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Home Articles written by Rosemary Drisdelle

Articles written by Rosemary Drisdelle

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How to Make a Bedbug Trap
In some bedbug infestations, the bugs are so rare that they are hard to detect. Anyone can make a bedbug trap to prove the bugs are there, and even remove some of them.
Bedbug Symptoms – Do Bedbugs Spread Disease?
Though many people don't react to bedbug bites, a rash may be the first obvious sign of a bedbug infestation. Fortunately, bedbugs don't spread diseases.
Great Blue Heron – Ardea herodias
The Great Blue Heron, often seen standing in shallow water, or hunting at a slow pace, is a common large bird of Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Herons – Shallow Water Wading Birds
Herons live and hunt anywhere where there's shallow water. Their beautiful plumage, feeding habits, and large rookeries make them conspicuous and familiar.
John James Audubon's Birds of America
Birds of America, a collection of 435 bird illustrations in seven volumes, was John James Audubon's finest work. It remains a classic in American Ornithology.
John James Audubon – Bird Artist
John James Audubon was a nineteenth century American with multiple talents. His greatest achievement was his book of bird artwork: Birds of America.
Golden Jade – Hornbill Ivory
Unique among hornbills, the Helmeted Hornbill has a casque of solid keratin called hornbill ivory, valued for carving jewelry and other small items.
Hornbills of Africa, Asia, and Indonesia
Like the familiar showy Great Hornbill, Ground Hornbill, and Rhinoceros Hornbill, most hornbills are black and white with bright bills, eyes, and skin patches.
Opisthorchis viverrini – Liver Fluke
Opisthorchis viverrini, common in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, comes from raw fish and causes many deaths from liver cancer in Southeast Asia.
Ruffs – Philomachus pugnax
The male Ruff is a memorable sight in full showy breeding plumage, competing for females at the lek. Ruffs are more commonly seen during migration when males are plainer.
Strongyloides stercoralis – Threadworm
The threadworm, Strongyloides stercoralis, is a persistent parasite in warm climates and a significant cause of potentially fatal parasitic disease.
All About Sandpipers, Familiar Shorebirds
Common wading birds of beaches, estuaries, mud flats, and other wet lands, members of the sandpiper family migrate long distances to breed in the north.
Bird Nests – How Do Birds Protect Them?
A bird's nest is meant to be a safe place for eggs and young. Adult birds use location, camouflage, design, odor, deception, and renewal to ward off various threats.
The Red-winged Blackbird – Agelaius phoeniceus
In North America, a black bird with red wings - or at least red patches on its wings - perched on a cattail and singing is a red-winged blackbird.
Wind Turbines and Bird Fatalities
We need to support renewable forms of energy like power generated by wind turbines, but can birds and wind power exist together? The evidence suggests they can.
Common Grackle – Quiscalus quiscula
The Common Grackle prefers open spaces and is frequently seen foraging on the ground. It looks black but has beautiful shades of colour when seen from the right angle.
Birds in Peru
Peru is home to about 1800 different bird species, and birders see hundreds of species in a single day. Varied habitat and climate support bird biodiversity.
Hand Feeding Wild Chickadees
Bird enthusiasts enjoy hand feeding backyard birds. In Canada and the United States, learning to hand feed wild chickadees is the easiest way to start.
Folklore of Seagulls – Myths and Old Stories
Old stories of seagulls are found in British folklore, Native American myth, and beliefs from various places in the northern hemisphere.
Gnathostoma spinigerum — Parasitic Worm
Gnathostoma spinigerum is a parasitic nematode of carnivores, especially dogs and cats, in Southeast Asia and Japan. It sometimes infects humans, causing gnathostomias.
Anisakis simplex and Anisakiasis
Anisakis simplex and a group of similar worms are the cause of numerous cases of food borne illness. It usually starts with eating raw ocean fish.
The History of Anisakiasis
Since the 1950s, it's emerged that herring worm, cod worm, and similar parasitic worms of marine mammals and fish cause a range of disease symptoms in humans.
The Life Cycle of Anisakis simplex
Anisakid worms have a complicated natural history that involves sea mammals, crustaceans and other small marine creatures, and fish.
The Mute Swan in History and Culture
The beautiful Mute Swan, a native to many parts of the world where today's civilizations developed, has had a significant impact on arts and culture.
