10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2016

It’s a bang-up breeding year for super-endangered birds! The species, which migrates from the Russian Arctic to Southeast Asia, is down to about 200 breeding pairs in the wild, due to habitat loss and poaching. For the past several years, getting the birds to breed has been an exercise in futility.

Louisiana 190

Louisiana Eggs Breeding Asia 190

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2020

This means that every year, millions of birds fly by the city on their way between their breeding grounds in Northern Asia and their wintering spots in Southeast Asia and Australia. Shanghai is located on the coast of the East China Sea and lies right on the East Asian–Australasian Flyway.

Wildlife Reserve 165

Wildlife Reserve Asia China Factory 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Black Drongos must be breeding here – this juvenile was terrorizing his parents with constant calls for food. Edward Brown (1810-1867) was a Victorian-age bird collector particularly active in East Asia, in whose honor this shrike species was named. These included Red-necked Phalarope … … and Great Crested Tern.

Cats 214

Cats Kittens Birds Transported 214

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2024

in northeast Asia.” It seems to be impressed by the species: “The Verditer Flycatcher ( Eumyias thalassinus ) is a strikingly beautiful bird found in South Asia.” ” While range-restricted, it is apparently common on Ryukyu Island – but a rare sight here in Shanghai.

Chicago 143

Chicago Birds Asia China 143

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2020

For example, I have birded 4 continents, Europe, Southern Africa, South Asia and Central America and have seen 200-300 species in every region, yet, due to overlapping, they do not even sum up to a 10% of all bird species! And there may be two thousand and quite possibly fewer birders who fit the aforementioned positions.

Family 291

Family Birds South America Breeding 291

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2020

Winter is not the greatest time for birding in Shanghai, and this year, there was no escaping to Southeast Asia due to Covid-19. Others have wintered here and are now in the process of leaving for the summer, such as the Black-faced Spoonbill – already in breeding plumage so as to not waste any time once arriving in Northern China.

2020 186

2020 China Asia Owls 186

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2024

Status In Alaska: Breeding resident. Range: Steller’s sea eagles are endemic to coastal northeastern Asia, inhabiting regions in Russia, Korea, Japan, mainland China, and Taiwan. Status in Alaska: In Alaska, Steller’s sea eagles are considered vagrants, meaning they are occasional visitors rather than resident breeding birds.

Alaska 207

Alaska Eagles Bald Eagle Deer 207

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

The HBW even mentions the importance of Ruoergai for this species: “Key sites for migrants include the Ruoergai Plateau (China), which is also an important breeding area” Common Mergansers also seem to use these wetlands as breeding area.

China 171

China Mongolia Russia Birds 171

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2015

I’ll start off by naming the univerally accepted species, the House Sparrow propper Passer domesticus , the Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus and the ill-named Spanish Sparrow Passer hispaniolensis , which occurs from Spain all the way to central Asia and is rather difficult to find in the former.

Sparrows 213

Sparrows Italy Kyrgyzstan Asia 213

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2022

Bird in southern Asia and there are mynas and magpie-robins. Watch the buildings, keep an eye on tall trees, this species has become adapted to breeding on ledges and living in cities. As one might expect, signature birds take many forms. In northern habitats, they could be Common Ravens, geese , or chickadees. What about urban sites?

Costa Rica 147

Costa Rica San Jose Asia Geese 147

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

Black-bellied Plover: Known as Grey Plover in Europe and Asia. Eurasian Oystercatcher: Not all of them are breeding at Claire`s beach in Australia. As this is a coastal place, there are of course lots of waders, in larger numbers, and more variety than in Shanghai. Point for American birders, I am afraid.

China 269

China Birds Asia Fish 269

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2015

You see, the Great (White) Heron/Egret is a polytypic species with four subspecies: alba in Europe, egretta in the Americas, melanorhynchos in Africa, and modesta in Asia and Oceania. But we’re far from done with the confusion. The data for splitting off modesta is pretty compelling, but the rest are still in limbo.

