10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2021

As of mid-November 2021, the Collaborative had submitted more than 4,200 checklists (up from 1,700 in 2018) and has observed 691 species in the United States (up from 618). Thus, there are now seven states with 200+ observed species. The state with the largest increase was Arizona , with 139 species added.

West Virginia 195

West Virginia United States Puerto Rico Minnesota 195

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2015

The official Florida checklist counts over 500 species, and thus Florida citizens had a wealth of State Bird candidates to choose from when they named the Florida state bird in 1927. This common bird is also the state bird for Arkansas, Texas (another avian hot spot), Tennessee, and Mississippi, so Florida even misses points for originality.

Florida 166

Florida Arkansas Legislature Mississippi 166

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2011

The main wintering area for Ross’s Goose ( Chen rossii ) is presently in the Central Valley of California, though increasing numbers winter in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and the north-central highlands of Mexico 1. Map courtesy of Terry Sohl at South Dakota Birds and Birding.

South Dakota 152

South Dakota Sacramento Geese Arkansas 152

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 13, 2018

As of mid-October 2018, the Collaborative had submitted more than 1,700 checklists and observed 618 species in the United States. The heat map is revealing: Unsurprisingly for a site founded and run by two New Yorkers (one of whom literally wrote the book on birding New York), the Empire State boasts the highest number of species (316).

Rhode Island 114

Rhode Island United States West Virginia Puerto Rico 114

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2018

For example, the Profile Page (mine is below) displayed state-level checklist information as a map with darker shades indicating more species observed and lighter shades indicating fewer. Other states, such as North Dakota and Arkansas, were also gray, but those seemed less troublesome, since I have never visited either state.

District of Columbia 124

District of Columbia Puerto Rico Michigan North Dakota 124

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 11, 2019

I generally wait until I have at least a dozen species on my year list before having my first drink of the year. But which species of crow is our Old Crow – Fish or American? By my reckoning, 500 miles up the Mississippi River as the steamboat goes only gets you as far as the Mississippi-Louisiana-Arkansas tripoint.

Mississippi 116

Mississippi Kentucky Tennessee Arkansas 116

Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 29, 2006

Never mind that the bulk of the fat in Starbucks's beverages comes from the milk -- yes, milk ! -- of another species. Never mind that restrooms aren't the most sanitary of places to feed one's baby. Apparently, at these Starbucks stores, while hormone-laced bovine mammary fluid is good to go, human mammary fluid has got to go.

Animal 40

Animal Meat Cows District of Columbia 40