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Off Topic Vote for a National Bird (feathered variety)

Discussion in 'Queens Park Rangers' started by sb_73, Mar 16, 2015.

  1. kiwiqpr

    kiwiqpr Barnsie Mod

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    i like the fan tail here in nz
    when we were doing foundations for wind turbines they were great to watch while driving up in the hills

    The behaviour of many species of fantail has not been studied, but overall the family is highly uniform in its habits. Anecdotal observations of less studied species suggest a high degree of similarity with the better studied species. Fantails are highly active birds, with several of the smaller species continuously on the move; even when perched they continue to rock back and forth, spin 180° on the spot, wag their tail from side to side or fan it. In flight they are highly agile and undertake highly aerobatic and intricate looping flights while using their fanned tail to catch insects in flight.
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    #181
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  2. Steelmonkey

    Steelmonkey Well-Known Member

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    Ok bird lovers, I had the very rare treat of seeing a Golden Eagle on Friday! I was working up out in Wester Ross on a hill above Poolewe, and it was soaring above us for a good ten minutes in the morning, and returned again a few hours later. Couldn't get over the size of it - it was about 100ft up and was still massive!

    To top it off, as we went down to the village for lunch, we caught sight of an Osprey over the beach - possibly an even rarer sight. What a lucky day!
     
    #182
  3. kiwiqpr

    kiwiqpr Barnsie Mod

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    Bird of the Year: Rare anti-social penguin wins New Zealand poll
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    Image copyright Getty Images
    Image caption The hoiho won with 12,022 out of the 43,460 votes cast and verified
    An endangered yellow-eyed penguin has won New Zealand's coveted Bird of the Year competition after two weeks of intense campaigning.
    The hoiho saw off more than five rivals to become the first penguin to win the annual honour in its 14-year history.
    With only 225 pairs left on New Zealand's mainland, the hoiho is said to be the rarest penguin in the world.
    Experts say the hoiho is an anti-social bird that communicates with a high-pitched scream.
    The bird won 12,022 out of the 43,460 votes cast and verified, organisers said.
    Forest & Bird, the conservation group that runs the poll, said the hoiho's victory over the kakapo and last year's winner, the kereru, was a "huge upset".
    "It was so close between these amazing endangered birds, it was impossible to predict a winner for most of the competition," said Megan Hubscher, a spokeswoman for the group.
    Skip Facebook post by Forest & Bird
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    The hoiho has made history today! In a huge upset, the hoiho has come from behind to shatter the feathered ceiling, and become the first penguin to win #BirdoftheYear.
    Supported by a huge grassroots campaign from Hoiho for Bird of the Year and its cousins in the #penguinparty, the chonky seabird has defeated the drunken kererū and the mighty kākāpō to become #BirdoftheYear for 2019.
    Report
    End of Facebook post by Forest & Bird
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    The penguin's bid attracted support from two mayors during a campaign marked by "memes and trash-talk", Ms Hubscher said.
    The vote attracts interest nationwide, with campaign teams renting billboard space and creating promotional videos to build support.

    The kea and rockhopper teams have been taking their campaigns to the skies this week. Check out these massive billboards around Auckland and Wellington. #BirdOfTheYear
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    Underlining the significance of the result, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern acknowledged the penguin's victory at her weekly press conference.
    "I feel inclined to congratulate the winner given it's the first seabird that's taken out top honours," she said on Monday.
    Ms Ardern expressed hope that the hoiho's victory would pave the way for "a future win for the black petrel", another seabird she has shown "long-standing commitment and support for".
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    Vote Hoiho @VoteHoiho


    Out from behind the keyboard/camera Team Hoiho would like to say another HUGE thank you to all of our supporters and endorsers! #VoteHoiho #BirdOfTheYear
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    There are no reports of voting irregularities this year after fixing scandals marred previous polls.
    Previous winners include the kereru, a type of wood pigeon, in 2018 and the kea, a species of large parrot, in 2017.
    "Bird of the Year has become a national passion, and that's thanks to everyone relentlessly and ruthlessly promoting their favourite bird's weirdest qualities to the globe," Ms Hubscher said.
    What kind of bird is it?
    A tall, portly penguin with a pale yellow band of feathers on its head, the hoiho stands around 65cm (25in) tall and weighs around 5kg (11lb).
    Although mostly silent, the birds do shriek in a high-pitched tone when they mate.
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    Image copyright Getty Images
    Image caption The hoiho is a tall, portly penguin with a pale yellow band of feathers on its head
    Experts fear the penguins are at risk of becoming extinct unless action is taken to conserve their habitat.
    Hoiho face numerous threats, including warming oceans leading to changes in food availability, bottom trawling damaging feeding grounds, being caught in fishing nets, and disturbance from humans, Forest & Bird said.
    NZ Bird of the Year 2019
    The top five*
    *The chart is based on the first preference of voters. The black robin rose two places in the final tally
    Source: Forest & Bird
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    For this year's poll, the organiser used a single transferable voting (STV) system, where voters rank their five favourite native birds.
    Under STV, if one candidate's vote-share exceeds a certain threshold, their surplus votes are transferred to other candidates, which is why the black robin rose from fifth to third in the final tally.
     
