10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2019

An expanse of habitat as vast as Murchison Falls NP in Uganda, as excessively generous in beauty and biodiversity, permits endless ways to experience both its birds and animals. The raptors exceeded expectations in both quantity and quality, with lots of vultures, eagles, and a magnificent Beaudouin’s Snake-Eagle.

Uganda 246

Uganda Senegal Africa Game 246

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2019

And here in Europe, they are the real deal, an indigenous species and not domesticated animals gone wild. Photographed within Beljarica: five White-tailed Eagles by Snezana Panjkovic. Two hundred metres further on, two young White-tailed Eagles were soaring. I think all were males, at last two huge ones certainly were.

Serbia 246

Serbia Otters Boars Hunters 246

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

A crest is a “comb or tuft of feathers, fur, or skin on the head of a bird or other animal” Birds use them for display purposes – they can be either recumbent (not noticeable when not erect) or recursive (noticeable in all states). Quite a few bird species have crests.

South Africa 246

South Africa China Germany Africa 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2013

And so the Friends of Animals took them to court, demanding an injunction and a return to live-trapping. And so, the local subspecies of Bewick’s wren, a bird described in 1908 a “very common on all parts of the island,” was gone by the 1940’s, its habitat converted into goat flesh. And so, the U.S.

Goats 211

Goats Bald Eagle Fox Feral 211

10,000 Birds

APRIL 28, 2016

Oh, the joys of urban birding… Add half a dozen Ferruginous Ducks (cover photo), two Whiskered and 40 Black Terns to the previous picture, plus an eagle, an immature White-tailed Eagle. A man walking his two small dogs is passing by the eagle, looking down at grass and not seeing the largest raptor in Europe.

Europe 189

Europe Otters Eagles Birds 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2021

I mean, it sounds like something from an eco-cartoon where all the animals live in cloud forest harmony with all of the big, beautiful trees. On a recent visit, I was reminded of that when we saw the feathered remains of an Ornate Hawk-Eagle feast. Quetzal Valley ! Does such a place really exist?

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Birds Eagles America 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2018

White-tailed Eagles normally take flight silently, yet, while checking some Common Starlings and hoping for Rosy Starlings , I heard a few noisy wing-beats, enough to turn and see a young eagle flying with a wing tag. To prove more how young and inexperienced it was, the eagle even landed on the ground a mere 15 metres behind my car.

Eagles 229

Eagles Otters Serbia 2016 229

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2016

The Great Elephant Census found that populations of Savanna Elephants Loxodonta africana have fallen by 30% between 2007 and 2014 (around 144,000 animals poached or population shrunk at a rate of 8% a year, a level higher than their reproduction rate; source https://peerj.com/articles/2354.pdf That was my first Savanna Elephant in the wild.

Elephants 242

Elephants Botswana Zimbabwe Africa 242

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2015

Grey-headed Fish Eagle Copyright © Nitin Bhardwaj. At the lakeshore, Asian Openbill Storks are foraging, while on a low branch of a large tree shadowing the water one massive and upright Grey-headed Fish Eagle stands. Crested Serpent Eagle Copyright © Nitin Bhardwaj. One Chital is curiously watching us.

Tigers 255

Tigers Boars India Chickens 255

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2020

The structure of wings is addressed in Chapter 8, “Feathers and Flight.” Among their other uses, wings are also employed for balance during copulation, a not unimportant or inconsequential usage, as the male Bald Eagle ably demonstrates in the photo, above right. Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behavior. By John Kricher.

Bald Eagle 264

Bald Eagle Puffins 2001 Boston 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2013

A little bit further, while watching a large Sambar wallowing in the mudbath, Manoj points our attention to a Crested Honey Buzzard on one and a Changeable Hawk-Eagle on another tree. Occasionally we go so quickly that we may be posing a danger for jay-walking animals… …and then, for no obvious reason, we suddenly stop!

Lions 250

Lions India Mammals Boars 250

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2014

Back in the halcyon days, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth (at least in my mind) and a nickel was still a lot of money, my favourite ride was the river safari one, where you could pretend to be an explorer in a river boat going past animatronic safari animals. Wallace’s Hawk Eagle was a lifer. A side tributary.

