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James Crugnale

@jamescrugnale.bsky.social

180 followers 430 following 63 posts

Love writing about climate, cool new discoveries & mysteries of the planet. Huge bird nerd.

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Mar 11

I got to write about the mysterious orange snowy owl spotted in Michigan's thumb for @nytimes.com! Was it a genetic mutation? Did it get drenched in de-icer at a local airport? I talked to some experts! (A big thanks to my editor
@michaelroston.bsky.social) www.nytimes.com/2025/03/11/s...

Orange Alert: What Caused the Colors on This Snowy Owl? (Gift Article)

Bird watchers along Lake Huron photographed the bird, which has been nicknamed Rusty and Creamsicle. But there is no consensus about what caused its unusual tint.

www.nytimes.com

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · 9d

Never forget Mark Slutsky’s Sad YouTube blog www.buzzfeednews.com/article/mark...

Sad YouTube: The Lost Treasures Of The Internet's Greatest Cesspool

"I would like to send you a memory." Buried deep within the internet's most notorious comment section lies a treasure trove of personal stories that prove the power of pop music better than any video ...

www.buzzfeednews.com

Reposted by James Crugnale

Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · Aug 29

Most-viewed Guardian articles last night. Editors shouldn’t think that the public doesn’t want to know more about climate change.
Or about ocean science 🌊!
Read the article about our paper: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Aug 9

No worries, everyone knew what you meant! 🥹

James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Aug 9

Wonderful tribute! He was an extraordinary man, and he still was jumping over fences in his 90s! I hope his conservation efforts get taught about in Idaho schools 🐦

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Reposted by James Crugnale

IdahoLark @idaholark.bsky.social · Jul 23

Not a surprise but it still made me sad to learn that Al Larson, Idaho’s “Bluebird Man,” has taken wing. Al Larson, champion of bluebirds and the resson behind the numerous “bluebird trails” of nest boxes in southerst Idaho, was 103 www.ktvb.com

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Aug 8

Sad to hear of the passing of Al Larson. I was lucky to interview him for @audubon.org a few years back. Back then, he was a sprightly 96-year-old who had dedicated the last 40 years of his life to saving North American bluebirds. He built and monitored 350 nest boxes all across southeast Idaho. 🐦

Meet the 96-Year-Old Man Who Turned Southern Idaho Into a Bluebird Haven

Al Larson has spent four decades building hundreds of nest boxes for Western and Mountain Bluebirds. Now these homes and their inhabitants are facing the test of climate change.

www.audubon.org

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Aug 8

I hear you, Jason. In their press release announcing the expanded rollout of these, Amazon said they would work with NYC DOT to install protected bike corrals for them. Some couriers haven’t made the best decisions in where to park them but TBF they aren’t as obtrusive as a full scale UPS truck

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Aug 8

Thanks Dan!

James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Aug 7

Love Johnny Fever, great job Jon!

Reposted by James Crugnale

Streetsblog NYC @nyc.streetsblog.org · Aug 5

“At the end of the day, what these [cargo e-bikes] mean is one less combustion engine on the road, one less truck stopped or blocking a bike lane, and one less 10,000-plus pound truck being let loose on a city street to further endanger pedestrians and cyclists.”

OPINION: Actually, Amazon’s Cargo E-Bikes are Good! - Streetsblog New York City

Amazon’s e-cargo bikes alleviate the need for delivery vans and reduce traffic collisions. They also look rad.

buff.ly

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Aug 5

I wrote my first opinion piece for @nyc.streetsblog.org! Those Amazon cargo e-bikes that have taken NYC by storm are actually good! nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/08/05/o...

OPINION: Actually, Amazon’s Cargo E-Bikes are Good! - Streetsblog New York City

Amazon’s e-cargo bikes alleviate the need for delivery vans and reduce traffic collisions. They also look rad.

nyc.streetsblog.org

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Aug 1

Where can you get the Sickos pocket tee?

James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Jun 11

This scene from "Roger & Me" with The Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is one the most powerful things I've ever seen in a movie. I hope Brian Wilson knew how much his music meant to everyone. h/t @mmflint.bsky.social

Reposted by James Crugnale

Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · Jun 2

"Even if Colossal had managed to reproduce the dire-wolf genome, that would be very different from reproducing a world in which a vanished creature might thrive." Extinction is not something you can ctrl+Z

By @brookejarvis.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/07/m...

There’s No ‘Undo’ Button for Extinct Species

www.nytimes.com

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · May 30

Hey Tuan! Did you hack an old Game Boy and make it a speedometer??

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · May 21

It’s as if Clippy became sentient

James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Apr 29

Hey Alicia! The voice you hear in the background is Kor Skeete—from Season 1, Episode 1—who was hosting a pre-show trivia round. This video got taken around the time Nathan first arrived but I don’t remember the context of the booing. I think it was something related to one of the trivia questions

James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Apr 28

New York City is a place where you can go see the latest episode of the HBO’s The Rehearsal at the Alligator Lounge, get a free t-shirt, make some new friends and have Nathan Fielder just casually stroll in

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Apr 24

Foodswings on Grand Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn was this vegan junk food joint where the staff had the most punk rock aesthetic and they mastered the most amazing fake spicy hot "chicken" wings. RIP

A plate with a bowl of macaroni and cheese and three vegan chicken drumsticks with different colors indicating the various sauce options

James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Apr 9

It is such a fun show and I love that the protagonist is obsessed with birds www.audubon.org/magazine/beh...

Behind the (Birding) Scenes on the Show ‘The Residence’

Bird expert Kenn Kaufman shares his experience as a consultant for the birdy new Netflix series.

www.audubon.org

James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Apr 8

Klaudia! I highly recommend checking out @sill.social, it’s this very useful news link aggregator techcrunch.com/2024/11/25/s...

Sill's new app rounds up the best links from your Bluesky and Mastodon networks | TechCrunch

Want to keep up with what everyone's talking about on alternative social media sites like Bluesky and Mastodon, but don't have time to constantly scroll

techcrunch.com

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Mar 25

Have you ever had to wait for a bus and there wasn't anywhere to sit down? These activists in the Bay Area decided to do something about! They installed 77 benches in the SFBA

I profiled the SFBA Bench Collective for @sfgate.com w/ input from @carterlavin.bsky.social
www.sfgate.com/local/articl...

Guerrilla activists are remaking Bay Area transit stops on their own

Volunteers in the East Bay are building DIY bus benches to fill transit gaps, urging cities to take action for better public seating and accessibility.

www.sfgate.com

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Reposted by James Crugnale

David Ho @davidho.bsky.social · Mar 21

You want to see an octopus riding a shark.

🎥: University of Auckland

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/s...

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James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Mar 17

Oh wow! That’s an interesting question! You mean from the owl laying on it? I can ask if that’s plausible to some of my experts

James Crugnale @jamescrugnale.bsky.social · Mar 14

This is the most asked question from my story. Unlikely according to Dr. McGraw from MSU:

To me, it is highly unlikely that a shift in diet, such as a pulse of carotenoids consumed by the bird, would be responsible for this coloration. Owls don’t deposit carotenoids in plumage (just in bare parts like legs and bill), and even very high doses of ingested carotenoids should not create the create spatial distribution of color that you see in this bird’s feathers. For comparison, gulls or terns (another bird group where carotenoids are lacking from feathers) thought to ingest high carotenoid doses flush a light pink across much of their white plumage.

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