Big and beautiful
The Western Boreal Forest in Canada and the United States is the largest intact forest remaining on our planet. Fitting that one of the largest flying birds — the Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator, calls it home. Hunted and persecuted by European settlers to North America, they were nearly lost at the turn of the 20th […]
Dreaming of Redheads?
The North American counterpart of our Common Pochard Aythya ferina, the Redhead A. americana breeds across the Prairie Pothole Region. It winters predominately in coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico. Vagrants occasionally reach Europe. The Prairie Pothole Region is an area of the northern Great Plains and midgrass and tallgrass prairies that contains thousands […]
Heritage Breeds
This is International Heritage Breeds Week. 16-22nd May; aiming to to raise global awareness about endangered heritage breeds of farm animals. Many of our traditional livestock and poultry breeds have been replaced with more ‘improved’ breeds in modern animal agriculture, at the expense of a massive loss in genetic diversity. Worldwide, about one domesticated livestock […]
Protecting a mate
A gander will often stand between his mate and potential threats, his head down in a defensive posture. Here a male Czech Goose shows this primitive expression of aggression and will most likely do it when leading any additions to the family too. Make way — the goslings are coming through! Konrad Lorenz (1903–1989) studied […]
Avian Influenza Prevention Zone to be Lifted
Avian Influenza: keepers advised to remain vigilant as heightened biosecurity measures lifted Changes to Risk Level The risk of avian influenza infection in wild birds remains low (rare but does occur). However, the risk of HPAI H5 exposure to poultry and captive birds across the whole GB has reduced from medium (occurs regularly) to […]
Softly fascinated by watery nature
New YouGov research, released by the Mental Health Foundation, has found 65 % of people find being near water improves their mental wellbeing and is their favourite part of nature. A new scheme in London called Blue Prescribing will allow up to 300 people experiencing poor mental health and with limited access to water in […]
Who would be the ‘Zorro’ ducks?
If someone referred to ‘Zorro’ ducks, would they mean the Silver Teal? Also known as the Versicolor Teal, this attractive little duck is widely distributed in South America. Or maybe it would be the much bigger Puna Teal, once considered conspecific with its aforementioned cousin with which it also differs by always lacking yellow on […]
She’s my girl…
This Pied Pomeranian gander is boldly defending his goose whilst she incubates. He rarely approaches the nest, but keeps visual and vocal contact with her. This breed also occurs in solid White and Grey. In the Pied both sexes show patches of their wild Greylag ancestor’s colour in their plumage, the markings being the result […]
Big shelduck, big attitude
Most species of the tribe Tadornini are found in the Southern Hemisphere; shelducks being more aquatic than sheldgeese. The Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides is a large rusty-brown duck with large patches of white on the wings. Females have a white eye-ring, and are slightly smaller than drakes. Shelducks can be challenging in aviculture as they […]
Changes to what Bird Gatherings are Permitted
From the 21 April 2021, certain bird gatherings can take place in GB provided you notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) at least 7 days before the event and that you meet the requirements of the General Licence. This includes markets, shows, sales, exhibitions of pigeons, budgerigars, canaries, parrots, cockatiels and birds of […]
