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Author Sherrida Woodley finds inspiration at the intersection of avians and extinction. The dearly departed Passenger Pigeon plays a pivotal role in her award-winning bio-thriller, Quick Fall of Light. The newest bird on the brink to capture her fertile imagination is the California Condor, on which she graciously shares her research and ruminations:   Sometimes [...]

Yes, these things are all connected. Last weekend, Desiree Schell and I taped a segment of “Everything You Know Is (Sort of) Wrong” (apologies) for Skeptically Speaking, a radio talk show and podcast that Desiree hosts. The topic was the concept of humans as predators, or hunters, or really, eaters of meat, and I was [...]

…I WILL EAT YOU! Black Vulture at the Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland, Florida This somehow seemed suitable for a Monday morning. Forgive me. …

Today is International Vulture Awareness Day!  Rather than go into great detail about a variety of vultures as we have in the past, I tracked down five great quotes about Turkey Vultures, or, at least, five quotes that are either about Turkey Vultures or generically about vultures.  Though I had a couple in mind I [...]

A few months ago I shared with the 10,000 Birds community the plight of Griffon Vultures in Cyprus, and it has only been getting worse. A census conducted on March 31 indicated that there are in fact only only 6-8 Griffon Vultures left in Cyprus. But there is cause for hope on the horizon. I [...]

What do you think when you hear the word raptor? Those of us from generation Jurassic Park can’t help but think of the terrifying dinosaurs nicknamed “raptors,” horribly Hollywoodified versions of Velociraptor that were as it turns out, way too naked. Yes, Velociraptor had feathers, and arguably, it and the other dromaeosaurs could even be [...]

Not only are dead birds continuing to inexplicably rain from the skies from Arkansas to Italy, but now we’re seeing massive fish kills around the globe. Even the experts that read 10,000 Birds are baffled. But Saudi Arabian officials may have uncovered a critical lead in the case: an Israeli spy vulture. Do you see a [...]

BirdLife International has been talking in recent months about the status of Egyptian Vultures and 3 species of Vultures in Kenya, but vultures in Cyprus are having a hard time too. Although generally widespread, Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) are nearly extinct here in Cyprus. Up until about 100 years ago, naturalists have been reporting such [...]

I have been working for an international airline for 26 years now. In that time I have witnessed the rolling out ceremonies for new aircraft and have been spoon fed the propaganda that goes with each technological leap forward. Phrases such as “pinnacle of aeronautical  design and engineering”, “unparalleled efficiency” or “unsurpassed flying experience” are [...]

Ecclesdown Road, a steep track that cuts through Jamaica’s lush John Crow Mountains, boasts some of the best birding in the country. On my visit there in the jolly company of John Fletcher, expert on island avifauna and president of BirdLife Jamaica, I beheld amazing endemics like Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo, Rufous-tailed Flycatcher, and both Yellow-billed and [...]

Vultures get a bad rap, often lumped in with gold diggers and attorneys (no offense to any gold digging attorneys out there) when they should be celebrated as vital links in almost every ecosystem. My experience of Old World vultures is limited but I know all about the family Catharidae, New World Vultures. While some [...]

and bluebirds.  The birds I can see around New York City are great but it’s a real bummer that those birds are virtually not findable in New York City.  And Pileated Woodpeckers?  The closest I’ll ever come to a Lord God Bird aren’t available to the avid birder in New York City either.  Where am [...]