10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

I only had a few days in California while visiting my brother at Berkeley, but we couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to visit one of the most famous birding sites in the country: Point Reyes National Seashore. Add those life mammals to the life birds I already expected to see, and I was practically vibrating with excitement.

Seals 182

Seals Elephants Whales Whaling 182

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

This is the second post in the Birding crème de la crème series (the first, focused on southern Asia, is here ). The bird-richest region of Africa is its equatorial East: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi (unlike the rest, the last one, Burundi, is politically unstable and not recommendable). Serengeti National Park.

Africa 193

Africa Kenya Uganda Tanzania 193

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2012

What this land-locked country lacks in endemic birds it more than makes up for in accessibility of tough species, numbers of birds and the overall wildlife experience. It is also home to the largest concentration of African Elephants on the planet and over 450 bird species. We are currently filming in Botswana.

Botswana 201

Botswana Lions Zebras Elephants 201

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2017

Now Global Wildlife Conservation is out to get some fresh evidence and hopefully re-discover the species, which was officially last seen in the 1949. Image: Pink-headed duck art decoy by Philip Nelson, courtesy of Global Wildlife Conservation. Maybe they’re extinct. Maybe they’re not.

Ducks 119

Ducks Myanmar Elephants Wildlife 119

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

There are two things you need to know about A Field Guide to the Wildlife of South Georgia , edited by Robert Burton and John Croxall, and produced by the South Georgia Heritage Trust. The temptation will be to jump to the Wildlife sections. Nor is it about Georgia, the country in Eurasia. Who can resist penguins and whales?

Georgia 173

Georgia Penguins Wildlife Whales 173

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

They are not necessarily the biggest African animals, but represented those that were considered a real hunter’s worthy prey or “game” – the African Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Black Rhinoceros, Leopard and king of the jungle, the Lion (which of course doesn’t inhabit jungle but savanna!).

Buffalo 197

Buffalo Rhinoceros Leopards Elephants 197

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2014

The two star attractions for most tourists are Asian Elephants and Bornean Orangutans. I dipped on the elephants, but the river certainly delivered for orangutans. The birding was pretty ace too. This species was my bird of the year last year. What a bird! Trips apes Birding Borneo' A side tributary.

Rhinoceros 168

Rhinoceros Apes Elephants Monkeys 168

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

A question I am frequently asked by birders and wildlife enthusiasts is: “ if I only visit Africa once, where should I go ?” This country boasts over 1,000 bird species, vast wildernesses, a superb network of protected areas, the greatest concentration of large game and predators on the planet, excellent lodges and friendly people.

Tanzania 211

Tanzania Africa Stud Leopards 211

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2012

Several years ago, I was asked to visit my nephew’s preschool class and talk about birds. Jake lives in southern Florida, so he and his friends had to be interested in learning about these birds, which they saw everyday, right? How old were the baby birds? I chalk it up to the original baby bird book, P.D.

Switzerland 207

Switzerland Birds Owls Lions 207

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2011

As part of the Wildlife Conservation Society Birds of Brazil giveaway we asked readers of 10,000 Birds to name the bird in Brazil that they would like to see more than any other species. It is a really neat bird that I have not seen before. It would mean that I was birding in a really cool place!

Brazil 199

Brazil 2011 Birds Penguins 199

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2018

The house is a four bedroom, four bath two story, with a deck running around three sides of the upper story, great for wildlife viewing. 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. I way under sold this place in my mind.

South Africa 111

South Africa Africa Rhinos Mongoose 111

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2016

Great wildlife preserves, reserves and parks exist for a number of reasons. I was planning a trip to South Africa, I had about five days to fill, I wanted to get a bunch of desert species (particularly the Springbok – not a bird) in a way that wasn’t too hard to reach from Johannesburg. Yes, there are birds.

South Africa 143

South Africa Leopards Giraffes Africa 143

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2016

So close to the pole only a handful of bird species can survive, and even so, death toll is very high, hence their populations must be huge (millions). There are 11 species of birds that breed in the Ross Sea region. As a consequence, the Ross Sea has one of the highest concentrations of seabirds in the world. Now you know.

Russia 167

Russia Penguins Whales Whaling 167

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 12, 2015

Tell me, what happens if we rip away hunting when hunting protects more wildlife land in Africa than national parks? There is a reason we talk about wildlife and habitat conservation, not wildlife and habitat preservation. Take an example, Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa. Ah, you’ve blocked me. I’m sorry.

Lions 203

Lions Sierra Leone Hunting Buffalo 203

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

Old cars, antique gas pumps, and neon lit motels, were just up Jeanne’s photographic alley, and Lake Tucumcari was sure to be a birding hot spot for me. Unfortunately, the lake was the victim of several years of draught, but the grassy areas held a few nice birds, and there were a few surprises along the way. This was a first!

