a unique looking american crow, all white with black wingtips and a black head, stands on a building. this bird is affected by leucism, a genetic mutation where the amount of melanin and other pigmentation is reduced. it can occur evenly through the body, or in certain portions, like in this bird. the condition differs from albinism in that it is not a complete lack of melanin, so affected individuals will not have pink eyes or feet.
the average person's understanding of the "squirrel" could stand expansion. most people think of grey squirrels and red squirrels. urge them to think a little harder and they might come up with chipmunks and flying squirrels, while asking "i mean, do those really count?"
Can someone please tell me this was a pair that was trying to do the death spiral that mating birds of prey do, and somehow in the process they ended up stuck on a road sign.
Because if it is, this is definitely one of the funniest “Okay, maybe we WERE a little bit over our head when we started this…” moments.
I doubt it. One of these birds is a juvenile (the top) while the other is an adult (bottom). The juvenile would have no interest in mating.
Honestly when I see hawks doing stupid stuff 9/10 times its a harris hawk—this seriously just looks like one of those stupid hawks time. They are one of the only social raptors, so this leads to some funny things, like
Stacking
The harris hawk argument for stacking is “your back is less Pokey than a cactus so imma use it”
Not even falconers are safe…
They even hold hands
Please, what are you doing harris hawks, learn how to hawk
a photographer captured a wild black vulture preening a northern caracara. while this interaction may seem strange, considering the birds are not in the same family, they are both scavengers and regularly interact over meals of carrion.
a photographer captured a wild black vulture preening a northern caracara. while this interaction may seem strange, considering the birds are not in the same family, they are both scavengers and regularly interact over meals of carrion.
They just released the first 8 Spix's macaws back to their native range in Brazil after 22 years of them being gone from the wild, if you want to look into it!
The Spix’s little blue macaw — extinct in the wild for 22 years — now flies free again in its natural home in Brazil
Thanks so much for sending this in and giving be an excuse to gush about it!
Honestly I think the heart of this conservation story can be summed up by the very first line of the article:
“The Spix’s little blue macaw — extinct in the wild for 22 years — now flies free again in its natural habitat in Brazil, thanks to decades of research and effort by hundreds of scientists, conservation biologists, veterinarians, aviculturists and indigenous peoples.”
So many people from so many different backgrounds cared enough to invest their time, money, and knowledge–often with no or very little financial compensation–to bring these birds home. Many whose names and contributions we will never know.
Eight birds were released earlier in June and 12 more are set to be released in December. This is only the beginning of the reintroduction phase of a captive breeding and reintroduction plan that has been in the making for decades. Parrots are challenging animals to reintroduce to the wild because they are so intelligent and social, but conservationists have learned a lot from both failed and successful parrot reintroductions in the past. I’m wishing all the luck in the world to those first eight birds–they have been given the best shot possible at making it in the wild.
This is one of those conservation stories that makes it all worth it. After 22 years, there will finally be little blue parrots in the Brazilian forest again.
(For those who are wondering, yes, this is what the movie Rio was based on. Rio brought an immense amount of attention and support to the Spix’s macaw reintroduction efforts)
Okay but if I’m gonna reblog this I need to tell you guys the story of this legendary pachirisu
So in the competitive Pokemon scene, there’s what’s called a ‘metagame’, which is what’s generally used and what is/isn’t allowed in competitive battling. Certain pokemon are banned from the ‘meta’ because of being too powerful. Others aren’t generally used because there are better alternatives, or they’re simply too weak. People base their entire strategies around the expectation that they’ll be facing certain pokemon, and attempt to counter them with certain pokemon.
But the problem with this meta is, during the 2014 World Championships, there were a small number of pokemon choices that everybody had. Gardevoir, Kangeskhan, Salamence, Tyranitar, Talonflame, Garchomp… the same pokemon coming up again and again. Things weren’t really all that interesting.
And then came the Double Battle World Championship. And this guy.
Park Se Jun. One of the best players in the world. He used a Pachirisu with Nuzzle (a move with 100% paralysis chance), Super Fang (cuts target’s HP in half) and Follow Me (a move that redirects attacks AWAY from allied pokemon), and equipped with a recently-buffed Sitrus Berry. And he turned the metagame on its head, because nobody in the championships had prepared for anything outside their incredibly restrictive expectations.
Their strategies and planning were completely tripped up by an electric squirrel. Battling his Pachirisu in incredibly tight synergy with the rest of his team, Park Se Jun swept the finals and became World Champion of 2014 Doubles.
And that is the story of the #BASED GOD PACHIRISU.
Knowing a fic author through AO3 is like attending someone’s thesis presentation and politely clapping at the end, knowing a fic author through this hellsite is like going over to their house at 3AM to watch them eat mayonnaise out of a jar
i’m convinced that the ice age franchise won’t end until the squirrel that always chases after the nut gets an equally hideous girlfriend with Squirrel Tits™ and eyelashes
No you don’t understand, I have this entire developed theory about the Ice Age universe which has been cooking up in my mind and has only be reinforced by the latest 5th installment.
Scrat is the god of the Ice age universe. The story began with him and the story will end with him. If there weren’t hints before, in this latest installment, it becomes clear that Scrat’s actions dictate what happens on Earth and to the protagonists. Yes, maybe Scart’s only goal is to get the nut, but his actions SHAPE what happens in the film.
If we needed any further proof then may I point out something Buck said in the 5th film along the lines of “we’re 6 mins early! Somebody up there likes us!”
That phrase is usually used to refer to a god and in this case it’s used to refer (unknowingly) to scrat!
However, there is an ALTERNATE theory that I have been working on. What if Scart isn’t the god of the ice age universe, but rather, the NUT is? As i have already said, Scart’s actions shape the course of the story but what motivates Scart? That’s right: the nut, it is truly because of the nut that Scart does what he does that leads to the events that take place in the story.
This would create an interesting metaphor here. Scrat is chasing the nut like man chases divinity.
So when will the Ice Age saga end?? When Scart finally gets the nut for good. When man catches God.