    #183
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  4. Steelmonkey

    Steelmonkey Well-Known Member

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    Didn't know where else to put this, but thought a few of you would appreciate this....even if it is in Norwich @rangercol .....

    Norwich peregrine falcons caught in battle with red kite

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    The female falcon (above) swooped down to see off the scavenging kite


    Peregrine falcons have been photographed in a mid-air battle, protecting their chicks and food from a scavenging red kite.

    The falcons hatched four chicks last week in their Norwich Cathedral nest.

    Wildlife photographers Chris and Kim Skipper watched as the pair took it in turns to distract the kite from going near the nest, and swooped down on the much larger predator to drive it away.

    Mr Skipper said it was likely the kite wanted food left in the nest.

    He and his wife have been photographing and writing about the cathedral falcons for more than 10 years.

    The protected birds of prey hatched the latest brood last week and have been taking it in turns to stay with them, while the other hunts for food.

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    The kite (right, with its distinctive forked tail) circled as the peregrine (bottom centre, out of focus) took food out of its own nest and left it on the spire


    Seeing the red kite circling above the spire would have been concerning for the parents, Mr Skipper said.

    "I've never seen a kite so close to the cathedral nest before, and the problem was that the male bird was alone with the chicks at the time," he said.

    The kite's wingspan is about twice that of a peregrine - and male peregrines are smaller than females - so the intruder was significantly larger.

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    The female falcon can be seen dive-bombing the kite


    "The male had to make a decision and he knew the kite probably wanted the prey that was in the nest to feed the chicks - the kite would have taken the chicks, probably, but the starling carcass was an easy meal," Mr Skipper said.

    The male took the prey up to the spire of the cathedral.

    "It was a bit like an offering - this is the kill, this is what you want," he said.

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    The cathedral peregrines have had to fight off buzzards as well


    The male had been calling the female back to the nest and she arrived, swooping down towards the kite.

    "She was dive-bombing the kite from a height. If peregrines can get height, they can usually see things off," said Mr Skipper.

    He said the falcons use their talons "like fists" and can easily break another bird's neck, so the kite was having to roll over to try to defend itself.

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    A week before the kite arrived, hungry gulls attacked and managed to steal the falcon's newly-caught prey


    In the end there was no contact.

    "The kite couldn't get away fast enough when it realised what was happening," he said.

    It has been a busy week for the peregrine pair, defending their nest.

    Before the kite arrived, a buzzard had to be seen off as it too was circling the nest, while stunning photographs taken a few days before the chicks hatched show the peregrines being bullied by gulls, which are also larger and managed to steal a pigeon caught by one of the falcons.

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    The birds have been protecting their four chicks


    Mr Skipper said the four chicks are currently doing well in their spire-top nest.
     
    #184
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  5. Wherever

    Wherever Well-Known Member

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    I bet Col is supporting the kites
     
    #185
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  6. Goldhawk-Road

    Goldhawk-Road Well-Known Member

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    Great to see so many hawks and birds of prey nowadays. In the 1960's you'd be lucky to see anything more than a kestrel in most of Southern England.
     
    #186
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  7. Stroller

    Stroller Well-Known Member

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    I often see red kites around here and was watching one from the bedroom window when another smaller bird flew towards it in an aggressive manner. I didn't see the outcome because they flew behind the trees, but I was surprised to see this.
     
    #187
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  8. rangercol

    rangercol Well-Known Member

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    Nope.
    Fantastic photos in that report @Steelmonkey, especially the female Peregrine diving at the upturned kite.
    Although, as stated, the kite has almost twice the wingspan, it is quite a slender bird and wouldn't want to get into a ruck with a Peregrine.
    If that female had hit it from a high dive at approaching 200mph, it would have been bye bye kite.
    Having said that, kites are generally far too big for a Peregrine to try to take as food.
    Most birds of prey try to avoid altercations with eachother, as they can all deliver fatal injuries to eachother.
    The kite would have been after the dead prey that the Peregrine had left for the chicks, but he would also definitely have hooked up a chick if it was easily available.
    They do this to crows, swooping down on their nests.
    That's why you see crows mobbing them and other birds of prey.
    The Buzzard that was mentioned would have been more of a problem as they're almost as big as a kite, but much heavier and more powerful.
    It's fantastic that so many birds of prey are doing so well.
    Sparrowhawks are another great success story.
     