Albuquerque 120

Albuquerque New Mexico Mexico Sparrows 120

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Knowing that there are reserves with long lists of 600 or more species, I set my threshold at more than 600 birds… and found only a few such hotspots. Such places are clearly under-visited, under-birded or eBird isn’t that popular in those parts of the world. Other countries still have to reach the 300 birds threshold.

Asia 268

Asia Malaysia Papua New Guinea Thailand 268

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Which, naturally, got me to thinking about the newly erected order Suliformes, a development I mentioned in my December column, 2010′s Top 10 Developments in Bird Taxonomy and Systematics , but which I thought deserved further examination, for it’s one of those stories that defines the era in which we are living and birding.

2011 151

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea California 151

4 The Love Of Animals

APRIL 16, 2009

I also loved the birds of paradise. In my case, I suppose it would be filming the elephants caught in a sandstorm in the Okavango Delta. As soon as you get into that situation, I think you’re breaking the first rule of wildlife film making, which is to record and never interfere in any way with the animals at all.

Polar Bears 100

Polar Bears Bears Walruses Norway 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

We –participants of the ABA South Africa Safari—were on a small plane when one Lori Conrad looked out the window and screamed, “There are elephants down there!” This is the thing—no matter how devoted you are to birds and birding, once you get to Africa, you can’t resist the mammals. and everyone ran to Lori’s side of the plane.

Rhinos 235

Rhinos Animal Mammals White Rhinos 235

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2011

They are cryptically plumaged birds whose camouflage helps them to blend in with their often arid environments. The Water Thick-knee’s , Burhinus vermiculatus, preference for moist areas may contribute to the eroneous habit of considering them amongst the wading birds. Two or three eggs may be laid and either bird may incubate.

2011 161

2011 Deer Africa Peru 161

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2020

As Bill Oddie noticed in his foreword to ‘Wild Sri Lanka’ (2nd edition) by Gehan De Silva Wijeyeratne, this island paradise is probably the only country in the world where almost all books on wildlife were authored by a single person. Birds, butterflies, flowers, reptiles – you name it, Gehan has covered it.

Sri Lanka 193

Sri Lanka Leopards Whales Whaling 193

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2022

Hot summer days, often reaching 40C/104F, time to open another beer and dream of birding some cooler place, a place where deep shade of tall trees controls the heat… Perhaps the world’s second largest rainforest? The Congo is one of the deepest rivers in the world with depths sometimes exceeding 220 meters (720 feet).

Central African Republic 282

Central African Republic Congo Gabon Gorillas 282

10,000 Birds

JUNE 30, 2022

In addition, it has over 450 bird species and more than 30 in-country endemics, of which it is possible to see every single species! Where to look for the birds? Birding agencies seem to stick to their announced plans and no news of cancelled tours had reached the bird tourism market.

Sri Lanka 147

Sri Lanka Ghana Uganda Protesters 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2014

When you read trip reports of birders going to remote and interesting locations to see interesting (and not so interesting birds, I’m looking at you LBJs), these accounts are typically written by people who have either gone with groups of like-minded people or those that have gone it alone.

Bats 181

Bats Birds Elephants Badgers 181

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2013

Assuming you have a passing interest in wildlife, or at the least you know someone that does, and chances are in the last week or so you’ve become aware that some lady from America shot a lion. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the rest of 10,000 Birds. Qualifying statements to follow).

Lions 182

Lions Killing Hunting Hunters 182

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

The two most prolific contributors, Pat and Tom, have been sharing their birding space in Costa Rica. The beats have now contributed more checklists than birds. During October, 7 countries (Costa Rica, Australia, USA, India, Hong Kong, UK, Serbia) were birded by 11 beats who shared 135 checklists and noted 697 species.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2019

Best wishes to you all for 2019, keep safe and keep birding. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Tuttle Marsh Wildlife Area. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. La Cotinga Birding B&B. So please keep at it and keep sending me your shared checklists.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2018

They birded 6 countries; USA, UK, Costa Rica, Serbia, Australia, and Mexico. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Tuttle Marsh Wildlife Area. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. La Cotinga Birding B&B. 8 beats shared 126 checklists accounting for 704 species.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

In 1850, the Passenger Pigeon ( Ectopistes migratorius ) was the most abundant bird in North America and possibly the world. Lacey of Iowa introduced the nation’s first wildlife-protection law, which banned the interstate shipping of unlawfully killed game. People don’t respect wildlife. A newly created U.S.

Hunting 109

Hunting Hunters Gorillas Wolves 109