10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2020

Cuba (twice), South America (twice), Europe and Morocco (once) and Bali (once). But here is the truly tragic part: I was not birding during those years! These turkey-sized birds, named for their raucous calls, can muster an impressive level of volume. The White-throated Magpie-Jay: such a beautiful bird!

2006 211

2006 Morocco Birds Mexico 211

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 13, 2011

My home country of South Africa can only be described as a birding paradise! In this post, I’d like to focus on a small selection of South Africa’s special endemic birds. In this post, I’d like to focus on a small selection of South Africa’s special endemic birds. South Africa’s national bird is the Blue Crane.

South Africa 258

South Africa Lesotho Swaziland Africa 258

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2024

By Clive Finlayson Growing up in Gibraltar, it is impossible not to notice large birds of prey, in the thousands, overhead. That, and his father’s influence, got Clive hooked on birds from a very young age. Pu blishing papers, articles, and books on birds aside, Clive is also a keen bird photographer.

Africa 246

Africa Morocco Senegal 2003 246

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2011

The birds have dispersed rather widely: Four of the birds have already crossed the Sahara; two are in southern Chad, one is in northern Nigeria and the fourth one is in Burkina Faso. One cuckoo is lagging slightly behind the rest and has made it as far as Morocco. Birds, technology, and science together are simply fascinating.

Burkina Faso 157

Burkina Faso Africa Chad Nigeria 157

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2024

These big soaring birds avoid long sea crossings but even the 14 km of Strait of Gibraltar can be demanding. I have been following the local gulls with GPS tags and they spend most of their time in rubbish tips in Spain and Morocco. Having made it across the desert, they then travelled northwards towards the Strait of Gibraltar.

Pandas 213

Pandas Morocco Falcons Spain 213

10,000 Birds

MAY 11, 2024

My aunt Greet gave me a book in 1975 that featured the 60 most endangered birds in Europe. Amazingly and quite contrary to what you would believe from the gloomy news most of these birds have since recovered and are doing well. But they were in front of a Western Subalpine Warbler so… Lovely bird.

Spain 246

Spain Ducks Morocco Europe 246

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2023

And since I suspect there may be others out there who, like I, feel something of a personal connection with 10,000 Birds’ regular writers, I feel the need to explain my absence. Two other countries we visited, Morocco and Turkey, have recently experienced catastrophic earthquakes. I’m sorry. My wife got to fly up for them.

Mexico 244

Mexico Morocco Cuba Jordan 244

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 24, 2016

And while the Blue Jay may have 4 forms across North America, the Eurasian Jay could lay claim to 40, from Scotland to Morocco to the Japanese Islands. The erectile crest and characteristic blue wing panel, suggests that they are closely related to the North American, Blue Jay, but they do not share a genus.

Morocco 157

Morocco North America Collecting America 157

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 9, 2016

Likely of particular interest to 10,000 Birds readers, no matter their nationality, is that U.S. climate talks , currently underway in Morocco. support for environmental protections and measures against climate change may flag with the pending change of administrations. That’s according to interviews with experts at a new round of U.N.

Protection 133

Protection Morocco 2017 Wildlife 133

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2012

These charismatic, colorful and finely formed birds are favorites amongst birders from experts to novices, and lie within the group of birds whose beauty even non-birders really appreciate. Besides being colorful and energetic, another plus of these lovely birds is that they are relatively easy to track down.

Africa 266

Africa Gabon Uganda South Africa 266

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2024

Most serious bird photographers dislike taking pictures of birds wearing rings (or what on the other side of the Atlantic you call bands). I can sympathise, as a shiny new ring, clamped to a bird’s leg, rarely enhances its portrait. The information I received didn’t indicate the age of the bird.

Lithuania 130

Lithuania Morocco Iceland Ireland 130

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, experts have determined that the current rate of bird extinction is somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000 times the background rate. Globally, 1,313 bird species of a total of count of 10,064 are threatened, a frightening 13% of the total.

Endangered Species 238

Endangered Species Species Morocco South Africa 238

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Furthermore we have another very special stork-like bird, the regal Shoebill , previously known as the Whale-headed Stork but now placed in its own family. Further to the east, Asian Openbill displays the same special feature but is mostly a white plumaged bird.

Africa 250

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 250

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2016

Or a bit of a PR disaster for my birding skillz if I am not correct. The second group has two odd forms with a limited distribution, namely yarrellii of the British isles and sub-personata from Morocco. And here is the series of pictures I was able to take before the bird took off. So it may turn out to be a bit of a big deal.

Germany 100

Germany Sharks Morocco Asia 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

There’s something wonderfully primeval about the Northern Bald Ibis: it has the look of a bird that really ought to be extinct. The fact that it’s not is quite surprising, as this curious bird has come very close to the brink. Nesting is now confined to Morocco, irregularly in Boghari in Algeria and in Birecik, Turkey.” (The

Morocco 246

Morocco Austria Algeria Germany 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2012

Birding can be a double-edged sword, getting out birding, seeing, hearing and ‘doing’ birding is as we all know incredibly good for the soul and simply the best way to spend time.

Morocco 198

Morocco Turtles Protest Protesters 198

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

They showed us quite a bit of the city, and I of course was on the lookout for birds. Last year, my wife and I visited (in a professional capacity) friends who at that time lived in a high-rise apartment building in Marrakesh. This year, when we went back to… Source

Birds 130

Birds Species Morocco 130