    #188
  9. rangercol

    rangercol Well-Known Member

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    As I said above, a lot of birds try to mob birds of prey as they take their young.
    Many birds have young at this time of year.
    Birds usually try to stay above a bird of prey when mobbing them, to avoid the talons.
    It's usually the bigger, gliding types of birds of prey that get mobbed.
    Peregrines and Sparrowhawks tend to be avoided.
     
    #189
  10. kiwiqpr

    kiwiqpr Barnsie Mod

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    New Zealand bat flies away with bird of the year award
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    IMAGE SOURCE,IAN DAVIDSON-WATTS
    Image caption,The long-tailed bat is about the size of a thumb
    A bat has been named as New Zealand's bird of the year, in a controversial move that has ruffled feathers.

    The long-tailed bat had swooped in to clinch the title in an online poll.

    Contest organisers had included the bat, one of the country's few land-based native mammals, to raise its profile as a critically endangered species.

    But the victory has annoyed some, with one commenter saying the country had gone "batty".

    Outraged bird-lovers cried fowl on Twitter, calling it a "total farce", a "stolen election", as well as more colourful and unprintable terms.

    Some on social media also saw it as a much-needed public relations victory for bats, after a particularly trying two years.

    But environmental group Forest and Bird, which organises the competition every year, said the bat's inclusion was not a bid to restore its image in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Spokesperson Laura Keown said in a statement that "a vote for bats is also a vote for predator control, habitat restoration, and climate action to protect our bats and their feathered neighbours!"

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
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    The Bird of the Year contest has been seen as a way to raise awareness of New Zealand's biodiversity and species that are under threat.

    In apparent defiance of the laws of scientific taxonomy, Forest and Bird had decided to include a land mammal for the first time this year, saying they faced similar challenges as birds.

    The long-tailed bat, also known as the pekapeka-tou-roa and is only the size of a thumb, beat a flightless parrot to win the title.

    More than 56,700 people cast their votes, with more than 7,000 for the bat and just over 4,000 for the kakapo, which won the contest last year.


    This is not the first time the contest has flown into controversy.

    In 2019, hundreds of votes were found to have come from Russia, spurring fears of voter fraud.

    Organisers later determined that they were likely to have come from Russian bird-lovers, instead of hackers intent on manipulating the vote.

    Media caption,New Zealand crowns chubby parrot Bird of the Year
     
    #190
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  11. Stroller

    Stroller Well-Known Member

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    I won't be voting for the Heron, that's for sure. One ate all my goldfish at the weekend.
     
    #191
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  12. Goldhawk-Road

    Goldhawk-Road Well-Known Member

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    Herons get shot around these parts. No one owns up to it.
     
    #192
  13. Stroller

    Stroller Well-Known Member

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    I might have shot this one if I'd seen it. We have an artificial heron next to the pond, which is supposed deter real ones, but it plainly didn't work in this case.
     
    #193
  14. Goldhawk-Road

    Goldhawk-Road Well-Known Member

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    I think it encourages them. In any event, you have to move the plastic heron around regularly because real herons are pretty bright and soon twig.
     
    #194
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  15. rangercol

    rangercol Well-Known Member

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    Yep. They rarely work.
    ****ing disgraceful as well as illegal to shoot them.
    Koi carp owners etc have een known to lose an awful lot of valuable fish to herons. They'll clear a pond in no time.
     
    #195
  16. sb_73

    sb_73 Well-Known Member

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    How do you know it was a heron if you didn’t see it in the act? Might have been a condor. Or a wolf.
     
    #196
  17. Stroller

    Stroller Well-Known Member

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    Or a hedgehog, perhaps.

    No, my daughter sat it standing on the roof of the garage licking its chops.
     
    #197
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  18. kiwiqpr

    kiwiqpr Barnsie Mod

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    herons eat chops:emoticon-0136-giggl
     
    #198
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  19. Goldhawk-Road

    Goldhawk-Road Well-Known Member

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    It is illegal but I can understand people reaching for a 12 bore when all else fails. Herons travel around in 2's and 3's around here. Large numbers of them. If deer can be culled, and pigeons, magpies, jackdaws and crows can be thinned, fishowners fail to see why herons are so special.
     
    #199
  20. rangercol

    rangercol Well-Known Member

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    There are easy ways to protect fish in ponds. Netting etc.
    It's only fishermen who don't like Herons, Cormarants etc as it disturbs their "sport".
    The birds are hunting to eat.
    Anyone shooting or poisoning a bird of prey is a first class ****.
     
    #200

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