10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2013

Usually, it’s “Bird eating fish” but here we have a case of a “Bird-eating fish.” It has also found its way to Japan where it is considered to be an invasive species. So, the modal catfish is a fish that hunts from below, can take large prey, and occasionally eats a bird.

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Fish Whales Whaling France 262

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2011

Bald Eagle image is by Francois Portmann and is used with permission You know, I’ve been thinking about this whole dustup over hunting cranes in Tennessee and now Kentucky. I think it’s time to hunt Sandhill Cranes. We’ve always hunted Bald Eagles. There was a lot of hunting for Bald Eagles—it is traditionally a game species.

Bald Eagle 264

Bald Eagle Eagles Hunting Kentucky 264

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 259

Botswana Lions Zebras Elephants 259

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

In Belgrade, Serbia, winter months offer surprisingly good birding possibilities. And that harsher, mountainous climate attracts some northern guests to overwinter, as well as birds that come down from Serbian mountains to spend the winter in somewhat lower and more hospitable areas, such as Avala. Photo Snezana Panjkovic.

Serbia 306

Serbia Woodpeckers Ducks Birds 306

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia, offers several great birding spots and here are some recommendations for areas to go birding in and around the city, how to get there by public transport, and some of the bird species you might expect to see. To get there, take the bus line 56 to the “Cukarica” stop.

Transported 279

Transported Woodpeckers Serbia Birds 279

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2024

In a recent post, I already covered some impressions of birding in Bonn in spring. But since this is easily the place where I go birding most frequently (if you’re allowed to call a stroll around the block birding!), Several Common House-Martins joined, and a single Sand Martin , my first for the park, also tagged along.

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Birds Collecting Canada Hunting 246

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

Not all birds are created equal. These are the kinds of birds even those barely cognizant of nature recognize, appreciate, and aspire to. These are the kinds of birds even those barely cognizant of nature recognize, appreciate, and aspire to. Central Africa has one of those birds.

Uganda 299

Uganda Africa Penguins 2019 299

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2011

Last week I introduced the Great Frigatebird , one of five species of man-o-war bird. I got rather carried away showing all the plumages you can see around a breeding colony, which means I had to split my post on the species into two. They are capable of covering great distances, perhaps like an albatross.

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Albatross Philippines Hawaii Hunting 215

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2024

While I have visited a few birding sites around the Netherlands during the course of my Bachelor studies, I did not go birding a lot around the city where I lived, Maastricht. On the bird recording site Waarneming, I saw that a Great Northern Diver ( Common Loon ) was found on a lake just south of the city.

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Netherlands Birds Ducks Hunting 246

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

This was actually the place where the late Richard ffrench spent much of his time as a music teacher, amassing countless observations of birds that would later form the basis of one of the essential birding guides for Trinidad and Tobago. The subtle white edging to the gape of this bird indicates it is near breeding time.

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Trinidad Birds Parrots Falcons 263

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2023

Perhaps a little more shock-inducing and paradoxical than concepts of birding at sewage ponds or graveyards, an oil refinery seems to be the antithesis of a desirable place for a birder. From Yellow-hooded Blackbirds to Purple and Common Gallinules , there are almost too many birds to focus on!

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Trinidad Ducks Birds Fish 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2024

The refuge has more than 10,000 eBird checklists and 286 species have been observed by approximately 1,100 eBirders. The most popular of the ten eBird hotspots is McNary NWR–Headquarters/Quail Trail , which does indeed feature California Quail , as well as Yellow-Headed Blackbirds and numerous other species.

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Washington Oregon Wildlife United States 246

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2020

One of the many things I did not know about Delhi is that it is the capital city with the second-largest number of bird species (after Nairobi). So when I went there for work last year, I added three days of birding to the trip. Not the most exciting bird in the world, I guess, but still worth showing in a democracy.

Cattle 263

Cattle India Sanctuary Birds 263

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

The only bird-related activity I can think of is looking at bird photos I took in Singapore in 2015, and adding some irrelevant comments to them. Presumably, birds living in Singapore do not understand German. Lesser Whistling Ducks are “not threatened by hunting as they are not considered good to eat” ( Wikipedia ).

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Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2012

My family took our annual post-Easter Egg hunt hike at Powder Mills Park, where I spied several gorgeous matched pairs of Wood Ducks along with lots of different woodpecker species. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed.

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2012 Eggs Hunting Woodpeckers 241

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2013

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the rest of 10,000 Birds. I’m not just saying this to be an annoying gadfly on the backside of the birding and general wildlife community, although this is certainly a fringe benefit. Qualifying statements to follow). I’m not even trolling (much).

Lions 242

Lions Killing Hunting Hunters 242

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2022

How high is birding on your list of activities – is it the very first or merely one of? These are the types I recognise: Coffee Break Birding – 10-15 minutes, usually not planned ahead but squeezed out of your schedule. It is a good option if you know that there is that one special bird. My kind of birding.

India 289

India Africa Birds Laws 289

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 10, 2012

The family Picathartidae consists of two very unusual birds; White-necked or Yellow-headed Picathartes , endemic to the Upper Guinea forests of West Africa; and Gray-necked or Red-headed , restricted to Lower Guinea forests of Central Africa. Gray-necked or Red-headed Picathartes in Korup National Park, Cameroon.

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Sierra Leone Ghana Equatorial Guinea Cameroon 274

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2023

On the slow crawl into the farm, the first sighting was a small group of Green Ibis – a new species for me. Endemic to the Guianan shield, this species has captivated me since I first laid eyes on a photograph of it. The Point-tailed Palmcreeper is a strange bird in all senses. I had never before seen a Limpkin do this.

