Green Options » birds http://greenoptions.com/tag/birds Posts tagged 'birds' Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:52:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Happy Thanksgiving: Turkey Facts as a Tribute to Those who Gave their Lives for our Stomachs http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/11/25/happy-thanksgiving-turkey-facts-as-a-tribute-to-those-who-gave-their-lives-for-our-stomachs/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/11/25/happy-thanksgiving-turkey-facts-as-a-tribute-to-those-who-gave-their-lives-for-our-stomachs/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:52:21 +0000 Daniel Hohler http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/11/25/happy-thanksgiving-turkey-facts-as-a-tribute-to-those-who-gave-their-lives-for-our-stomachs/

Whether you are eating turkey or tofurkey this Thanksgiving, you cannot deny the great sacrifice that turkeys are making to fill dinner plates across the nation. I figured I would honor their sacrifice here on the eve of thanksgiving, with some fun turkey facts.

  • More than 45 million turkeys are eaten in the U.S. at Thanksgiving (one sixth of all turkeys sold in the U.S. each year). American per capita consumption of turkeys has soared from 8.3 pounds in 1975 to 18.5 pounds in 1997. Ten years later, the number has dropped slightly in 2007 to 17.5 pounds (more tofurkey?)

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/11/25/happy-thanksgiving-turkey-facts-as-a-tribute-to-those-who-gave-their-lives-for-our-stomachs/feed/ Alligators (and Dinosaurs?) Loyal Sexual Partners http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/09/alligators-and-dinosaurs-loyal-sexual-partners/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/09/alligators-and-dinosaurs-loyal-sexual-partners/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:38:07 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/09/alligators-and-dinosaurs-loyal-sexual-partners/

A new study shows that alligators are remarkably loyal to their sexual partners. This could help to shed light on the mating habits of some dinosaurs as well.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/09/alligators-and-dinosaurs-loyal-sexual-partners/feed/ California Fires Not the Only Thing Hurting Communities in California http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/09/02/california-fires-not-the-only-thing-hurting-communities-in-california/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/09/02/california-fires-not-the-only-thing-hurting-communities-in-california/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:41:09 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/09/02/california-fires-not-the-only-thing-hurting-communities-in-california/
Communities of all sorts are being disturbed by the fires in California. As another result of climate change, bird communities are expected to see some big changes in other ways, according to a new report released on September 1.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/09/02/california-fires-not-the-only-thing-hurting-communities-in-california/feed/ European Birds Dying From Lack of Vitamins http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/european-birds-dying-from-lack-of-vitamins/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/european-birds-dying-from-lack-of-vitamins/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:30:07 +0000 Andrew Williams http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/european-birds-dying-from-lack-of-vitamins/

Swedish scientists have discovered that vast numbers of wild birds in the Baltic Sea area are dying of a strange paralytic disease caused by advanced thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency in eggs, young, and adults.

In a new research paper the team, from Stockholm University, Sweden, report that levels of Thiamine, vital for the proper functioning of the nerves, were found to be deficient in the eggs, livers and brains of several local bird species, contributing to significant declines in many bird populations over the last few decades.

Hearteningly, it seems that paralysed individuals can be successfully remedied by thiamine treatment

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/30/european-birds-dying-from-lack-of-vitamins/feed/ Are Environmentalists Killing the Environment? http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/07/27/are-environmentalists-killing-the-environment/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/07/27/are-environmentalists-killing-the-environment/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:09:05 +0000 Joe Walsh http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/07/27/are-environmentalists-killing-the-environment/ //www.flickr.com/photos/waders/How badly do we want to make progress on climate change? According to today’s Boston Globe, the answer for some in New England is: not badly enough.

Beth Daley writes about the “hard look” that proposed biomass facilities - and biomass technology itself - are getting from area environmentalists and regulators. Add that to the “hard look” many regulators, environmental groups and local NIMBY opponents are giving wind (especially commercial-scale) and transmission lines (needed to interconnect any new renewable capacity) and you are left with: business as usual. Now that is a goal Americans, our politicians and business interests can all get behind - just look at health care reform.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/07/27/are-environmentalists-killing-the-environment/feed/ Peregrine Falcon Removed from Florida’s Endangered Species List http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/21/peregrine-falcon-removed-from-floridas-endangered-species-list/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/21/peregrine-falcon-removed-from-floridas-endangered-species-list/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 23:32:10 +0000 Bryan Nelson http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/21/peregrine-falcon-removed-from-floridas-endangered-species-list/ Peregrine Falcon

The recovery of peregrine falcons is one of the great success stories of conservation. Now their population in Florida has rebounded enough to remove them from the state’s endangered species list.