Human Parasites in Raw Fish
Millions of people host parasites that they have acquired from eating raw fish. Rare in some countries, very common in others, some of these infections are dangerous
The European Starling in North America
European Starlings are highly adaptable birds of Eurasia that have been introduced in many countries - nowhere more successfully and regrettably than in North America.
What is a Tapeworm?
Adult tapeworms are fascinating hermaphrodites with no mouths. Most must first live in one or two other animals before they mature in a vertebrate intestine.
Woodpecker Conservation Status
Most woodpeckers are doing well, but some are endangered and many could face serious losses soon if we continue to destroy their mature forest habitat.
Sparganosis - Parasitic Zoonosis
The most familiar human tapeworms live in the intestine, but in sparganosis, the parasite lives in tissues and organs. The infection is rare, but it can be horrific.
Diphyllobothrium latum – Fish-borne Parasite
Diphyllobothrium latum persists because humans eat raw fish and contaminate water sources with sewage. The natural history of this fish-borne tapeworm is interesting.
Common Starlings in Europe
The Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, is native to Europe and Asia. Its relationship with people has helped it flourish, with both good and bad results.
Mute Swans in North America
Mute Swans were introduced to North America. Their growing population and spread causes problems for the environment and native species of the Atlantic Flyway.
Mute Swans – Large Waterfowl
Mute swans are wild waterfowl in Europe and Asia, domesticated in many parts of the world, and feral in North America. Globally, they are doing well.
Pileated Woodpecker
Possibly the largest of North American woodpeckers, the Pileated Woodpecker relies on forests with large dead trees and lots of insects, especially carpenter ants.
The Great Spotted Woodpecker of the Old World
The Great Spotted Woodpecker lives in much of the northern hemisphere, except in North America, and still thrives despite human activities throughout its range.
Parasitology 101 – Words That Describe Parasites
Reading about parasites can be confusing because of all the specialized words that scientists use. This brief parasitology glossary can help.
About Woodpeckers, Flickers, and Sapsuckers
Birds that belong to the woodpecker family, Picidae, include woodpeckers, flickers, and sapsuckers, as well as species in two subfamilies, the piculets and wrynecks.
Angiostrongylus vasorum – French Heartworm
The roundworm Angiostrongylus vasorum infects members of the dog family in isolated places around the world. Dogs suffer chronic illness and sometimes death.
European Starling Nests
The European Starling (or Common Starling), introduced to North America, nests in cavities including holes in man made structures. Many people try to keep starlings away.
Rat Lungworm – Angiostrongylus cantonensis
The rat lungworm is a natural parasite of rats in warm climates, but when it accidentally infects humans it can cause serious disease and even death.
All About Seagulls - Gulls and Kittiwakes
Gulls live all around the world, particularly in the northern hemisphere. Species differ but have similar behavior and diet, as well as nesting and roosting habits.
Black-headed Gull – Common Bird of Eurasia
Though it's one of the seagulls, the Black-headed Gull doesn't go to sea: it prefers shallow waters and gentle coastlines, and tolerates humans. Most live in Europe.
Interesting Facts About Pinworm
Scientists have discovered a number of interesting facts about pinworm infection, as well as the life cycle, close relatives, and history of Enterobius vermicularis.
Pinworm – A Common Intestinal Worm in Children
Infecting 400 million people, pinworm is the most common nematode parasite of humans in many places. It owes its success largely to the simplicity of its life cycle.
Herring Gulls – The Most Common Sea Gull
The Herring Gull is the most familiar gull because it does well wherever there are people. For the same reason, it has increased to unnaturally high populations globally.
How Do Birds Get Their Names?
Each kind of bird has a scientific, or Latin, name and one or more common names. Understanding scientific names helps us refer to birds and be understood everywhere.
The History of Hookworms and Hookworm Disease
Hookworms have infected human intestines since prehistoric times. It's only in the last two centuries that humans have discovered and come to understand them better.
The Newfoundland Murre Hunt
The aboriginal people and settlers of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Greenland, have hunted murres for food for generations. Now the birds need conservation.
Hookworm Infection in Humans
Two species of hookworms infect humans in warm climates, causing mild to serious disease. More than a billion people have these worms.
