10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2017

Many sad and unfortunate things occurred in 2016, but the birding was good. I started the year in Florida, traveled to India with the ABA in February, combined family and birding in an August trip to California, and in-between saw very good birds in New York and New Jersey. I think this might be my best bird of 2016.

2016 109

2016 India Ducks Costa Rica 109

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2021

The most common one, Manila tamarind, is wildly inaccurate, since the tree is native to southwestern Mexico, not Manila, and its only connection to tamarind trees is that both are in different subfamilies of the huge legume family. What I didn’t realize, at the time, was that this pulp is also enjoyed by many bird species.

2020 274

2020 Mexico 2016 California 274

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2022

So, the basic idea is to show 15 species of Australian birds in each post and give you the usual trivia about them. All photos were taken in Australia in December 2016 – locations included Brisbane and surroundings, Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Melbourne, and the coast near Melbourne. Admittedly, it is mostly grey.

Australia 184

Australia Koalas Parrots Birds 184

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2021

A brief personal digression: I moved back into the house I grew up in back in 2014, my parents vacated at the end of 2016. With that logic those trees, if left to grow, should produce something of use to at least one or two species of birds. Of course, various species of bats as well. A Yellow-crowned Parrot digs in.

Opossums 264

Opossums Barn Owls Reptiles Hunting 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2017

I saw Painted Wolves again, my favourite species ever. In particular they evoke the New Hampshire lake my extended family descends upon each summer and has done so from before I was born. The Orange-fronted Parakeet is a critically endangered species that I came agonisingly close to seeing but didn’t. I went to Ethiopia.

United Arab Emirates 100

United Arab Emirates Ethiopia 2016 Singapore 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2016

For the sake of family peace, I left my bins at home, which meant that the tastiest species I could put a name to was Dark-eyed Junco , which I’ll be seeing a ton of over the coming months. Based on social media, I’d say a whole lot. Corey had an easy choice for his Best Bird of the Weekend.

2016 124

2016 Birds Owls Family 124

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2017

Way back in the days when blog posts still got a lot of comments, I wrote a piece on why field guides that arrange species in a more or less strict taxonomic order regularly frustrate me. Taxonomy is constantly changing and so does the order of species in field guides. van Balen, N. Brickle & F. It was a nightmarish thing to do.

Brunei 153

Brunei 2009 2014 2016 153

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

Covering 1,261 species with data and taxonomy current up to August 2017, the field guide is an exciting achievement. And, then there are the more familiar birds–Wood-warblers, sandpipers, hawks–some species migrants, some species with a wide range. Can you guess which of the species cited above are endemic?

America 213

America El Salvador Costa Rica Honduras 213

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

One of these days, Jeopardy will feature a category called “Field Guides” and the first clue will be: “This landlocked South American country finally got its own bird field guide in 2016, but it wasn’t available in the United State until 2019.” That’s pretty amazing–Bolivia has more bird species than India!

Bolivia 171

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 171

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2016

I noticed plenty of species I hadn’t seen all winter, but was most surprised by an energetic Northern Mockingbird. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was either of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers that he saw at the Ramshorn Livingston Sanctuary in Catskill, New York, while he was on a walk with his family. How about you?

2016 100

2016 Sanctuary Woodpeckers New York 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2017

For the last several years, I have produced a small run of calendars for my fiends and family. The ones that will be in the calendar, the elite 12 are selected by not only the quality of the image, but most colorful, most unique, and in the case of a couple of birds cut out this year, species that appeared in last years Calendar.

2017 123

2017 Culling 2016 Mexico 123

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2018

I have observed this species many times (my eBird says 28 times this year alone) and never had one landing near me. Before (May 2016, by Zeljko Stanimirovic)…. Cover photo : Made at the same place and time of the year, I observed this young White-tailed Eagle coming from the same nest in 2016.

Eagles 169

Eagles Otters Serbia 2016 169

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

A logical and outstanding successor to The Genius of Birds (2016), Ackerman’s award-winning book about bird cognition, The Bird Way explores the diversity of bird behavior, the norm and the extremes, with an emphasis on cutting-edge research and findings that explode assumptions. It’s fascinating stuff.