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Farming Guyana Birds South America 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2011

As you’ll remember, Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources unanimously passed its sandhill crane hunting proposal. The public comment period on the Kentucky sandhill crane hunting proposal ends AUGUST 1 2011. Here are six top reasons to protest this hunt. Why put additional pressure on a recovering species?

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Kentucky Hunters Protest Protesters 260

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2012

One of the defining characteristics of birds, besides the obvious features of wings and feathers, is their bills. From toucans to curlews and from hummingbirds to flamingos, birds display an almost otherworldly diversity in these body-parts. Bills are instrumental in defining three of the senses in birds – taste, touch and smell.

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Mammals Mozambique Birds Colombia 261

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2014

It took me a while to wrap my mind around the concept of Birds and People , Mark Cocker and David Tipling’s book that, in 592 pages, explores the intersection of just that—birds and us. Nor have I overlooked “sightings” of birds in movies mouthing other birds’ calls. I’m not sure why.

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Egypt Birds Albania Eagles 244

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

The number of people who hunt waterfowl in the US has declined since the mid 1990s. Eventually, the pigeons, as it were, may come home to roost and the waterfowl and other wildlife, as well as hunters and bird watchers, will be sitting ducks. And, of course, bird watchers are in a sense free-loading on the duck stamps as well.

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Ducks Hunters Hunting Wildlife 256

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

Or whether there are certain handicaps that prevent the ready discovery of shorebirds or waterfowl or grassland birds. A community of which I count myself as a member, not so oddly enough, so you’re just going to have to either suffer through this anecdote or try to appreciate the tiny victories that birding can bring you.

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Birds Suffering Hunting Collecting 223

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2019

These reports (called “ Banking on Nature “) are relevant to birders because they are among the few comprehensive analyses that relate to the economic impact of birders on national wildlife refuges, which are among the more popular birding locations. A number of these NWRs appear on my list of the Top 25 NWRs for Birding.).

Wildlife 279

Wildlife Maryland San Francisco Minnesota 279

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2022

Here in Shanghai, December is the month that a birder’s addiction cannot be satisfied by the increasingly meager assortment of species at Nanhui – we have to go to other places as well. Sometimes I do not understand the attraction of bird photography either. A female on Chongming Island gave me a very skeptical look.

Birds 264

Birds Chickens Mammals Japan 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2012

I want to know – just roughly – how many birds I have seen in my life. Not how many bird species , but how many bird individuals. The critical aspect is this: I will only find out how many birds I have counted and written down. The rest would be uncounted and not put down in the notebook.

Germany 238

Germany Birds Ducks Feral 238

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2013

You may not realize it when you look at those bizarre looking waders with the massive bills and the vacant expression, but you’re looking at a group of birds that has inspired humankind for literal centuries. The group has a worldwide distribution; 28 species living and two additional extinct.

North America 250

North America Charlotte Birds Miami 250

10,000 Birds

MAY 29, 2012

At least, thought I, Florida would produce some superior birds. So I packed my binoculars thinking that, even if the trip wouldn’t be as bird-rich as my last trip to the Sunshine State (for the mighty, mighty Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival ), at least a few crackers would wing my way. Not Sea World.

Florida 231

Florida Alligators Birds Turtles 231

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

That will be the opening day of the 18th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville, Florida. Who knows what great birds 2015 will bring? Like this past January, I will be leading field trips and spending the rest of my time birding. So, basically, I’ll be birding all the time.

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2015 Wildlife Florida Honduras 256

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2021

Have you ever birded a place so young that birds still have no names ? … – part 2 – Once I finish this writing, with a strange mix of emotions I will put the Lynx field guide Birds of Colombia to the bookshelf for the first time, more than half a year after I received it. He had his Zeiss glasses in his hand. ‘I

Dolphins 264

Dolphins Colombia Otters Monkeys 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2022

It may seem like an unnecessarily recurring theme in my posts about birding within Trinidad & Tobago, but the more I write on the subject the more it becomes apparent that the number three must have some significance, somewhere. Its inaccessibility has led to it not being birded often. Broad-winged Hawk. Slowly, we continued.

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Trinidad Birds Tigers Monkeys 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

When looking for birds in Costa Rica, the Central Valley isn’t the first place that comes to mind. Tongues and patches of green space host birds but most birders leave as soon as they can. Why linger when you can go where the birding is better? I can’t blame them, I would too.

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Costa Rica Sparrows Rodents Rats 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2015

Ah Hawaii, land of beautiful beaches, surfing, warm weather, and unique birds. Because of its distance to the mainland, Hawaii is home to over 60 species of endemic birds. Few are as unique (or rare) as the Nene , or Hawaiian Goose , Hawaii’s state bird. Nenes can only be found in Hawaii, and used to be plentiful.

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Hawaii Feral Cats Mongoose Geese 207

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

In front of us, the river is two miles wide… and it is paved with birds: smaller groups of Greater White-fronted and Greylag Geese , numerous Mute Swans and Mallards , plus Eurasian Teals , Gadwalls , Common Pochards , a few Ferruginous and Tufted Ducks , Common Goldeneyes and several Smews. A goose hunt sounds like a WWII battle.

Geese 189

Geese Boars Hunting Serbia 189

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

China is not that well-known for its hornbills, but in Yunnan province, on the border to Myanmar, some species can be found. The bird in the photo is a male, as indicated by the yellow rather than blue throat sack – and by the fact that it is outside of the hole at breeding time (the female is in the hole). Visiting the family.

Myanmar 317

Myanmar Singapore China Hunting 317

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2012

Lago de Yojoa, Honduras, February 2009 Let’s say that you are a serious birder on your first trip to the neotropics and are hoping to see as many species as possible. And, just for the heck of it, let’s add that there is a serious amount of rain falling from the sky. What would you do?

Honduras 240

Honduras Birds 2009 North America 240