Bringin' in the birds - mother's nature - bird feeding
Mother Earth News - February 1, 2004, by Terry Krautwurst
Whoever came up with the expression "eats like a bird" to describe someone with an eensy appetite never watched wild birds in winter. Although feathers do a fine job of insulating a small bird's body from cold, food is the fuel that stokes its inner fires, keeping its metabolism generating crucia... (Read More)

History - Short Story
Harper's Magazine - February 1, 2004, by Nadine Gordimer
The parrot's been thirty years an attraction in this restaurant, but of course nobody knows how old it is. A parrot can live for a century, it's said--probably an old seafarer's tale; didn't thee birds used to be sailors' companions on ancient lonely voyages? They were brought to Europe from Afri... (Read More)

Paper mulch - Country lore: readers' tips to live by - Brief Article
Mother Earth News - February 1, 2004, by Carol Ahrens
I grew tired of junk mail and other paper cluttering my office, so I bought a shredder, shredded most of the paper and put it in the garden for mulch. When watered down, it makes a great mulch and has an added benefit: The birds love the shredded paper for neat building. Shortly after putting out... (Read More)

Bird deaths linked to vet-drug residues - Vanishing vultures
Science News - January 31, 2004, by S. Milius
The recent puzzling crash in vulture populations in Pakistan turns out not to be some new bird plague, as conservationists had first suspected. Instead, birds eating livestock carcasses are dying in response to consuming a veterinary drug, says an international research team. Three species of v... (Read More)

Pest control firm targets the birds - Brief Article
Real Estate Weekly - January 28, 2004
Bell-Environmental Services a New Jersey-based pest elimination company that has patented a method to completely rid a building of birds inexpensively--has announced the launch of www.birdcleanup.com. The new website gives a detailed description about the health hazards bird droppings pose to m... (Read More)

Big bird - US annual consumption of turkey - what's hot
DSN Retailing Today - January 26, 2004
While other foods go through spasms as American food fads shift, turkey has been making steady progress from a once- or twice-a-year dish to an everyday meal. With consumption up 113% since 1975, Americans eat about 17.7 pounds of turkey per person annually, according to the National Turkey Feder... (Read More)

Spix's Macaw: the Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird - Brief Article - Excerpt
Science News - January 24, 2004
The brilliant-blue Spix's macaw is an icon of endangered species. The threats to it have come in the form of human greed, deforestation, and politics. As of late last century, the few remaining birds fetched up to $40,000 each on the black market. Gram for gram, that's more expensive than heroin ... (Read More)

Newcastle vaccine shows promise
Southwest Farm Press - January 15, 2004
A new approach to experimental vaccines that combat exotic Newcastle disease (END) in poultry flocks has been developed by USDA scientists. END is a contagious and fatal viral disease that affects most species of birds and kills almost all unvaccinated birds within days. Microbiologist Darrell ... (Read More)