The Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) is a beautiful and bizarre-looking bird of southeast Asia. It uses its casque (helmet) in territorial battles between males. Disgustingly, its helmets are also pursued by poachers for their “red ivory”. This has been decimating the birds population. “Last November, the helmeted hornbill’s conservation status was upped from “near-threatened.” It
Continue reading Helmeted Hornbill Harvesting Could Lead to Extinction
I was considering a post about what to bring to the Biggest Week this year but after talking with Dakota (another Birdfreak but more importantly our “let’s get rid of plastic” advocate) decided to change course just a bit. First off, I really hope to see a lot of people at the Biggest Week in
Continue reading Gearing up for the Biggest Week in American Birding: A Challenge
Wind power. It’s supposed to be good. Clean, healthy – sustainable. The Birdfreaks are very much on board with renewable energy. But there is a huge problem being overlooked when it comes to putting up new turbines: LOCATION MATTERS. Unfortunately along the Lake Erie shoreline in northwest Ohio, the birds are in serious trouble due
The Ohio Birdfreaks were so excited to attend the very first EVER Indiana Young Birders Conference on August 24th, 2013. Rob Ripma (from Nuttybirder.com) and all the SUPER people who put the conference together did an amazing job and the young birder speakers blew us away with their knowledge and passion. Young birder photo session
Continue reading First Annual Indiana Young Birders Conference – A Smashing Success!
During the Biggest Week in American Birding, the Birdfreak team attended a talk by the folks from Balloons Blow . The family started cleaning beaches in their home state of Florida over 18 years ago. On their weekly beach cleanups they find a lot of debris that can harm wildlife. In 2012 alone, they found
Continue reading What Goes Up…Must Come Down. Balloons Blow – Don’t Let Them Go
The Black Swamp Bird Observatory (BSBO) in Northwest Ohio is a critical stop-over for our avian friends during migration. They are funded by members, donors and grants. What makes the BSBO so great is that not only do they do important research but they promote the love and appreciation for birds, especially with young birders.
Continue reading Black Swamp Bird Observatory – Kreager Challenge
Saturday, April 14th marked the annual Midwest Crane Count. We had our usual location; a privately-owned parcel of land known as Moody Marsh. The goal is to record as many Sandhill Cranes (and hypothetically, Whooping Cranes) from 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM. During this two hour window we listened intently to determine if there were
The Severson Dells Nature Center located in Rockford, Illinois is hosting a presentation on California Condor reintroduction to celebrate Earth Day. Time TBA at Rock Valley College in Rockford. Earth Day Celebration Saturday, April 21 (time to be announced 11:00-3:00pm Rock Valley College) California Condor Reintroduction; An Avian Study on the N.W. Coast Presented by
Continue reading Severson Dells Earth Day Program – California Condor Reintroduction
