10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2012

I’ve sea-watched with some very experienced birders whose ability to identify species almost at the edge of visibility has left me questioning my optics, my eyesight, my ability and quite often my sanity. The quality of images used in the species accounts is generally very good.

North America 184

North America Albatross America Species 184

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2016

So here’s some Antipodean Albatrosses! I’ve always planned to do a post on this species and always been scared that I’ll probably get some of the pictures wrong. The taxonomy of the bigger albatrosses, known as great albatrosses, is tricky. The mighty Antipodean Albatross. Coming in to land.

Albatross 100

Albatross New Zealand Breeding Species 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

Kaikoura, in New Zealand’s South Island, is arguably the best place in the world to see albatrosses and petrels. And the endemic Hutton’s Shearwater, which only breeds in Kaikoura, will keep you entertained for those few minutes till the albatrosses hit. More Albatrosses, this time a White-capped Albatross !

Albatross 214

Albatross New Zealand Dolphins Whales 214

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

For mankind to snatch away a species’ very existence is wrong on so many levels that I can’t begin to explain them. However, despite our best efforts to wipe them off the face of the earth, some of the more vulnerable species have managed to hang on. this species breeds. this species breeds. Here are some U.S.

Albatross 253

Albatross Endangered Species Bald Eagle Alaska 253

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2013

Anyone that has read my posts before knows I love Kaikoura and the amazing people at Albatross Encounter. This species is best seen at Kaikoura , but they do disperse after the breeding season, so I didn’t see any when I dropped by at Easter. Salvin’s Albatrosses were nice to add to my year list. Not a bad day!

Albatross 181

Albatross New Zealand Fish Breeding 181

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

I’ve been fortunate to see two Penguin species in the wild (African and Galapagos) and have dreamed of seeing more–maybe even all!–especially The goal of Around the World For Penguins is simple: Describe the 18 species of penguin and their breeding grounds “from the perspective of a traveller.”

Penguins 279

Penguins Georgia Albatross New Zealand 279

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2014

In the case of Midway, a National Wildlife Refuge , the offending species is Golden Crownbeard ( Verbesina enceliolides ) , an innocuous-looking flower that’s native to Mexico and the Southwestern United States. They include Black-footed Albatrosses , Laysan Ducks , and roughly 65 percent of the world’s Laysan Albatrosses.

Albatross 231

Albatross Goats Rats Japan 231

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2013

I will never tire of banging Kaikoura’s drum as the best place in the world to see albatrosses, and since albatrosses are the among the best birds in the world it amazes me that none of you have made it out here yet (actually, some of you have, per some of the comments, but Corey hasn’t). At first anyway.

Albatross 181

Albatross New Zealand Fur Seals 181

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2012

It was a Benguela Nino year, and pelagic seabirds were in super-abundance in the south eastern Atlantic, with the total of species by variety and number exceeding all expectations for the birders on the inaugural trip as we pitched and wallowed about in the rolling swells on our way out to the trawling grounds.

Albatross 234

Albatross Penguins Dolphins Whales 234

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2013

The giant petrels are aptly named, massive lumbering fulmarine petrels as large as small albatrosses that terrorise the Southern Ocean. There are two species, rather conservatively named the Southern Giant Petrel and, the star of today’s show, the Northern Giant Petrel. Northern Giant Petrel ( Macronectes halli ).

Albatross 179

Albatross Penguins Adoptable Species 179

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2022

We might have limited space but we make up for it with a massive amount of biodiversity including well over 900 bird species on the official Costa Rica bird list. A bit larger than the Netherlands but with less land than Latvia and Ireland, in terms of territory, we rank 126.

Costa Rica 246

Costa Rica Latvia Albatross Netherlands 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

The section South Georgia Wildlife describes 65 species of birds, 20 species of sea mammals, nearly 60 species of insects, and more than 40 species of flowering and nonflowering plants. In addition to the photo below, of a Black-browed Albatross and its young, a full-page photo shows adult and juvenile birds in flight.

