If you would study the law of a country, consider yourself on an ambling tour of that "ship of state," its deck filled with crew hubbub and the creaking of mooring -- a massive, labyrinthine ship, which turns only deadeningly slow in the water. In August, the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) promulgated a … Continue reading BirdsEyeView: Hyacinth Macaws: Endangered or Threatened?!
Category: History
The 1970s heralded a revolution in the legal status of animals. PETA, established in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1974, advocated vegetarianism and various boycotts with the slogan "Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way." Along a parallel track, in 1975, the nations of the world … Continue reading BirdsEyeView: Animal Rights: Does your bird have “personality”?
In China, as part of Chairman Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward (1958-1962), Mao labeled four animals as pests and launched the Four Pests Campaign. The Campaign enlisted citizen assistance throughout Beijing to conduct the extermination. The four animals designated were flies, rats, mosquitoes, and the Eurasian sparrow. The Campaign specifically targeted the Eurasian sparrow because, supposedly, one … Continue reading The Eurasian Sparrow & Mao’s Four Pests Campaign, 1958-1960
Falconry, an ancient cultural heritage arising around 2,000 BC in Mongolia or Central Asia, is alive and well in the Mideast. In fact, mid Eastern nations predominate in the United Nations listing of Falconry as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Mid Eastern falconry made BBC news reports today as more evidence from a 2015 terrorist kidnapping incident … Continue reading Modern Falconry: Cultural Heritage caught in Geopolitics
By Mark LaBarre Volcano eruptions damage the surrounding environment in many ways. Mount Kilauea's recent activity has placed the endangered Hawaiian hawk, called 'Io, in great jeopardy, yet, like all flighted birds, the 'Io has certain survival advantages over other animals. Volcanologist Mark LaBarre, a native of Hawaii, provides a comprehensive overview of the impact … Continue reading Hawaii’s ‘Io & Kilauea Volcano’s Eruption
Faith and religious values inform and motivate hopeful action. Intimidating global issues like deforestation, biodiversity and global warming may find practical solutions in the Ivory Tower, but often it takes faith and religious values to motivate manpower. A Rocha, an international organization of Christian stewardship, responds to the planet's biodiversity crisis with community-based conservation projects. … Continue reading Stewardship, Birds & Conservation: A Rocha in Cruzinha, Portugal
This year the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 ("MBTA", 16 U.S.C. 703-712) celebrates one century of international coordination on bird conservation with Canada. The MBTA is a US public law implementing a US-UK treaty negotiated by the United Kingdom on behalf of Canada. Later, Mexico, Japan and the Soviet Union (now as its successor … Continue reading Decline of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Birds have inspired some of the most moving and insightful art and literature in history. Consider for example the poem by Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886) Hope is the thing with feathers Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all, … Continue reading Showcase your bird-inspired creative writing & artwork on Horus
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