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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

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Defector

You DID Hear It From Us: There's Normal Gossip Merch

NEW NORMAL GOSSIP MERCH!

Merch v3

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Kelsey McKinney

Flaco, a brown and black Eurasian eagle owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo, roosts in a tree in New York's Central Park with a squirrel nearby.

Flaco, an escaped Eagle owl, remains in Central Park

Animals

Flaco Gave Us A Willingness To See The World

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<div class="p-rich_text_section">Tom Scocca is the editor of <a href="https://indignity.substack.com/">Indignity</a>, a subscription-supported newsletter of news, essays, and commentary.</div>
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Tom Scocca

A male blue jay, perched on a branch with green foliage in the fore- and background.

Blue Jay

Margin Of Error

The Omens Are Bad

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Barry Petchesky

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 15: Flaco, a Eurasian eagle owl that escaped from the Central Park Zoo, continues to roost and hunt in Central Park, February 15, 2023 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)

Birdfector

Flaco Has Flown Free


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Typing

Sabrina Imbler

LAKE FOREST, CA - JULY 16: Dr. Scott Weldy of the Orange County Bird of Prey Center holds a Cooper"u2019s hawk just prior to releasing it near Lake Forest on Thursday, July 16, 2020. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Bird Of Prey Release

North American Birds Will No Longer Be Named After People

A pigeon looks in the photographer's camera in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on November 17, 2016. / AFP / dpa / Frank Rumpenhorst / Germany OUT (Photo credit should read FRANK RUMPENHORST/DPA/AFP via Getty Images)

GERMANY-ANIMALS-PIGEON

Birds Are More Like Us Than You Think, Olivia Rodrigo

a magpie nest in a tree. the nest is built from a bunch of anti-bird spikes, which are long spiky needles attached to strips.

Magpie nest, Antwerp (BE), photo Auke-Florian Hiemstra

There’s No Such Thing As Hostile Architecture When You’re A Bird

birds

This Is A Public Service Announcement For Every Bird


<p>Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell. </p>


Dan McQuade in front of a march madness basketball court

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Dan McQuade

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MAY 13: Starting pitcher Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks gestures at home plate umpire Ramon De Jesus #18 during the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on May 13, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona.

zac-gallen

Zac Gallen Is Now An Enemy Of The Birds

Wisdom the Laysan Albatross resting on her nest

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Wisdom The Laysan Albatross Is The Most Beautiful 71-Year-Old In The World

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Patrick Redford

WOLLOGONG, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 19: Detailed view of birds perched on a railing during the 95th UCI Road World Championships 2022 - Men U23 Individual Time Trial a 28,8km / #Wollongong2022 / on September 19, 2022 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images)

95th UCI Road World Championships 2022 – Men U23 Individual Time Trial

Cycling

The Winner Of The Cycling World Championships Is: Birds

A pigeon nest comprising of a single stick and egg on top of a bed.

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Why Do Pigeon Nests Look So Shitty? An Investigation

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Albert Burneko

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Some Tips For Having A Successful Birdbath

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Lauren Theisen

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Rally Bird Thwarted By Phillies Bullpen

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Creaturefector

Welcome To Creaturefector!

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Chris Thompson

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Put Out A Nest Box For Your Neighborhood’s Horny Birds

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A Soothing Interview With A Master Of Slow-Motion Bird Videos

Let’s Make Some Pumpkin Bird Feeders To Conquer Waste And Shame

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Tom Ley

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God, I Wish That Were Me

Caitlin Schneider

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State Birds, Ranked

Arizona Diamondbacks starter Randy Johnson pitches against the Florida Marlins during the second inning 23 April 2001 in Phoenix. AFP Photo/Mike FIALA (Photo by Mike FIALA / AFP) (Photo by MIKE FIALA/AFP via Getty Images)

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Randy Johnson Killing That Bird Deserves An Asterisk

<p>Matt Ufford is the director of livestream shows at ESPN.</p>


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Matt Ufford

A Tufted Titmouse stands on a branch as Robert DeCandido also known as "Birding Bob" leads a group of bird watchers during a tour in Central Park, New York on November 29, 2020. - On a recent sunny morning in New York a few dozen people gathered in Central Park's wooded Ramble area with a common goal: zero in on an elusive owl. Autumn leaves crunch under their shoes as "Birding Bob" -- a guide who has been organizing birdwatching tours in the park for more than three decades, with interest jumping since the coronavirus pandemic hit the city in March -- leads them along winding paths. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

US-HEALTH-VIRUS-LIFESTYLE-NEWYORK-BIRDS

A Bird Idiot’s Guide To Birding

A tomtit and a sparrow feed from a bird feeder in a park in Moscow on January 31, 2019. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)

RUSSIA-BIRD-FEATURE

A Suggestion For Bird Feeding

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Joe The Pigeon Will Live

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The Great Outdoors

Here Are Some Birds That We Like

Now Is The Time To Befriend The Birds, By Feeding Them