Does that mean their names are Earthquake & Tsunami?  ???

I had the same question, Donna. I know a lot of people don't really care that much about human names for birds.

Who'd have ever guessed that Quest would have her own show on Bodice-Ripper Central?

I know!  Too funny Dale!  I think you should come up with a Harlequin cover staring Quest and Kendal. Hahahaha!     Just kidding!

it may be possible to just use a photo for that cover ... if you can get one closer up than this.
She doesn't come out with her harness showing very often!

there's another thread for Marcia's birthday over in OT, for some reason.
Could someone merge them? thanks!

that's pretty funny. "AAAAaaaaaaaaaa....."
thanks, Shaky.

That's great, Carol!
Who'd have ever guessed that Quest would have her own show on Bodice-Ripper Central?
EXCELLENT! Thanks so much to all who contributed to this effort!

have a good day, Marcia

!!! New Male at Canada Square and Weekend Tragedy for a Peregrine Named Irving; Black over Green B/44
May 25, 2011 - Toronto - Canada Square Building - Yonge and Eglinton

Thanks for this, Kris - when I read your post I notified Mary at the Field Museum; turns out she hadn't heard about it.

If there are any members of this board who have lost a friend or loved one who was serving in the military, please accept my condolences on your loss; I have you in my thoughts.

so this little one is on his own--know anything about parents? or is this
just brood and leave parenting

I don't know all that much, but I was told in NZ that after the chick hatches (it is entirely incubated by the male), the male wanders off to forage and the chick just follows and learns by imitating. It's very minimal parenting. Making that one huge egg and hatching it utterly depletes the respective adult kiwis, so I guess their job's almost done at hatching. There's good info about these astounding creatures on the internet. They're very unusual birds.

No surprise that they lay only one egg! 

for several reasons (see picture). No more would fit in.

It IS a cute little critter - love the beak!  I wonder why they are kept in the dark?  I also wonder why human hands are all over them with no fear?

I'm not a specialist at all, but I do know that they're nocturnal, flightless birds that live in the underbrush and are extremely endangered (I heard them screaming to each other in the middle of the night while I was on a trek on the south island).  NZ programs are breeding and releasing kiwi to try to get the pop. back up. Kiwi lay only one egg a year -- the hatchlings get virtually no protection or nurturing after birth from their parents, they're pretty much on their own (these evolved in the utter absence of any predators, notably mammals - the arrival of stoats and dogs and the like almost did them all in). The human breeders must pose no threat - they get the birds off to a strong start and release them.

The wikipedia article on kiwi is a nice intro. "The kiwi lays the biggest egg in proportion to its size of any bird in the world, so even though the kiwi is about the size of a domestic chicken, it is able to lay eggs that are about six times the size of a chicken's egg."

awww. 2007 Uptown bird. Darn.

evanston chicks after a feeding. man, is that window pooped up.

http://tinyurl.com/449m5td

the site of the center where it hatched in NZ and more pictures:
http://www.mtbruce.org.nz/

excellent video: Manukura - the little white kiwi.

Will be thinking about you, Nora - I hope it goes smoothly and as painlessly as possible!!