ZLI's Save a Billion Birds Campaign

12/13/2024

Did you know that suffers the most bird-window strikes of any State in America? 200,000+ a day, 145 a minute.

It’s an easy fix (screens, applied films, -friendly glazing). Some cities passed marginal legislation to ensure healthier communities, but the major challenges happen outside in the suburbs rather than city centers. We’d rather offer monetary incentives given the financial climate.

ZLI can help pay for remediation (sometimes far beyond the cost), if residents and businesses want to stop the kills.

Reach out to me; I’ll answer. www.zoolighting.org

Official State Bird of California

California designated the California quail (Callipepla Californicus) as official state bird in 1931. All State Birds

Known for their hardiness and adaptability, the native California quail is a plump bird, smaller than a pigeon, with a distinctive black plume on its head and a black bib with a white stripe under its beak. It spends most of its time on the ground but will launch into a short but explosive flight when disturbed.

For much of the year, the California quail lives in social groups called coveys. Coveys number from a few up to 200 in the fall and winter months, but in the spring they break into pairs. California quail nest in hollows scratched in the ground and concealed by foliage, females lay 6 to 28 eggs - creamy white thickly spotted with golden brown.

Other common names: California partridge, Catalina quail, topknot quail and valley quail.

07/07/2022

A necessary read, for animal welfare, wildlife conservation, and SDG metric sustainability.

In 2007 I was working in a university building that was just begging for bird feeders. It was a one-story square building, four sides enclosing a courtyard–two sides holding offices and classrooms, one side a brick-faced entrance hall, the fourth a glass-walled corridor that allowed views of the u...

01/18/2022

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU!

Ambassador Latsch is a very curious and good-natured eagle. He is a rock star educator! Here we see him giving a close inspection to the camera while enjoying some time out about the town in Wabasha. What a handsome fellow! Lookin' good, Latsch! 🦅😎😍👍

12/25/2021

WINTER BALD EAGLE COUNT - 12/24/2021 - THE TREES ARE DECORATED! 😍

Last week we saw a solid rise in the Bald Eagle counts following the major windstorm that blew through the region. This week the numbers more than doubled to a whopping 514!

The hot spots were Dam #5 (217) and Alma, WI (202) where the eagle activity was spectacular!!! Eagles were in the trees, in the air, and on the ice - a photographer's dream! Colvill Park in Red Wing, MN saw a slight increase but is still fairly quiet this season. Wabasha is quiet as well as a backup of ice chunks has caused many birds to move slightly south (Dam #5 and Alma) for the time being. However, they move around a bit with conditions and they will no doubt be back as the season continues.

If you have a chance to get out for a drive during the holiday, check out some of these locations to see what the eagles are up to. Be sure to keep following us on social media for new programs, photos, news, and EAGLE 101 posts! Photo by Carol Knabe. Happy viewing 🦅😍👍

How is the activity in Wabasha? Check the Eaglewatch Cam: bit.ly/2OXrgA7.

Do you find the winter eagle counts to be a valuable resource? Do you check it regularly? Then, please consider supporting these services with a donation in any amount. Your support helps make our mission possible! Donate today: bit.ly/2YyzCAB

Compare the counts: bit.ly/2s1uDgl.

Wabasha - Adults 13 + Juveniles 2 = 15
Reads Landing - Adults 36 + Juveniles 3 = 39
Lake Pepin - Adults 11 + Juveniles 4 = 15
Red Wing (Colvill Park) - Adults 12 + Juveniles 2 = 14
Winona (Dam #5) - Adults 159 + Juveniles 58 = 217
Alma, WI - Adults 177 + Juveniles 25 = 202
Buffalo City (WI) - Adults 8 + Juveniles 4 = 12
Maiden Rock (WI) - N/A

12/25/2021

PELICAN DIVE

Spot-billed pelican in Rangnathittu Bird Sanctuary, India, a birder's paradise
Photo by Rakesh Baro
facebook.com/rakeshbaro

11/29/2021

For , please donate to science. Funds support research directly, and the support networks that benefit from it. ZLI’s focus on Applied Photobiology benefits mental health, hunger mitigation, reproductive health, and community vibrancy through a dedicated and clear animal welfare perspective.

Help us, help you.

https://zli.org/give

Advance Science for Wildlife

11/05/2021

EAGLE 101: WHAT TO MAKE OF THE TANGLED PAIR OF EAGLES IN PLYMOUTH, MN

The City of Plymouth, MN - Local Government shared a story this week that grabbed a lot of people's attention - police responded to a call that two Bald Eagles had crashed into the ground and were unable to untangle their talons. Not the type of thing you witness very often in an urban setting, it gave rise to speculation as to what happened. What were these eagles doing? Why did they crash? Why could they not untangle themselves? As always, the National Eagle Center is here to share some insights!

In yesterday's post, we referenced Bald Eagle "cartwheeling" as a comparison to the Golden Eagle stick display, both of which are fascinating to witness. People are generally more familiar with cartwheeling (Bald Eagle courtship ritual) and many posts speculated that that is what the two eagles in Plymouth were engaged in. But... isn't it the wrong season?! During the late fall, Bald Eagles receive a false nesting trigger brought on by the amount of daylight. The trigger doesn't last very long, but cartwheeling in the fall is not all that rare. So that is a definite possibility in this case.

In fact, cartwheeling can occur at any time throughout the year and doesn't necessarily result from courtship - it can also result from two eagles fighting. Remember, Bald Eagles are not social birds and extremely territorial! They fight with their talons and when skirmishing mid-air it is not uncommon for their talons to lock and become tangled. Unable to separate, they can't maneuver and end up crashing into the ground, often resulting in injury or death. Thankfully, both individuals flew away unharmed. However, a territorial skirmish is also a likely cause for this incident.

Seeing Bald Eagles crash to the ground in a city is rare, but not so uncommon out in nature. But as their population continues to recover and density forces them into more populated areas, it is reasonable to expect more of this type of incident to occur, whether due to courtship or skirmishing. 🦅😯

02/25/2021

ZLI is very proud to emphasize the importance of data-driven approaches to animal welfare for public health, safety and welfare, through a new partnership the wonderful Wild Welfare!

Bloomberg Bloomberg AsiaMike Welfare

UK animal welfare charity Wild Welfare is exploring the potential for advancing animal welfare for captive wild animals with expertise from a specialist zoo lighting organisation. Liaising with the US…

01/30/2021

RELAX

The photographer wrote "Sometimes, all you need is a hug!" but something else could be going on. Oxpecker on a rhino.

By Zaheer Ali: Zali_Photo