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 266

Africa Gabon South Africa Uganda 266

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

MAY 24, 2020

Breeding only above treeline on windswept and desolate rock faces (or equally austere habitats on the Aleutians), the three American rosy-finches (Gray-crowned, Black, and Brown-capped) are extreme environment specialists that are endemic to North America. In the summer, they are the highest altitude breeding songbird in North America.

America 264

America Arizona North America Texas 264

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 254

Germany Netherlands Zoos Costa Rica 254

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 197

Asia Europe Germany Breeding 197

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 299

Family Birds South America Breeding 299

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 252

Cats Kittens Birds Transported 252

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 301

China Birds Asia Fish 301

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 200

Mongolia Asia China Shelters 200

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 187

Wildlife Reserve Asia China Factory 187

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 215

2020 China Asia Owls 215

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 181

Hungary Asia Woodpeckers Africa 181

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 160

Turkmenistan Mongolia Asia Europe 160

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 197

Owls Rodents Transported India 197

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2023

During my trip to Peru (where I almost got lost in the jungle trying to locate a rumoured Andean C**k-of-the-rock lek), my rambles in South-east Asia and also this last trip to Ecuador, I realised that this is more than possible because compared to the forests in these regions our European ones seem like a walk in the park.

Solomon Islands 242

Solomon Islands Ecuador Colombia Rats 242

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

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 153

Germany Asia Russia China 153

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 158

Germany Asia Europe Africa 158

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 175

Feral Europe Asia North America 175

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 180

New York Hungary Zoos Asia 180

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2013

The breeding season is longer, starts earlier. “Many long-distance migrants arrive so late on the breeding grounds that they have little opportunity to respond to warming conditions by nesting earlier.” The mechanism by which this is happening in at least some species of birds is very interesting. ” GannetCam.

Taiwan 208

Taiwan Iceland United States Chickens 208

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 164

Hungary Asia Europe Africa 164

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 24, 2011

The kitten Venus is an F4 Bengal meaning she’s four generations (F4) removed from the Asian Leopard Cat which is a small wild cat from Asia. Asian Leopards are about house cat sized and can breed with house cats giving a bit more wild animal to your domestic pet. Lorraine started with one tiny kitten when she moved into her home.

Cats 240

Cats Leopards Kittens Unwanted 240

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 187

Africa Wolves Goats Sheep 187

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2013

It breeds in a broad and not quite coherent band from Iceland in the west through central Europe and southern Scandinavia all the way to eastern Russia, wintering in Africa, parts of India, and Southeast Asia to Australia.

Germany 187

Germany Russia Iceland India 187

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2013

The Hypocolius (sometimes styled as Grey Hypocolius , Hypocolius ampelinus ) is a fruit-eating, migratory bird of southwest Asia. The Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds has more on the Palmchat. Hypocolius. Spellman et al.

Saudi Arabia 242

Saudi Arabia 2008 Indonesia Colombia 242

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 199

China Mongolia Russia Birds 199

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2012

Most readers here will be familiar with the plight of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper , a critically endangered wader that nests on the Russian tundra and winters in Southeast Asia. One of the great difficulties with a captive breeding program is how to avoid making things worse. Also, there’s a bear!)

Eggs 164

Eggs Russia Asia Breeding 164

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 218

2019 Japan Owls China 218

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2012

Leading scientists, conservationists and aviculturalists from Europe and South-east Asia met at Walsrode in Germany recently to formulate a rescue plan. Concern for the future of this species is such that the WPA and BirdLife International-Vietnam Programme are working together to organize immediate action.

Vietnam 160

Vietnam 2000 Germany Asia 160

Critter News

DECEMBER 29, 2008

A breeding program in Malaysia will attempt to breed a rescued Borneo Sumatran rhino in order to save the endangered species. Tags: captive breeding rhino asia malaysia.

Rhinos 100

Rhinos Malaysia Species Wildlife Reserve 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2022

The Black-tailed Godwits that we observe here in Australia breed in east Siberia and Mongolia. In non-breeding plumage they are almost brown, but add a reddish brown colour when they are in breeding plumage. All of the migratory shorebirds make incredible journeys around the world to breed.

Mongolia 147

Mongolia Australia Asia Breeding 147

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 264

Gazelles India Pakistan 2012 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

Kinabalu (at 13,455 feet the highest peak in southeast Asia), and human development that has resulted in freshwater rice fields, secondary forest, and oil palm plantations, this means that Borneo offers an incredibly high degree of biodiversity. Borneo, the authors say, is under-birded. I think we need to do something about that.

Brunei 189

Brunei Asia Birds China 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2014

They have been here for several months and are currently changing into their breeding plumage and fattening up. It won’t be long and we will watch them fly off into the sunset as they make their journey north to breed. It changes into its breeding plumage and heads off, but has never been seen back in Hong Kong!

Japan 173

Japan 2012 Taiwan China 173

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2013

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.

India 252

India Gazelles Pakistan Endangered Species 252

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