The Thick-billed Murre, Arctic Auk
The Thick-billed Murre, among the birds commonly referred to as auks, is a common northern sea bird - it swims well and breeds in large colonies.
Common Murre – The Turre, or Guillemot
The Common Murre fishes on northern continental shelves and breeds on steep cliffs and flat islands. A weak flyer and awkward on land, the Turre excels at swimming.
Magellanic Penguins – Warm Water Species
It's still relatively easy to see Magellanic Penguins in the wild because they are common, they live in warmer water, and they breed in places that are easy to get to.
Parasites and the "Hygiene Hypothesis"
New scientific evidence that parasitic worms help protect against disease challenges Western beliefs that parasites are invariably bad for human health.
National Pigeon Day in New York
Lots of people dislike pigeons but these gentle birds, urban companions to people for generations, don't deserve their reputation as pests and disease carriers.
Human Head and Body Lice in History
From the time the first louse bit a human being, we've put up with them, misunderstood them, hated, them, and used them. They've affected us in return.
The 1916 Migratory Bird Convention
In 1916 the United States and Canada agreed to enact legislation to prevent migratory birds from being hunted and harvested to extinction.
A New Cure for Head Lice
Biologist Dale Clayton discovered that lice can't survive hot dry conditions and subsequently invented a new safe and effective treatment for head louse infestations.
Bird Irruptions – Causes and Features
Bird irruptions are the focus of inquiry and research for ornithologists. They're also a source of delight to birders, who see different species in irruption years.
Owl Pellets - The Story of What Owls Eat
Scientists and birders learn a lot from owl pellets-undigested food regurgitated by roosting owls after they have eaten and digested prey.
The Beef Tapeworm and the Human Host
The beef tapeworm has been with humanity a long time - long enough to inspire a collection of stranger-than-fiction facts and peculiar misunderstandings.
Beef Tapeworm – Large Cestode of Humans
Wherever meat inspection fails and people enjoy eating rare or raw beef, the beef tapeworm finds a home in the human intestine. Luckily, it causes few health problems.
How to Find an Owl - Roosts, Pellets, and Calls
Owls are popular birds but among the hardest to see because most are active at night. With a little skill and patience, birders find these elusive raptors.
Rubber Duckies and Ocean Science
When a container full of rubber ducks, turtles, beavers, and frogs fell off a ship in the Pacific, it was the surprise start to a long term study of ocean currents.
Wood Duck – Beautiful Waterfowl
The Wood Duck is a strikingly beautiful bird, long a favorite of bird watchers, hunters, collectors and fishermen. The species is interesting in other ways as well.
Birds of Chile – Where to See Them
Birders find Chile a wonderful place to visit because of its wide range of ecosystems and easy-to-spot spectacular birds. Chile has five distinct birding areas.
Spotted Owl - Declining Bird of Prey
The Spotted Owl lies at the center of conservation debates because it requires large tracts of old-growth forest to find mates, nest, and hunt for food.
Barrow's Goldeneye – Diving Duck
The Barrow's Goldeneye is not rare, but it has a limited range and prefers cold water. Residents of northern North American seacoasts may see this bird in winter.
Bald Eagles in Winter
Bald Eagles usually breed in rugged remote areas, but in the winter they gather further south, making winter a good time to look for eagles in North America.
How Do Birds' Lungs Work?
Unlike human lungs, a bird's lungs supply a constant flow of oxygenated air by routing incoming air through an arrangement of air sacs.
What is an Endemic Bird Area?
BirdLife International identifies 218 endemic bird areas where it's particularly important to focus on conservation of birds, habitat, and biodiversity.
Birds of Panama
The range of different habitats, tropical climate, and unique position as a land link between two continents makes Panama a wonderful destination for birders.
Baltimore Oriole, a Bird With History
Exclusive to the Americas, the Baltimore Oriole has long been a welcome summer visitor to parks, forest edges, and garden feeders over much of the temperate north.
Go Winter Birding, Find New Birds
When the weather gets cold, it's still worth getting out to look for birds. In the winter you'll see different behavior, and species that aren't around in summer.
Crow Roosts – Huge Flocks of Crows
Thousands of crows gathering together in stands of trees are an incredible sight. These days, crow roosts are common in cities; they inspire both wonder and irritation.
