Florence Merriam Bailey (1863–1948) was a life-long proponent of studying birds alive in the field instead of deceased in a lab or specimen drawer. She favored binoculars (what were then known as opera glasses) over the shotgun, and deplored the killing of birds for fashion and the millinery trade.
Native to montane habitats in the western United States, the Black Rosy finch, Leucosticte atrata, was first identified as a unique species by Robert Ridgway in 1874.
The Madagascar Jacana (Actophilornis albinucha) is an endemic Malagasy shorebird species in the family Jacanidae, one of eight living species in the family that typically colonize tropical and subtropical freshwater wetlands.
The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is the largest Neotropical raptor species and among the largest eagles in the world, capable of capturing full-grown sloths and monkeys weighing up to 14 pounds.
EGG COLLECTORS The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology houses collections of eggs, nests and study skins from different collectors, totaling just over four hundred individual collections. Many collectors were museum curators or owners, taxidermists, and experienced biologists whilst some were simply outdoorsman and hobbyists. We are recording countries, states etc. where they lived and collected and years of collecting. Also, we recorded collections from other collectors they owned. We…
PLANT NATIVE PLANTS! Over time, bird species have developed close relationships with the native plant species they use. Some of these relationships go back millions of years! Since plants and the land around us are changed very rapidly by humans, some birds can have a very difficult time finding the food, water, nesting, and…
Eggs in private and museum collections around the world have figured prominently in studies of eggshell thinning due to contaminants such as DDT, heavy metals, and PCBs in predatory bird species such as Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis), Bald Eagles (Halieetus leucocephalus), and Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus), and were critical to these species’ recovery. In…
Why Are Birds Important? 1. Birds have great economic and ecological value to society by providing vital Ecosystem Services.Large birds destroy numerous rodent pests that consume human food and spread deseases.Smaller birds consume enormous quantities of insects that attack forest trees, services valued at up to $5000/year/square mile of forest. Smaller birds also consume enormous quantities…
Ventura County is home to over 240 Species of birds; more than just pigeons, sparrows and crows! 243 species live, migrate or pass through Ventura County each year. Birds nest in a variety of spots: tree branches,cavities, bushes, on the ground, or on the sides and eaves of buildings. Nests are often in hidden, hard–to-spot locations. Types of local tree nests:…
( https://birdcitywisconsin.org/) THE GREATEST THREAT TO WILD BIRD IS HABITAT LOSS Habitat loss ranks number one among the human-associated threats to wild birds. In Ventura County alone we have lost 85% of our grasslands, 90% of wetlands, and 95% of riparian habitat. Habitat loss is attributed to urbanization and other development, intensive agriculture, and roads. Habitats…