Asia 178

Asia Europe Germany Breeding 178

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2022

Europe has one species (Eurasian Spoonbill), the Americas have one (Roseate Spoonbill), Australia two (Royal and Yellow-billed Spoonbill), and Asia has two as well (Eurasian and Black-faced Spoonbill). Ostriches originated in Asia. Preliminary Study of Slaughter Value and Meat Characteristics of 18 Months Ostrich Reared in Hungary.

Ostriches 147

Ostriches Parrots Eggs Africa 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2012

There I found a study which showed that the ingenious little birds had found a protein source that allowed them to coincide their breeding with times of man-made, rather than natural seasonal abundance. To find out if this was normal behaviour, I made a search on the internet. Clever things!

Asia 188

Asia Feral Breeding Africa 188

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Like the Adjutants in Asia and Jabiru of the Americas, the Marabou is our bare-headed scavenging stork. Only slightly shorter, but more elegantly built than the Marabou, the Saddle-billed also has a sister species in Asia, the Black-necked Stork. It is also related to Wood Stork of the Americas and Milky Stork of Asia.

Africa 237

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 237

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2022

From one side, the reserve is under the attack of spreading arable fields, from another by numerous wind generators and it is no easy task to support the surviving breeding birds within its borders. Shimmering in the distance, Nilgais , the biggest antelopes of Asia, walk by. The main tactic is diversion.

Gazelles 253

Gazelles India Pakistan 2012 253

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2022

Around this time of the year, the first few waders are back in Shanghai from their breeding grounds far further up north. Generally, being back here early is not a very good sign – it may indicate a failed breeding attempt, as suggested for Asian Dowitchers in a paper on their presence in Lianyungang somewhat further north of Shanghai.

Cattle 147

Cattle Portugal Buffalo Alaska 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2019

Grey-faced Buzzards are also on migration in October, passing Nanhui on the way to their wintering grounds in South East Asia. Not that easy to spot outside of the breeding season, though relatively quite common. Goldcrest is not easy to capture with a camera. But I am not showing you all my bad shots.

2019 188

2019 Japan Owls China 188

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2013

Purple Herons Ardea purpurea are an old world element of the Ardeidae and range widely throughout sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and parts of Europe and central Asia. Within Europe, they are mostly found in the South (around the Mediterranean), and the East.

Germany 153

Germany Asia Europe Africa 153

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2013

The Brown-headed Gull is a bird of Asia, breeding from Turkmenistan to Mongolia, and winters along the coasts of Asia. This gull is closely related to, and necessary to separate from, the Black-headed Gull , a bird familiar to any birder from Europe (or even just anyone from Europe!). Notice the white iris.

Turkmenistan 154

Turkmenistan Mongolia Asia Europe 154

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2012

The wonderful family Meropidae contains 27 dazzling species, of which Africa is endowed with no less than 20 species, the balance occurring across Asia and with one as far afield as Australia. Carmine bee-eaters occur throughout most of Subsaharan Africa, and many populations migrate widely post breeding.

Africa 263

Africa Gabon Uganda South Africa 263

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2022

The Blue-crowned Laughingthrush (Wuyuan) is listed as Critically Endangered, as there are only about 250-280 birds spending the breeding season in Northeastern Jiangxi (and according to the HBW, it is not clear where they spend the non-breeding period).

San Diego 203

San Diego Malaysia China Zoos 203

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2012

Great Reed Warblers breed across huge chunks of Europe and Asia and winter across large swaths of southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. If that makes any sense at all.)

Hungary 160

Hungary Asia Europe Africa 160

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2015

I’m a big fan of the antelopes, a group that is most commonly associated with Africa but which also occurs in Asia and, if you stretch the term to be cladistically meaningful, Europe and North America. The crest on the back becomes erect during breeding displays.

Africa 164

Africa Wolves Goats Sheep 164

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2011

Anas strepera is a common and widespread duck, breeding across northern Europe and Asia, as well as central North America. Here in New York, as on most of the east coast of the United States, Gadwall are a year-round bird, breeding in appropriate marsh habitat.