Two Turtle Doves
"On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me..." Millennia of tradition and symbolism lie behind the gift of two Turtle Doves.
Seven Swans a-Swimming
In the famous Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas," the seventh day brings seven swans a-swimming. What's so special about swans?
Eurasian Robin—A Christmas Symbol
Robin Redbreast frequents gardens, hedges, and woods in England, Continental Europe, and Asia all round the year and has long been associated with winter and Christmas.
Decorate a Christmas Tree for Birds
At Christmas, when it's cold in the north and deep snow may make it hard for wild animals to find food, decorate a bird's Christmas tree.
How to Get the Most Out of Bird Watching
There's a right and a wrong way to approach birding. Good preparation, a sense of timing, mindful behavior, and birding ethics make a big difference.
How to Identify Birds – Using a Field Guide
Every serious birder has a favorite field guide and knows how to use it to make quick and accurate bird identifications in the field. It's an easy skill to learn.
How to be a Bird Watcher – the Gear
Equipment for the serious bird watcher includes binoculars, a bird guide, a notebook, a bird call, check lists, and a life list.
How to Identify a Bird – Advice for Beginners
Every experienced birder has a practiced method for bird identification. The experts offer good step by step advice for the rest of us.
How to Attract Wild Birds to Your Yard
The way to attract birds to your yard is to provide them with everything they need: food and water, shelter from weather and predators, a place to nest, a dust bath.
Passenger Pigeons, Ectopistes migratorius
Once, there were so many Passenger Pigeons that they may have been the most numerous bird ever to fly. By the early 1900s they were all gone. We killed them.
Raccoon Roundworm Life Cycle
Baylisascaris procyonis lives in the intestines of raccoons, but causes serious disease by invading the tissues of many other animals including humans.
Baylisascaris procyonis – Raccoon Parasite
Raccoon roundworm infection is common and usually harmless in raccoons but serious in other hosts. Most human cases are seen in children; many are fatal.
Birds for Halloween
Like other creatures, some birds have earned a place in Halloween tradition and decoration, including black crows and ravens, gruesome vultures, and scary barn owls.
Vultures - Spooky Birds for Halloween
Large birds that eat carrion, vultures have been reviled for centuries. They're connected to death, bad luck, and Hell. Look for them at Halloween.
Ravens and Crows – Halloween Symbols
Ravens and crows are the subject of unpleasant folklore and superstition in many countries. Black plumage and repelling habits make them perfect Halloween symbols.
Barn Owl – One of Our Halloween Birds
Because if its appearance, hunting habits, and roosting sites, the Barn Owl gives people a fright. It turns up in superstition, and in ghost and Halloween stories
All About Homing Pigeons
Pigeons have a natural ability to return to their birth place. Homing pigeons have been specially bred to enhance this ability for use as messengers.
Roosters and Hens – All About Domestic Chickens
Chickens are the world's most common domestic bird, outnumbering humans four to one, but how much do most people really know about them?
Bird Migration Patterns
Bird migration takes birds to habitats that support their survival and/or reproductive success. But migration routes and patterns differ widely.
Where to See Baby Pigeons
People often wonder why they never see baby pigeons, but the answers are simple: nests are inaccessible, and young pigeons look like adults when they fledge.
An Avian Migration Glossary
The study of bird migration has a vocabulary used to refer to characteristics, behavior, and habitats of migrating birds. These terms have specific meanings.
Cher Ami and the Lost Battalion
Cher Ami was one of hundreds of homing pigeons used by American forces in France during World War I. A war hero, he saved what remained of the 77th Infantry Division.
Myths and Legends of Bird Migration
Centuries ago, people noticed that birds disappeared in winter. They came up with explanations that are amusing, intuitive, and curiously apt.
Birds Know When to Migrate
Changes in light exposure and seasonal temperature swings cause migratory birds to embark on the journey to their spring breeding grounds.
Why Do Birds Migrate?
The reasons why so many species of birds migrate are hidden in prehistoric times. Then, as now, climate, geography, and competition all played a part.
White-tailed Sea Eagle
Like many raptors, the White-tailed Eagle has been persecuted, but today it's thriving in the wild and its conservation status has risen to "Least Concern."
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