Upon approving their removal from the list, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission called the combined efforts of wildlife managers and individuals to save the species “one of the best examples of wise conservation practices.”

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/21/peregrine-falcon-removed-from-floridas-endangered-species-list/feed/ New Glass Prevents Birds From Colliding with Windows http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/14/new-glass-prevents-birds-from-colliding-with-windows/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/14/new-glass-prevents-birds-from-colliding-with-windows/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:19:42 +0000 Bryan Nelson http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/14/new-glass-prevents-birds-from-colliding-with-windows/ Bird flying in window

A new exterior film for glass has been developed which can be seen by birds but not humans. It could be used to help prevent the needless deaths of billions of birds which collide with windows annually.

Collisions with windows are estimated to be the most common cause of bird death worldwide aside from habitat loss. The numbers of deaths are staggering, outranking deaths by domestic cat, hunting, vehicular collisions, and wind turbine accidents combined. Thus, preventing bird-window collisions could be the simplest way to significantly reduce bird fatality around the world.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/14/new-glass-prevents-birds-from-colliding-with-windows/feed/ Incubating Hope: An Egg Found In Maine Brings New Hope to the Audubon Society http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/09/incubating-hope-an-egg-found-in-maine-brings-new-hope-to-the-audubon-society/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/09/incubating-hope-an-egg-found-in-maine-brings-new-hope-to-the-audubon-society/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:42:30 +0000 Ruedigar Matthes http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/09/incubating-hope-an-egg-found-in-maine-brings-new-hope-to-the-audubon-society/

As a child, eggs were special one day of the year: Easter. Back then an egg was a treasure. But since my parents stopped hiding eggs for me, eggs haven’t held much meaning. White and, well, egg-shaped, they help me when I need to make a quick meal or mix up some cookie dough. But that’s about it. For me anyway. For some an egg means everything.

For the first time in over a century, a Common Murre egg has been found south of the Canadian border on the east coast, bringing hope to the hearts of those working to restore the bird to the sub-Canadian region.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/09/incubating-hope-an-egg-found-in-maine-brings-new-hope-to-the-audubon-society/feed/ 1,600 Birds Found Dead at Canadian Oil Sands Tailings Pond http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/05/1600-birds-found-dead-at-canadian-oil-sands-tailings-pond/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/05/1600-birds-found-dead-at-canadian-oil-sands-tailings-pond/#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 05:52:50 +0000 Gavin Hudson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/05/1600-birds-found-dead-at-canadian-oil-sands-tailings-pond/ Alberta oil sands tailings pondThe world’s largest oil sands company now admits that a total of 1,606 ducks were found dead last spring after initially reporting the death of only 500 birds.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/04/05/1600-birds-found-dead-at-canadian-oil-sands-tailings-pond/feed/ Groups Convince Syrian Hunters to Stop Targeting Rare Bird http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/03/31/groups-convince-syrian-hunters-to-stop-targeting-rare-bird/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/03/31/groups-convince-syrian-hunters-to-stop-targeting-rare-bird/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:52:40 +0000 Alex Felsinger http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/03/31/groups-convince-syrian-hunters-to-stop-targeting-rare-bird/

When researchers from the Syrian Society for Conservation of Wildlife and RSPB noticed that hunters were shooting down sociable lapwings, one of the world’s rarest bird species, they immediately reached out to the government for protection.

Syria sent rangers out to discuss the plight of the lapwings and apparently they have agreed to stop the hunt. Sociable Lapwings are classified as critically endangered by Birdlife International, but their numbers have been on the incline with the discovery of two large flocks in 2007.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/03/31/groups-convince-syrian-hunters-to-stop-targeting-rare-bird/feed/ New Bird Evolves Faster than Any Other http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/21/new-bird-evolves-faster/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/21/new-bird-evolves-faster/#comments Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:36:28 +0000 Jake Richardson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/21/new-bird-evolves-faster/ white eyes

A bird recently discovered in the Solomon Islands is a member of the White Eyes (Zosteropidae) family that evolves more rapidly than any other bird.