Science 220

Science Costa Rica Birds Research 220

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2017

The year 2016 is done and gone and 2017 beckons us onward, bright and new and shiny, hopefully full of birds. I had a bunch of birds to choose from this weekend as I spent the afternoon hiking upstate with the family and all morning on Sunday building up my new year list.

2017 124

2017 2016 New York Birds 124

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2016

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Northern Central America covers 827 species, including resident, migratory, and common vagrant birds. The end result is that the whole “biographic” area (NCA plus southern Mexico and northern Nicaragua) is home to 41 endemic bird species.

El Salvador 231

El Salvador America Costa Rica Honduras 231

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

They may be about bird eggs ( The Most Perfect Thing: The Inside (and Outside) of a Bird’s Egg , 2016), or a 17th-century ornithologist ( Virtuoso by Nature: The Scientific Worlds of Francis Willughby, 2016), or How Bullfinches learn songs from humans ( The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology.

Dissection 216

Dissection Birds Europe Eggs 216

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2016

In addition to splits, selected rare visitors have been added (Lesser Sand-Plover, Zenaida Dove, Red-vented Bulbul and African Collared-Dove are some of the species new to the East book, Streaked Shearwater, Stonechat, Red-flanked Bluetail and Japanese White-eye are some of the West adds), and selected exotics.

North America 158

North America 2003 Birds America 158

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2017

Birds of Kruger National Park covers the 259 species most frequently seen in the park, about half of the total number of birds documented there. This still leaves the user flipping through sections, looking for the species in question, though I don’t think there are many species with this habitat overlap.

Ecuador 170

Ecuador Wildlife Reptiles Mammals 170

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2017

The guide covers 520 species of birds regularly found in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, including, interestingly, a number of exotic species. There is also a traditional index to bird species, by common and scientific name. Species Accounts are arranged taxonomically, grouped by family.

North America 166

North America America Sparrows Birds 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2020

Sedge Wren – There are records of this species in Queens, generally along the coast in fall. Great Shearwater – At this point, seabirds are my weakest family in Queens with the most species having reported in the borough that I have not seen. It leaves Barnacle Goose as the last remotely possible goose species for me to add.

2018 159

2018 2019 2015 Kansas City 159

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2020

A pair of Pestvogelen : Bohemian Waxwings ( Bombycilla garrulus ) from Nederlandsche vogelen (“ Dutch Birds” ) by naturalist and illustrator Cornelius Nozeman (1720-1786) and Christiaan Andreas Sepp (1700-1775) and Jan Christiaan Sepp (1739-1811) of the famous Amsterdam publishing family.

Farming 165

Farming New York Europe France 165

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Both Puerto Rico and the USVI have active birding communities that are currently excluded from full membership in the ABA family. The USVI are smaller and have fewer habitats and, as a result, fewer bird species. All Americans Should be Full Members of the ABA Family. Because it is much larger, this will focus on Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico 151

Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Hawaii United States 151

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago covers 1,417 species, 601 endemics, 98 vagrants, 8 introduced and 18 undescribed species. Only one bird species has become extinct (Javan Lapwing), but many others are endangered, with some considered close to extinction (not surprising in an area with species restricted to one or two small islands).

Indonesia 124

Indonesia Brunei Malaysia Papua New Guinea 124

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

The book is divided into three parts: “Introduction,” “Avifaunal Overview,” and “Species Accounts.” Most birders will go straight to the “Species Accounts.” It’s important to note that the 301 species selected for this section are those of historical and current importance to the core study area, the northwest Bronx.

New York City 148

New York City New York Birds Breeding 148

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2016

India was not on my list of places to go in 2016. The species is crepuscular and nocturnal, but can sometimes be seen during the day. I had not planned on birding India in 2016, but I’m very happy I did. So, I birded India, land of Indian Peafowl , Saag Paneer (my favorite Indian dish) and Tigers. It was a big owl.

