10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

The more data about bird migration we gather from professional and citizen science efforts, the more each one of us can learn about the comings and goings of our favorite species. Another migration tracker that seems to hold great potential for those able to master it is the Find The Data North America Bird Migration page. Fun, right?

North America 173

North America America Science Birds 173

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2014

The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume.

North America 191

North America America Family Falcons 191

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2016

I want to alert you to a recent study (from April) that looks at the plight of bird populations under conditions of climate change in Europe and North America. From the Abstract and summary: Changes in climate can cause populations of species to decline, to increase, or to remain steady. Stephens et al. Let’s look at that first.

North America 161

North America Europe America United States 161

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Like any birder visiting a new place, I had a target species list I was hoping to seek out during the one day I had available between business commitments. The climatic changes set in motion by the Industrial Revolution are now proceeding at a pace far greater than many species and ecosystems can adapt to naturally. Black Rosy-Finch.

Species 206

Species Los Angeles Science 2000 206

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2017

The Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Eastern North America by Nathan Pieplow is innovative, fascinating, and challenging. The guide covers 520 species of birds regularly found in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, including, interestingly, a number of exotic species. But, first the basics.

North America 189

North America America Sparrows Birds 189

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2014

Sometimes, they even have the same species… I’m looking at you, House Wren ! While this low-density species may be declining across its wide range, BirdLife International still considers it of Least Concern. Of course I got great looks at the Red-ruffed Fruitcrow (as well as the Cauca Guan) right at the lodge.

Colombia 244

Colombia South America Argentina Ecuador 244

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

I drove out a bit late because of an almost-flat tire that needed attention, and then managed to drive right past the reservoir without seeing it. The Salvia mexicana is sold in North America with the varietal name “Limelight” But this one was wild, native, and beautiful. Not the most auspicious start to my day!

2020 329

2020 Reptiles South America Birds 329

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2020

There is a thing parents know very well – how important it is to choose the right name for a child. Birders normally care about species and make species lists, how do families fit into those? Adding more species brings a lot of excitement, as long as you bird your own country or a continent. Families perhaps?

Family 299

Family Birds South America Breeding 299

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2012

These particular birds were in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, but the same story is taking place all over the world right now, as few species have successfully adapted to as many locations as the House Sparrow.

Sparrows 244

Sparrows Raccoons Battery North America 244

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

The muted colors of Blackburnians, Black-throated Greens, and Blackpolls fit right in with the dull greens and golden highlights of the early fall vegetation. This being an uncommon species in upstate New York, I appreciate having an abundance of Cliff Swallows to look at. Birds Can Fly Right Over Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 338

Costa Rica West Virginia New York South America 338

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2023

The official Ontario bird checklist, produced by Ontario Field Ornithologists , June 2022 listed 506 bird species**, putting it in the top tier of U.S. Small Species Accounts: Each species is allotted one page (with certain exceptions) offering basics–bird names and size, one or two photographs, and a one-paragraph description.

North America 246

North America Birds Owls Canada 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2018

And what does it tell us, other than the obvious “head for South America” or perhaps Indonesia? It divides countries into categories, where the next category has 200 more species. In some cases the data are outdated, e.g. Costa Rica has 900 and not 800 species, but I made no corrections, remaining faithful to the original map data.

Equatorial Guinea 239

Equatorial Guinea Costa Rica Central African Republic Guyana 239

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

Ten species of these iridescent ebon irritants, most in the genus Quiscalus , are distributed throughout the New World. In fact, this aggressive avian ambassador is usually the first bird a visitor encounters, often right outside the airport! The grackle is the ultimate American bird, adaptable, intrepid, and obstreperous.

Coyotes 250

Coyotes United States Blackbirds 2009 250

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2020

Niagara Falls State Park, right above the cataracts, is where I used to bike to on May days to see dozens of fantastic chestnut Bay-breasted Warblers whispering from the canopy, American Redstarts and Tennessee Warblers and Nashville Warblers filling the woods with song. One of the common species of middle elevation habitats in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Panama Nashville Baltimore 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2011

Consider who the rightful owner of this rich resource might be and weigh the consequences of hasty action. Now a car manufacturer might suggest that you remove the caustic substance immediately with a soft cloth, but are they really the right people to be giving advice on such a sensitive issue? Now where have I heard that before?

Bolivia 240

Bolivia Chile Spain America 240

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Yet they also bring up questions, which I’m going to talk about right now before diving into the specifics of the guides themselves. An associated issue is that the Belize and Costa Rica guides share many of the same descriptions of species, written by Howell. Other species are splits and lumped and have had their names changed.

Costa Rica 246

Costa Rica Belize El Salvador Birds 246

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2020

but there are other birds, many stopping to stay, many others moving to South America. In Costa Rica, a lot of those birds fly right overhead. Latin America tends to be loud and Costa Rica is no exception. This fall, I have had the fortune of listening to both species calling at the same time from the back balcony.

Costa Rica 279

Costa Rica South America Colombia Paraguay 279

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

Before finally connecting to the South American continent about three million years ago, Central America consisted of a series of volcanic islands. Many Nearctic species and families reach their southern terminus in the Northern Central American Highlands, such as Common Raven , Red Crossbill , Steller’s Jay , and even Brown Creeper.

Honduras 254

Honduras El Salvador Costa Rica Arizona 254

10,000 Birds

JULY 8, 2020

One of the ways I could describe the unique mix of birds I can see here in southwestern Mexico, would be to divide our species into five categories. The invasive species are few, but, unfortunately, very numerous. But there is a final group of species here, about which I have not written very much.