The newly discovered species has been named Vanikoro White Eye. It was found on the tiny island of Ranongga, and is thought to only live there.  

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/21/new-bird-evolves-faster/feed/ Extinct Crane Returning to Region of England http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/04/extinct-crane-returning-to-region-of-england/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/04/extinct-crane-returning-to-region-of-england/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:30:30 +0000 Jake Richardson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/04/extinct-crane-returning-to-region-of-england/ crane

A collaboration between several conservation organizations has yielded a very promising prospect for England.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/04/extinct-crane-returning-to-region-of-england/feed/ World’s Smartest Bird on Brink of Extinction in New Zealand http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/02/23/worlds-smartest-bird-on-brink-of-extinction-in-new-zealand/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/02/23/worlds-smartest-bird-on-brink-of-extinction-in-new-zealand/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:07:52 +0000 Alex Felsinger http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/02/23/worlds-smartest-bird-on-brink-of-extinction-in-new-zealand/

The cheeky kea, a type of parrot native to New Zealand, is under “severe stress,” according to conservationists.

The bird was determined to be the smartest in the world by the Institute of Cognitive Biology in Vienna, even concluding that its intelligence rivals some primates. In the 1990’s, 15,000 of the birds soared above New Zealand’s South Island, but today only an estimated 1,000 remain.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/02/23/worlds-smartest-bird-on-brink-of-extinction-in-new-zealand/feed/ Arsonists Burn Nature Preserve in Malta http://ecoworldly.com/2009/02/10/arsonists-burn-nature-preserve-in-malta/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/02/10/arsonists-burn-nature-preserve-in-malta/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:40:47 +0000 Jake Richardson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/02/10/arsonists-burn-nature-preserve-in-malta/ ghadira nature preserve

The Ghadira Nature Reserve was attacked by arsonists in the first week of February.

A night watchman for the reserve called police early one morning after spotting huge flames in the north-west corner of the property. Police and fire personnel were on the scene quickly and extinguished the fire.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/02/10/arsonists-burn-nature-preserve-in-malta/feed/ Kids and Nature - The Great Backyard Bird Count http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/08/kids-and-nature-the-great-backyard-bird-count/ http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/08/kids-and-nature-the-great-backyard-bird-count/#comments Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:39:40 +0000 Amy Bell http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/08/kids-and-nature-the-great-backyard-bird-count/ Once again it’s time for the National Audubon Society’s Annual Great Backyard Bird Count.

This event is in its 12th year, and for 2009 will be held February 13-16.

Over the four day period, birdwatchers count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are across the continent.

People of all ages and birdwatching levels are invited to participate in this popular event, and what a great way to get children outside and take notice of the wonders of the natural world around them.

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]]> http://ecochildsplay.com/2009/02/08/kids-and-nature-the-great-backyard-bird-count/feed/ World Species Survey - More Animals Endangered and in Decline http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/26/world-species-survey-more-animals-endangered-in-decline/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/26/world-species-survey-more-animals-endangered-in-decline/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:21:42 +0000 Michael Ricciardi http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/26/world-species-survey-more-animals-endangered-in-decline/ A young elephant playig with leaves

World Species Survey details gloomy outlook for many animal species.In early October of 2008, the results of a global species  survey, conducted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, were released.  The numbers are startling:

  • At least a quarter of mammal species are headed toward extinction in the near future.
  • Nearly 80 percent of the primate species in southern and southeastern Asia are immediately threatened.
  • At least 22 percent of reptile species are at risk of extinction.
  • Perhaps 40 percent of North American freshwater fish are threatened.
  • In Europe, 45 percent of the most common bird species are rapidly declining, and so are the most common bird species in North America.

