Category Archives: Netherlands

Transvestite Bird With Homosexual Behavior Discovered

In an article to be published in the scientific journal Biology Letters, two Dutch experts claim to have discovered a bird species with three different types of male manifestations. The newly identified third type of male ruff (Philomachus pugnax) differs from others genetically as well as behaviorally. The discovery was made by bird expert Joop Jukema, who co-wrote the Biology Letters article with Theunis Piersma of the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.

The ruff, a type of sandpiper, has been nearly wiped out of the Netherlands as a resident bird due to an inability to compete with modern farming methods. In the spring and fall, however, the birds are found in the Netherlands in great numbers as they migrate between their winter homes in western Africa to their summer residences in Scandinavia and Siberia.

Known as kemphanen in Dutch, the ruff was already known to have two types of male examples. The initial discovery was made fifty years ago by the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. One male type was the “baseman”, who would defend a small territory against other basemen. The other type was the “satellite”, which defends no area but lives among and is tolerated by the basemen. The satellites are recognized by their white crown and collar. Basemen come in different color combinations.

Female ruffs, who are uniformly brown in color with no distinguishing markings, choose their mating partners, and they may choose one or more in a season. Basemen and satellites are equally popular among females.

The newly-discovered third male type is much smaller than basemen and satellites, but larger than females. It wears an inconspicuous brown coloring without any distinguishable crown or collar. And they only make up 1-2% of the population. Until their discovery, they were assumed to be females. The discoverers have named the type “faren”, an old Frisian word for patriarch, because they suspect that the birds may embody the original male of the species.

The faren not only resemble females, but also in some ways behave like them. In fact, they show interest in the basemen and frequently mate with them. Only one time has one been observed mating with a female. The experts speculate that the faren mate with the females secretly.

Since the testicles of the faren are at times larger than those of the basemen, researches speculate that the faren mate with the basemen and satellites in order to increase the basemen and satellites’ sperm count during the mating season.

Source: Travestieten met homoseksueel gedrag ontdekt bij kemphaan Transvestite with homosexual behavior discovered in the ruff

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Illegal trade in birds flourishes in Netherlands

Trade in protected birds flourishes in the Netherlands. According to a spokesperson from the animal protection group Dierenbescherming, the illegal trade is a new trend. In 2005 a total of 663 protected birds were confiscated. In 2002, the number was just 54.

In mid-December another animal protection group found 51 protected birds which were being kept illegally in personal aviaries in the southern town of Eersel. Among the birds confiscated were field larks and hedge sparrows. The perpetrator was already known to the agency as an illegal trader of wild birds.

The fine for holding such protected birds is EUR 44 per bird. On the black market, the birds are worth EUR 10 to EUR 75.

Source: Handel beschermde vogels floreert Trade of protected birds flourishes

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Find Of Rare Extinct Bird Bones Announced In Leiden

On Friday scientists announced a find of 700 bones of the extinct Dodo bird on the island of Mauritius. The announcement was made at Naturalis in Leiden, the Netherlands. The bones are estimated to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old. The cache will be on display at the museum until 8 January 2006. The last Dodo bird was killed on the island probably sometime before 1700.

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Huge Fire In Netherlands Bird Park

A fire broke out early Saturday morning in the bird park Avifauna in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. The cause of the fire was unknown. The fire claimed the lives of approximately 20 birds, according to police. Surviving birds have been moved to temporary housing. Among the dead were parakeets and cockatoos.

Source: Grote brand in vogelpark Avifauna

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R.I.P. Domino Sparrow

Yesterday the frozen body of the “domino sparrow” arrived at her final resting place, the Rotterdam Nature Museum. The sparrow, a female, was shot dead on 14 November after knocking over some dominoes prior to Domino Day. The sparrow will eventually be displayed at the museum in part of a larger exhibit on sparrows.

Sources:

Dead Domino Sparrow, Metro 16 Dec 2005
Metro, 16 December 2005

Domino Sparrow Given to Musuem
Sp!ts, 16 December 2005

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Zoo Birds Inoculated Against Bird Flu

There’s a flu-shot shortage in the U.S. and here in Holland people have to jump through hoops if they want one. But a zoo in Rotterdam is doing something to protect a group even more at risk. Rotterdam Zoo “Blijdorp” has become the first zoo in Europe to vaccinate resident birds against bird flu. Penguins, flamingos and even the ducks in the ponds have been injected as prevention against the virus.

Zoos in so-called “high-risk areas”, where many migratory birds visit, should protect their birds against the flu via vaccinations or isolation of the zoo birds. Blijdorp is not in a “high-risk area” but did the vaccinations as a safety precaution.

The vaccinations were given as a preventative measure before the migration season in spring 2006. There is a chance that migratory birds from Africa will bring the virus with them when they start returning to the Netherlands as early as February. With this immunization the zookeepers hope that their in-house birds will build up a resistance to the virus.

The vaccinations have two parts. The first shots were administered on Tuesday and a follow up shot will be given in six weeks. After that the birds should be flu-resistant for a year.

The veterinarians had difficulty injecting the ostriches. They were so strong that it took four persons to hold the birds down in order to administer the shot.

Penguin gets pricked in Rotterdam zoo

Originally posted on wolfstad.

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