Georgia 189

Georgia Penguins Wildlife Whaling 189

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2014

They are, I think, the most numerous species of seabird in the tropical Pacific I haven’t done a post on yet. Their name in Hawaiian is ewa ewa, literally “cacophony”, and another name for the species is wideawake tern, which is how they’ll leave you at first. If not, then certainly the loudest.

Hawaii 206

Hawaii Albatross Breeding Species 206

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2012

Buller’s Albatross ( Thalassarche bulleri ) and Cape Petrel ( Daption capense ) at Kaikoura. The focus of today is one of the guys above, but since I have already done a story on Buller’s Albatrosses before it is going to be about the other guy. This post is not about albatrosses!

New Zealand 166

New Zealand Albatross South Africa Brazil 166

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2022

Even so, we do have some sandpipers and plovers around; there have been recent reports of Surfbirds and various other wading species. Their local guide excitedly confirmed the bird as a Harpy Eagle (only the most dearly wanted species for every birder in Costa Rica), took photos and video, and spread the news.

Costa Rica 258

Costa Rica Eagles West Virginia Albatross 258

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

The species ranges widely across the Pacific, as its scientific name suggests, from the Revillagigedo Islands off Mexico to the Japanese Bonin Islands to New South Wales in Australia. In the air you can see the wedged tail that gives the species its name. I’ll do a post on this special little shearwater later on.

Albatross 209

Albatross Madagascar Breeders Mexico 209

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 8, 2020

Guiding aside, Howell is a research associate at the California Academy of Sciences and the author of many books, including Petrels, Albatrosses, and Storm-Petrels of North America (Princeton). We have tended to a liberal (= realistic) direction when recognising species.” Well, this is one interesting claim. And now – the photos.

Chile 270

Chile Birds South America Albatross 270

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

Starting the New Year by trying to see as many species as possible is something of a birding tradition. My diary notes that the New Year dawned grey and windy, but I rose early, walked six miles before breakfast and noted a modest 26 species of birds. One of my more memorable New Year’s days was in the Falkland Islands, back in 1989.

Albatross 246

Albatross Barn Owls Birds Sparrows 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

In particular the South Island destination of Kaikoura is world-renowned for the flocks of albatrosses and giant petrels floating right off the pelagic boat, and the ease of the trip makes it a must-visit for any visiting birder. The final large petrel species is another gadfly petrel, albeit a much larger one than the Cook’s Petrel.

New Zealand 190

New Zealand Albatross 2011 Cooking 190

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2012

Wedge-tailed Shearwaters The commonest of the two shearwater species you can find on the island, this species has burrows all over the place. They are also one of the more vocal species on the island, braying like lost souls under the house we lived in. Laysan Albarosses Last but by no means least are the Laysan Albatrosses.

Albatross 138

Albatross Hawaii Japan New Zealand 138

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2022

A fairly recent trip turned up Manx Shearwater and fishing boats got pictures of the young Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross that had also been seen in Belizean and Panamanian waters. Do populations of Red-throated Caracara , certain eagles, and other rare species still occur in some national parks? What else is out there?

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Birds Albatross Protection 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2016

Maybe they were lured by the promise of even more seabirds and albatrosses. Well look, it’s a nice species – but visually that’s nothing you wouldn’t get by repeateldy crossing Canada with Barnacle Geese. Seabirds and albatrosses?

Hawaii 207

Hawaii Albatross Europe North America 207

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

And then there are the crazy-awesome Dippers and one should not forget the great diving birds like Gannets and Albatrosses. You should know by now that there are a good number of birds that spend an appreciable amount of time underwater. There are, for example, the Penguins and Diving Ducks.

Sharks 243

Sharks Thailand Dolphins Whales 243

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

Yes, the same Kaikoura I keep banging on about that is a great place to see albatrosses. Leaving from the harbour on boats were tours to swim with one of New Zealand’s most endangered mammal species, the Hector’s Dolphin. The routine for swimming with Hector’s Dolphins is slightly different to other species, however.

Dolphins 181

Dolphins Sharks New Zealand Albatross 181

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2023

Yet, I was not aware of any of Arjan’s big year updates in English, so I had no clue where he was or how many species he managed to see. After 3 months of South and Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Australia, Arjan’s count stood at 2,060 species. And I wanted to learn about his travels in detail.