United States 162

United States North America Jamaica Asia 162

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

Common throughout India with a range that covers much of South-east Asia, it can often be seen around habitation where it catches small rodents, insects and invertebrates. Among many similarities to their close relation, the Little Owl, Athene Noctua , they are also the owl most likely to be seen by day in this part of the world.

Owls 179

Owls Rodents Transported India 179

10,000 Birds

JULY 31, 2012

Eurasian Wrynecks are found breeding across the temperate zones of Europe and Asia. They migrate to warmer climes in Africa and south Asia to winter. Until a month ago I had never seen the Eurasian Wryneck either, but the trip to Hungary took care of that gap on the life list easily.

Hungary 172

Hungary Asia Woodpeckers Africa 172

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2022

I do not get too many comments on my blog posts, but it seems that whenever I write about jacanas – whether in Africa, Australia, or Asia – there is an unusually high number of reactions (well, maybe one or two rather than the usual zero) from female readers. This is ok as birds do not have teeth anyway). End of side note.

Birds 162

Birds South Korea Japan Abandoning 162

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2011

The Black Stork ( Ciconia nigra ) has a very wide distribution in the Old World, ranging from Spain (an isolated population) and northern France through central and eastern Europe all across northern and central Asia to the Pacific coast of Russia and China.

Germany 151

Germany Asia Russia China 151

10,000 Birds

JULY 14, 2018

Once hatched, the tiny, blind chick heaves the other eggs over the side of the nest, leaving the parents with just itself on which to pin all their breeding hopes for the year. But when a dragonfly was offered, everything went quiet (for all you oders, it was a Blue Dasher Brachydiplex chalybea, a libellulidae common across much of Asia.

Eggs 100

Eggs Asia Breeding Rights 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2012

The Rose-ringed Parakeet naturally occurs in two isolated areas: a thin strip across Africa just south of the Sahara, and south Asia where it is mostly found in India with smaller ranges in adjacent countries. and the White Storks are also wild and countable despite breeding at the zoo.

Germany 242

Germany Netherlands Zoos Costa Rica 242

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2016

Ring-necked Pheasants are native to Asia, brought over in the 1880’s. Partners in Flight estimates that the global breeding population is around 50 million; 30% of which can be found in North America and Canada. South Dakota went a different way, designating the Ring-necked Pheasant as the state bird in 1943.

South Dakota 100

South Dakota Hawaii United States North America 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2016

The birds usually remote habitat makes it difficult to gain a full picture of range and population status, but it appears to have suffered a drastic decline in its former breeding areas as grassland is overtaken by agriculture. An article in Birding Asia from 2010 put forward that the bunting could be the next east Asia species to go extinct.

Asia 102

Asia Campaign 2010 Suffering 102

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

Its natural range in Europe was restricted the the surroundings of the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, and in Asia it ranged from Asia Minor to central China. It is very likely that the white morph was directly promoted in captive breeding and favoured in releases to establish feral populations.

Feral 169

Feral Europe Asia North America 169

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2013

They are all in non-breeding plumage to add to the challenge, though some male Bar-tailed Godwit are still carrying a trace of colour. This race is the Macrotarsa , which does not migrate into Asia. We also have the smaller race Affinis and they are a smaller Gull-billed Tern and migrate into Asia during their breeding season.

Asia 145

Asia Australia Bats Breeding 145

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Sure, this is normal occurrence across much of Europe and southwest Asia but this particular tale comes from out on the east end of New York’s Long Island, in the town of Medford, where this happened to an unsuspecting non-birder, Celeste Rovner. That’s a lot more fun than a bird that sneaked out of the zoo, isn’t it?

New York 165

New York Hungary Zoos Asia 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2012

They breed in the arid inland areas in Mongolia and northern China and then migrate south into coastal parts of south-east Asia and northern Australia. Oriental Plovers stand very upright and look very brown compared to the usual grey of shorebirds and tend to be rather more vocal in flight.

Mongolia 179

Mongolia Asia China Shelters 179