Rhinoceros 220

Rhinoceros Apes Elephants Monkeys 220

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2020

At some point, I almost convinced myself that it would be a good idea to publish a coffee table photo book just showing Red-billed Oxpecker on various animals. Not too many raptors, but at least an African Fish Eagle. Alone time. Taking a bath …. Some gorgeous looking smaller birds such as. Jameson`s Firefinch …. Common Waxbill …. …

South Africa 260

South Africa Giraffes Africa Birds 260

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

In a huge crown of an old ash, two adult White-tailed Eagles await us, posing confidently for some time. White-tailed Eagle by Snezana & Slobodan Panjkovic. Animals of all ages and sizes were quite active and agile, as opposed to their usual laziness. Great Grey Shrike by Snezana & Slobodan Panjkovic.

Serbia 264

Serbia Geese Eagles Louisiana 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2013

Because of their extra olfactory powers, many other carrion eating birds like hawks eagles and other vultures follow Turkey Vultures to kills. How many times have you been birding when someone thought they spotted a hawk, eagle or other raptor and then acted disappointed when they discovered it was “only a Turkey Vulture.”

Turkey 211

Turkey North America Killing Eagles 211

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2011

Austria also so honors Hirundo rustica though that honor is watered down a bit by the national animal of Austria, which is the Golden Eagle. Estonia is not the only country to have the Barn Swallow as the national bird.

Estonia 230

Estonia Austria Campaign Birds 230

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2019

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History boasts an entire collection of skins of birds native to the DC area, from large Bald Eagles to tiny Eastern Screech Owls. In the National Gallery of Art an entire exhibit features animals in Japanese art, including a plethora of kimonos decorated with birds the color of jewels.

DC 202

DC Washington Bald Eagle Ostriches 202

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Typical species include busy Secretarybirds that patrol the grasslands, families of Common Ostrich , White-bellied Bustards , Yellow-throated Sandgrouse , vultures, snake-eagles and numerous seedeaters, including lovely Purple Grenadiers and Green-winged Pytlias , to mention just a few. And of course the big game is an added bonus.

Tanzania 250

Tanzania Africa Stud Leopards 250

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2013

In the grass, Desert (bellow) and Isabelline Wheatears await us, together with Tawny Pipits and large flocks of Greater Short-toed Larks ; while Booted Eagle , Lesser Kestrel and even one Critically Endangered White-rumped Vulture fly above us. You know the secret of how African park rangers find animals for tourists?

India 252

India Gazelles Pakistan Endangered Species 252

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2021

Obliging species like Grey-headed Kingfisher , Long-crested Eagle , and even a pair of Greater Blue-eared Starlings ensured we didn’t get anywhere quickly. While I was anxious to get to the lake itself, after entering the park at sunrise we were distracted by every possible creature.

Buffalo 264

Buffalo Kenya Trinidad 2019 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2013

Releasing any wild animal is essentially rolling the dice. Naturally people question the video’s credibility, especially after that stupid and damaging eagle-snatching-a-toddler hoax by a Canadian college. It’s hard to maintain one’s circle-of-life philosophy when that happens. What’s our choice? Here is the video.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 223

Wildlife Rehabilitation Coyotes Wounded Rabbits 223

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2020

And with Stranger than Fiction , a porter, we got a beautifully painted Eurasian Eagle-Owl ( Bubo bubo ). A sour IPA called Mash Up the Jam depicted what we decided was a cartoonish Eurasian Tree Sparrow ( Passer montanus ) in a comical send-up of Peter and the Wolf.

Collecting 232

Collecting Barn Owls Owls Philadelphia 232

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2012

But there is also this: It’s not unusual for a condor to wait days for a meal, often “notified” first by ravens and golden eagles who are frequently the first to feed. It also makes them champions at soaring, sometimes covering one hundred miles or more a day, coasting on thermals and keeping close watch on telltale animal behavior.

California Condor 262

California Condor California Idaho Utah 262

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2017

I remember getting stuck in deep snow (but managed to free ourselves easily), also that pure bliss – having a hot coffee in the car, seeing quite a few Roe Deer and several Brown Hares , White-tailed Eagle , a bunch of Common Buzzards and Hooded Crows in a field – must have been next to some less fortunate animal that we couldn’t see from the road….

Deer 189

Deer Birds Eagles Research 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2016

That did not stop a New Jersey animal shelter from publishing this rabble-rousing flyer on Facebook, all written in alarming red capital letters: PARK RANGERS AND VET OFFICES ARE PUTTING OUT WARNINGS. THIS YEAR THE HAWKS REALLY SEEM TO BE OUT IN FORCE OFF THE EAST COAST. “I’m I’m going to string wire all across my backyard!”.