Papua New Guinea 264

Papua New Guinea Guinea Suriname Brazil 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2011

Last week I introduced the Great Frigatebird , one of five species of man-o-war bird. I got rather carried away showing all the plumages you can see around a breeding colony, which means I had to split my post on the species into two. They are capable of covering great distances, perhaps like an albatross.

Albatross 192

Albatross Philippines Hawaii Hunting 192

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2015

Corey asked that I didn’t post any albatrosses today, which suits me since I didn’t do a pelagic trip and thus didn’t see any. African Penguins, or Jackass Penguins as they are sometimes known, are one of those species of penguin you’ll find away from the frozen wastes of Antarctica. And a moulting site.

Penguins 163

Penguins Seychelles Albatross Africa 163

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2012

But how birds use these different senses, like the diversity in bill size and shape, varies almost as much from species to species. Chickens come in at around 24, pigeons have around 40-50 and some duck species may have a whopping 400. And again, there is great variation amongst different species.

Mammals 260

Mammals Mozambique Birds Colombia 260

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2014

That’s why I went for an albatross, because it wasn’t my BBOY, but it would at least tweak Corey. The scope is to give you the illusion you might be able to work out the species). My first view of this amazing species! Note bonus swift in background (no idea what species). Storm’s Stork.

2013 220

2013 Rhinoceros Thailand Birds 220

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2014

I like to see birds for a long time and hear their vocalization; even if these are common species. In comparison, what I call a true pelagic trip was one that had as ultimate prize storm petrels, shearwaters, jaegers, skuas, tropicbirds, albatrosses, and other unexpected surprises seldom seem near the coast. White-chinned Petrel.

Peru 240

Peru Birds Albatross Experience 240

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

As I go about any part of my life here were I’m not looking for birds I’ll never see much more than the same twenty or so birds, a decent number of which are introduced species. And while New Zealand has lost many species, it has also been a world leader in working out how to save those that remain. Australasian Gannets.

New Zealand 135

New Zealand Albatross Parrots Penguins 135

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2012

If you’ve read my posts before you’d know I’ve written at length about the devastating effects of introduced mammals in New Zealand, and also of the ways that New Zealanders have been working to save their species from those same mammals. Spread the word and support the project if you can at Million Dollar Mouse !

Mice 162

Mice New Zealand Penguins Albatross 162

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2012

The species I wanted, or perhaps expected, the most was the one that would break my, well, duck (in the cricketing sense) when it came to the petrel order for this year, a Fluttering Shearwater. Fluttering Shearwaters are a small species of shearwater that is fairly common in New Zealand. But many species are also capable divers.

Penguins 172

Penguins Albatross South Africa New Zealand 172

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2016

I opened the year in California and even though I flew out in the evening on New Year’s Day I did see some species out there that I would otherwise not have seen for the year. Winter birding around New York City was just so-so but I did add one species to my Queens list. I finally saw an albatross!

2016 183

2016 Puerto Rico New York City New York 183

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2021

You can’t say the same about migration: you can’t say that every book about birds is necessarily about migration, for the simple reason that only about 4,000 bird species migrate (with some 1,800 of those traveling long distances). (Well, purely physical attributes play a part, too: they’re pretty good looking.).

Alaska 263

Alaska Kenya Russia Georgia 263

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2014

So, on seeing my lifer Bassian Thrush in Sydney, I was glad to have a) finally seen that species and b) finally glad to tick that arbitrary odometer up to a meaningless milestone. We seem to live in an age of splitting, only last week it was announced that another 460 odd species have been split. An armchair split, no less.

Tonga 204

Tonga Fiji Samoa Vanuatu 204

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

It is one of several species of Procellaria petrels found in New Zealand, and several more that are found in the southern hemisphere. The species is somewhat unusual in that it is one of the few procellariids that still breeds on the mainland of New Zealand. Birds New Zealand endemics petrels'

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Breeders Albatross Mammals 157