India 188

India Tigers Owls Birds 188

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Unlike other bird races where participants keep tight-lipped about bird species as mundane as a House Sparrow , this event gives a prize to the team that helps the most. But isn’t all of that data sharing counterproductive for a bird race where the team with the most species wins? This is a Masked Shrike.

Israel 171

Israel Costa Rica Eagles Raised 171

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2016

where and when the species is likely to be seen on the east coast, flight style, size and structure as compared to similar species. Of the 426 species on the official state checklist, this guide covers 252. Attention is also paid to when and where each species is likely to be seen in the state.

Pennsylvania 164

Pennsylvania Texas Whales Whaling 164

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2016

Primates are exceptional among the mammals, living amphibians (which represent only a small part of the original amphibian family tree) are pretty noisy too. It is costly, it determines mating success, it defines and controls territoriality, and in some species may be communicative in other ways as well. Isasi, Daniel R.

Primates 169

Primates Groups Collecting Bats 169

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2016

Over 3,200 photographs have been used, most showing species in their habitats. There is also text, distribution maps, a dark red bar “warning” about similar looking rare species, and conservation symbols. So, how do you find the species account for Kestrel if falcons are not placed between woodpeckers and parakeet?

Ireland 142

Ireland Birds Falcons Turtles 142

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2020

I should add that the Big Owls taking over NYC social and even hard print media, dominating conversations with my nonbirder friends and family, are not the only owls in the five boroughs, but like a musical, the closer you are to Broadway, the closer you are to fame and fortune (and maybe even a higher quality rodent for dinner, who knows?).

New York City 184

New York City Fox Owls California Condor 184

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2024

Handsome but never flashy, the Old World Buntings are a fascinating family of birds. Only four species breed in Britain – the Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Corn Bunting and Cirl Bunting, but there are rather more in Europe, of which my favourite is the Black-headed Bunting. This technique proved highly successful.

Bulgaria 177

Bulgaria Greece Breeders India 177

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

The scientific species name of the Golden-throated Barbet is franklinii , commemorating Capt. The HBW section on this species’ behavior mostly repeats the phrase “more information needed” Though of course scientists, hungry for grants and topics, say that all the time. Ok, I made that up. Then, on to nuthatches.

Birds 173

Birds China Woodpeckers Breeding 173

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2023

The photos in this post were taken in 2015 and 2016 – I was not only an amazingly attractive, almost young person then, but also a surprisingly bad photographer. I also only managed to see rather common bird species at Shennongjia, a nature reserve in Hubei province, China. “Hey, it’s such a beautiful sunny day!

China 171

China Eggs Birds Woodpeckers 171

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2022

This is a rather photographer-friendly species, staying on the same branch for quite a while and even returning to it after catching some insects – you can see this on video here and here. While the source does not say so directly, it hints that this means the species is not as intelligent as Eurasian Magpies (which pass the test).

Finland 147

Finland Birds McDonalds Israel 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Each species account includes common and scientific name, size and weight (all metric), and information boxes on Key Identification Features (including how to differentiate the species from similar creatures), Habitat in Kruger, Habits (nocturnal or crepuscular or diurnal, social or loner, feeding behavior) and Diet.

Rhinos 238

Rhinos Animal Mammals White Rhinos 238

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2016

Another good reason to write in advance is if you are going on a break to see family and you don’t know if time will allow you to write. We were to spend a few days with my sister and family that had travelled from Sydney and my parents, who had not been able to travel to Australia this year. Common Eider. Common Snipe.

Ducks 140

Ducks 2016 Birds Dogs 140

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

Within 140 ac / 60 ha of Rancho Naturalista’s Reserve, there are 500 bird species – or 55% of the nation’s total! She started guiding at Rancho in 2016, only to embark upon a Costa Rica Big Year in the next, 2017. Located within its private premontane forest reserve at 3000 ft / 900 m a.s.l. mi / 500 m (Pepper Road) to 1.6

Costa Rica 245

Costa Rica Rats Raccoons Parrots 245