Day: January 12, 2011

Is there any possibility that birds could “drown” or asphyxiate in torrential rain? Richard

Hi Mike and all _____ then he says: ” Before bird migration was accepted as a fact, swifts swallows and other birds that disappeared at the end of summer were thought to hibernate through winter.” And they were often thought to hibernate underground and dig themselves out after the winter freeze when the soil was … Read more

Apropos Mike’s reference to the name Devil Bird applying to the Common Swift in Britain I dare say the name crops up in many societies. For example in Sri Lankan jungles a bird known as Ulama or Ulanena emits piercing shrieks and is often referred to as the devil bird. It’s thought to be the … Read more

The Baillieu government today announced a full, three-month duck shooting season for Victoria, commencing March 19. This is wrong on at least two major grounds: Cruelty – one in four ducks shot are wounded, not killed; their deaths are often prolonged and painful; Environment – the Victorian wetlands have not recovered from the prolonged drought … Read more

Hi all, I did a bit of a review of the big four bird guides for birdforum and one subject I touched on was what the books are printed on. Simpson and Day has a waterproof cover under the dustjacket and waterproof end papers, while Slater and Morcombe have plastic sleeves (Pizzey doesn’t appear to … Read more