Pets 240

Pets Barn Owls Kentucky Bald Eagle 240

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2016

In some cases someone was blown away by the scenery and thought “this needs saving” In some cases someone thought “there seems to be a lot of animals here, let’s keep things that way” Still others happen because no one had done anything with the land yet and no one wanted the land anyway.

South Africa 189

South Africa Leopards Giraffes Africa 189

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

Add the chance of the African animals you’d expect, Elephant , Lion , Leopard and a host of antelope, who’s mouth would not water at the prospect? While we look for animal tracks, you’ll see so much else as we go. The birdlife here is wonderful, a ten-night safari should give you over 200 species, (2018 & 2019 both gave us 242!).

Botswana 253

Botswana Africa Angola Elephants 253

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2014

A small flock of European Bee-eaters is in flight around their nesting hillock and on the hillock – stands a pair of adult White-tailed Eagles ! It is not all, after the longest and probably the hottest day of the year, every animal wants to do a bit of running in front of me. Farewell, sweet playfellow.”.

Badgers 244

Badgers Deer Serbia Europe 244

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

This special place is also one of the last bastions of wild rainforest on the Pacific coast of Central America, hosts many endemic plants and animals, and as one may surmise, is pretty awesome for birds. This foot-shaped piece of land in southern Costa Rica is just about as far from San Jose as you can go without leaving the country.

Costa Rica 257

Costa Rica San Jose Sharks Monkeys 257

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2016

About a quarter of the world’s Brown Bears live in Europe (including the Russian part of it), some 55,000, divided into nine separate and evermore fragmented populations – some of them dangerously tiny, a dozen or two dozen animals only. After all, bears are solitary and elusive animals. and Apennine peninsulas (30 + 50 ind.).

Bears 271

Bears Greece Europe Slovenia 271

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2019

However, we did note signage that said if you travelling with an animal you would have to pay for twelve passengers and travel alone with your animal! It is illegal to feed wild animals, take animals, birds and insects and it is also illegal to release animals in Singapore. Grey-headed Fish Eagle.

Singapore 133

Singapore illegal Boars Birds 133

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2020

The packaging artwork has changed – last year it was a fluid, thickly-textured portrait of a Eurasian Eagle-Owl ( Bubo bubo ) – but I think the recipe has remained the same. The artwork of this edition is by Jenny Keith – an Edmonton, Alberta-based artist with a penchant for depicting animals and natural curiosities.

Collecting 235

Collecting Canada Mammals Shelters 235

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2011

In the autumn, our darkening skies Fill with crows, then each cloud of them flies To a suitable tree, Where they land, and to me, Form an animate, foliate disguise. * Will Raup * Ernie, a handsome young eagle, Thought his white-feathered head was quite regal. The chicken hawk–It’s a bit sad– Is disparaged.

Birds 231

Birds Chickens Vegetarian 2007 231

10,000 Birds

JULY 15, 2015

But it wasn’t founded to serve as a refuge for human refugees, but animal ones, specifically elephants. Out in the park treats like Black-breasted Snake-eagles , Lemon-breasted Canaries, African Cuckoo-hawks, Pink Twinspots, Southern Black T**s, Martial Eagles and Black-bellied Bustards were a small selection of the treats I saw.

South Africa 197

South Africa Elephants Africa Lions 197

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2018

Just stepping away from the birds for a minute, because you can’t really do any kind of story about Kruger National Park, and not at least mention the animals. The best I could do to mix both the birds and the animals was in the picture at the top of this story. The African Fish Eagle was a great first day bird.

South Africa 172

South Africa Africa Rhinos Mongoose 172

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2022

Inside the camps, you are allowed to walk around freely – outside, this privilege is reserved for the animals. Presumably, the Natal Spurfowl thinks the Kruger Park is good habitat, with all the big animals around – the HBW remarks (with a slight hint of disapproval) that the species forages on rhinoceros and elephant dung.

Africa 147

Africa Eagles Birds Barn Owls 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2016

These are overgrown in steppe grasses and local sheep herders are subsidised by the authorities to bring their animals here to keep the grass short, prevent succession by bushes and manage the habitat for vulnerable Sousliks , or European ground squirrels. The first sand dunes lie 60 km / 40 mi east of Belgrade.

Sheep 182

Sheep Turtles Squirrels Europe 182