But perhaps these figures are a bit too abstract. Here’s a more precise way to look at the present state of bio-diversity on Earth.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/01/26/world-species-survey-more-animals-endangered-in-decline/feed/ Australian Plan to Get Rid of Cats Causes Unintended Rabbit Problem http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/14/australia-didnt-want-cats-it-got-rabbits-instead/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/14/australia-didnt-want-cats-it-got-rabbits-instead/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:44:59 +0000 Amanda Peterka http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/14/australia-didnt-want-cats-it-got-rabbits-instead/ A plan from the 1990s to remove all feral cats from Macquarie Island in the land down under hasn’t exactly gone as planned. The absence of the cats, meant to save the island’s bird population, only made room for a pesky animal that’s bothered Australians since the 18th century: the rabbit.

That vicious mammal was brought over by European settlers…and quickly multiplied until Australians put up a rabbit-proof fence in the middle of the country to protect crops and native species. And now it’s back in full force, as the rabbit’s booming population on the island has already caused 24 million Australian dollar in damage since the removal of the cats that were keeping its numbers in check.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/01/14/australia-didnt-want-cats-it-got-rabbits-instead/feed/ Find an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Win $50,000 http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/13/find-an-ivory-billed-woodpecker-win-50000/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/13/find-an-ivory-billed-woodpecker-win-50000/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:40:36 +0000 Alex Felsinger http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/13/find-an-ivory-billed-woodpecker-win-50000/

Get out some binoculars and a video camera: if you can find an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, you could be $50,000 richer.

The Nature Conservancy has had enough. They’ve been searching for an Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Alabama ever since 2004 when a video of one surfaced on the internet in 2004, but despite having the best bird trackers on their side, they’ve had no luck.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/01/13/find-an-ivory-billed-woodpecker-win-50000/feed/ Iberdrola Adopts Wind Industry’s First Company-Wide Avian and Bat Protection Plan http://cleantechnica.com/2008/12/02/iberdola-adopts-wind-industrys-first-company-wide-avian-and-bat-protection-plan/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/12/02/iberdola-adopts-wind-industrys-first-company-wide-avian-and-bat-protection-plan/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:47:12 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://cleantechnica.com/2008/12/02/iberdola-adopts-wind-industrys-first-company-wide-avian-and-bat-protection-plan/ birds taking flight at wind energy farm

Oregon-based Iberdrola Renewables has adopted what is arguably the most holistic policy to protect avian and bat populations in the wind energy industry. The plan is modeled in part after the 2005 avian protection plan template (pdf) developed by the Edison Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to address the impacts of transmission and distribution lines on birds.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/12/02/iberdola-adopts-wind-industrys-first-company-wide-avian-and-bat-protection-plan/feed/ Cold-Weather Kindness: How to Make Your Yard a Winter Wonderland for Wildlife http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/01/cold-weather-kindness-how-to-make-your-yard-a-winter-wonderland-for-wildlife/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/01/cold-weather-kindness-how-to-make-your-yard-a-winter-wonderland-for-wildlife/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:00:08 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/01/cold-weather-kindness-how-to-make-your-yard-a-winter-wonderland-for-wildlife/ When winter’s frigid weather rolls in (or “crashes down” might be more appropriate), we humans have the ability to head inside into comfy little dens stockpiled with plenty of food and kept snugly warm by various measures. Things are much harder on the various critters forced to endure the cold, the precipitation, and the widespread dearth of edibles in this “dead” season.

Winter is the perfect time, then, for you to practice a little cold-weather kindness by helping wildlife make it through these dark, grim days when survival is a constant challenge. With a little planning and effort, you can make your entire yard into an oasis in the icy desert, a shelter from the freezing storm, a larder filled with sustaining, tasty tidbits.

Here are some of the best methods for making your homeplace a wildlife-friendly winter habitat:

1. Keep your birdfeeders full and spread extra seed on the ground. Feeder birds are still plentiful in winter and will need the easily accessible, highly nourishing (and fattening) seeds available in birdfeeders. But if you spread some seed on the ground, too, you will ensure that birds and other critters (including squirrels, like it or not) get something to eat as well. Many winter birds will not venture up to the feeder itself; examples include sparrows of all sorts, juncos, and towhees, which are a joy to watch as they scratch and kick in snow or leaves to find little bits to eat.
2. Drop extra-special winter treats around your yard. For example, smear peanut butter in pine cones and hang them up or just throw them about. Dried corn cobs (with kernels, of course) will feed squirrels, deer, and some birds. Suet is a favorite of woodpeckers and other birds–and squirrels, if you let them get to it.

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