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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Birds


Click picture for my latest column.

3 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

I suppose I need to register over there so I can leave comments there. Haven't had a chance to do so yet, though. Here's my response:

I didn't realize the bird loss had been so extreme, although there are a number of endangered birds here. I suppose part of it is that certain birds, like crows and cardinals seem to thrive pretty well around human habitations. It half covers up the loss of the shyer birds. We've really come to appreciate that here with our back yard aviary.

Furbottle said...

Read/enjoyed the article. I have but one comment, which I will post here to avoid the Great White Feeding Frenzy over on The Coast.

Comment: I did find the notion of "bird monogamy" a touch romantic and quaint.

It would depend on how "monogamy" is defined, of course. If it is meant as something like "social pair bonding", there is evidence of that available. If it means having only one sexual partner, well that sort of thing is not only notoriously difficult to demonstrate, but often contrary to available genetic and ethological counter-evidence as well; not to mention that on purely logical grounds it would seem poor strategy as it would be an unnecessarily limiting reproductive gambit.

-Thump thump thump! Bunny out!-

Chris Benjamin said...

CG: backyard aviary sounds like a nice thing to have.

FB: interesting point. but many human societies have also practiced monogamy, no? sometimes limiting reproduction is a good idea, like when food or habitat is scarce.