is possible to save bellwether species. This conservation success stands in stark contrast to the fate of other iconic species like quail, salmon, and monarch butterflies. While these species are not currently “bouncing back,” we can

Birds Are Vanishing From North America

Birds Are Vanishing From North America

This is not about “climate change”. It’s about agricultural chemicals. NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on January 13, 2019. It was written by Karen Weintraub. The number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 3 billion, or 29 percent, over the

One of Nature’s Smallest Flowering Plants Can Survive Inside of a Duck

"Invasion Biology"

One of Nature’s Smallest Flowering Plants Can Survive Inside of a Duck

Nature constantly introduces new plants into new places as this article on the spread of the lowly duckweed illustrates. Usually “alien exotic” plants don’t “invade” stable systems, but colonize damaged habitats where they previously couldn’t survive. We often look at this natural process backwards, seeing the result while

california-condor

A Texas Native Recovers

Not long before the first European (Viking) explorations in North America, condors were still present in Texas. As published by U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C., November 2S, 1932, ALEXANDER WETMORE and HERBERT FRIEDMANN found condor bones in a cave on the south peak of Mule Ears Peaks, ten

"Invasion Biology"

Farmland Birds in France Are in Steep Decline

Scientists involved in long-running regional and national bird-counting surveys in France have reported precipitous declines in agricultural regions, even among common birds such as blackbirds that are well adapted to human activity and do well in most circumstances. They concluded, “We have to change completely the way we do agriculture.

gambels_quail_arizona

Arizona's Gambel's Country

Far-West Texas is the Eastern limit of this amazing and beautiful gamebird. Gambel’s Quail need brushy habitat which gets grazed. So landowners considering brush and cattle removals should understand this: No brush, no cows, no Gambel’s. NOTE: this article initially appeared on ShootingSportsman.com It was written by