Mexico 258

Mexico Birds Honduras United States 258

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Decades of land transformation and hydrological changes resulted in the decline of the only species of apple snail native to Florida and the kite population followed suit. While the native apple snail continued declining, another species of apple snail native to South America began to appear in canals and ponds in South Florida.

Florida 247

Florida South America Bolivia Eggs 247

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2013

Bushtits ( Psaltriparus minimus ) are the only New World representative of the long-tailed t**s ( Aegithalidae ) and they are primarily limited to the western parts of North America and the highlands of Central America. The male and female of the species look very similar but they are easy to tell apart.

North America 234

North America Breeders America Breeding 234

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2014

Green-tailed Towhee s breed in species-rich shrub communities within shrub-steppe habitats, and disturbed and open areas of montane forest, often created by forest fires 1. References: 1 Birds of North America Online. Click on photos for full sized images. Up in Ashland we found them on the outskirts of Howard Prairie Lake.

North America 249

North America Oregon Birds Owls 249

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

I think most of us in North America have come to the somewhat disappointing conclusion that fall migration is pretty much finished for the year. The flocks that just a fortnight ago held multiple species in varied, if subdued, hues, now overwhelmingly consist of a single species. You’re done. Look at those bright legs!

North America 241

North America North Carolina South America Tennessee 241

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2011

Look at the facts, lay your emotions aside and listen to reason—exactly the same reasoning that’s been so persuasive in convincing me that hunting cranes is the right thing to do. There was a lot of hunting for Bald Eagles—it is traditionally a game species. We need to give hunters new opportunities and new species to hunt.

Bald Eagle 264

Bald Eagle Eagles Hunting Kentucky 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2022

Towhees are large, ground-hugging sparrows that occur only in North America. The first was strange only on a personal level, as I had never before seen a juvenile of the species. They belong to either the Pipilo or Melozone genera, or perhaps both, as their taxonomy is still a point of contention. Our towhees are weird.

Mexico 263

Mexico North America Sparrows 2015 263

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 29, 2018

Maybe it’s because the American Coot ( Fulica americana ) is the most abundant and widely distributed species of rail in North America that it gets no respect? But I think the adult Coot is a cool bird in its own right. Just look at that cool red iris… and the very cool lobed green feet!

North America 113

North America America Ducks Industry 113

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2021

In Costa Rica, with around 50 hummingbird species on the list, we have our fair share of minute feathered stars. These unreal birds zip through every level of forest, use every habitat, and, like various others of their kind, several are found right in the garden. I feel fortunate to see one or more of this species on a daily basis.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica South America Arizona Species 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2013

Confusing, right? Southwest all the way down through Central America to parts of South America and the Caribbean. gundlachii ), currently embargoed by the United States, is widely considered a distinct species. anthracinus subtilis ), on the other hand, was a formerly distinct species now absorbed back to the Common core.

Chicago 255

Chicago South America Illinois 2013 255

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2013

It is self-evident when watching a grebe, for instance the wide-ranging and common Pied-billed Grebe of the Americas, that this is a bird built for the water unlike any other. Despite their predilection for the watery realm, there are some species of grebes that are long-distance migrants. Pied-billed Grebe , photo by Steve Tucker.

Jordan 243

Jordan Guatemala South America Birds 243

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

The Durango Highway is arguably one of North America’s great birding roads due to the great variety of habitats, the spectacular mountain scenery of the Sierra Madre Occidental, and the numerous Mexican endemics one can target. The birds we observed were nesting right into the cliff face. Photo by Andrew Spencer.

Mexico 243

Mexico Costa Rica Arizona Bats 243

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

FEBRUARY 10, 2014

I wasn’t having any luck at all though I was enjoying the typical assortment of wetland species that make we New York birders a bit jealous of our southern compatriots. You see, Muscovy Ducks are countable in the American Birding Association area due to wild birds from Central America making their way up into Texas.

Feral 224

Feral Florida Ducks Texas 224

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2018

You can blame the nice people at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, who took it upon themselves to send me a review copy of the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Southeastern North America by Seabrooke Leckie and David Beadle. Moth plates from Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Southeastern North America. Let that sink in.

North America 104

North America America Oklahoma Missouri 104

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2021

All sorts of exotic and beautiful species may be seen. This would sound attractive even to me, except for one fact: almost all of those exotic and beautiful species are common down here in central Mexico. Southeastern Arizona is unusual, precisely because its species mix is as much Mexican as it is American.

Arizona 264

Arizona Mexico Los Angeles Oakland 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2015

The nesting colonies of blue-morph geese were not discovered until 1929 after a direct and intentional search by Dewey Soper (a widely-traveled Canadian Arctic ornithologist) that lasted 6 years and, until 1983, the two color morphs were considered separate species. References: 1 Birds of North America Online. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYNb-0vYTE8.

Sacramento 233

Sacramento Geese North America Wildlife 233

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2017

This time the tome that three lucky readers will receive is Birds of Prey: Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures of North America by Pete Dunne. The first and easiest way to win a copy of Birds of Prey: Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures of North America is to subscribe to the 10,000 Birds email mailing list.

North America 189

North America Falcons Eagles Birds 189

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2021

Simply put, wilderness areas are the most protected public lands in America. Of course, as places that are largely “untrammeled by man,” wilderness areas also have birds ( 591 species according to one study ) for birders willing to leave roads and infrastructure behind. The longer answer is below. The Wilderness Act ( 16 U.S.C.

Puerto Rico 298

Puerto Rico Alaska Protection Montana 298