10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 2, 2021

This shouldn’t have to be stated, especially in a book on bird evolution by an evolutionary biologist with a Ph.D. But, ‘synthesis’ is a dry word, and this is a book with a quiet yet firm personality underlying its words. The book is smartly organized into 12 chapters. that’s three birds).

Science 202

Science Albatross Research Owls 202

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

They may be about bird eggs ( The Most Perfect Thing: The Inside (and Outside) of a Bird’s Egg , 2016), or a 17th-century ornithologist ( Virtuoso by Nature: The Scientific Worlds of Francis Willughby, 2016), or How Bullfinches learn songs from humans ( The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology.

Dissection 207

Dissection Birds Europe Eggs 207

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2012

Or, Pygmy leaf-folding frogs, Afrixalus brachycnemis, from Tanzania, tiny climbing frogs who lay their eggs in leaves and then fold the leaves over them for protection, sealing the nest with secretions. This is what happens when you read a book like Frogs and Toads of the World , by Chris Mattison.

Reptiles 181

Reptiles Madagascar Family New York City 181

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2024

Bird Day is a lovely, little jewel of a book. Hauber and artist Tony Angell fulfills this goal beautifully and was the factor that motivated me to review this book. The essays also touch on conservation, though less that the amount I would have assumed would be in a book that is part of an “Earth Day” series.

Barn Owls 169

Barn Owls Chicago Penguins New Zealand 169

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

Steve, another member of our birding group, also had a field guide by Kenefick, Restall, and Hayes, but his was bordered in GREEN, had a slightly different title, and, to my extreme chagrin, was much more recent, showing the recently split Trinidad Motmot instead of the Blue-crowned Motmot on my book’s cover. I was confused.

Trinidad 188

Trinidad South America Birds 2011 188

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Journeys With Penguins: Tracking the World’s Most Extreme Penguin is a different type of penguin book. Kooyman (co-author with Jim Mastro) spent decades studying Emperor Penguins and can be considered the world’s foremost expert on the species. Author Gerald L. Kooyman wanted to know what they did the rest of the year.

Penguins 150

Penguins Seals Leopards Mammals 150

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2012

It’s the warbler that is often the last unchecked species on birders’ life lists and, whether you list or not, for most of us observing it is a once in a lifetime experience. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species list. A nest wasn’t found until 1903, which set off a craze for Kirtland’s Warbler skins, nests, and eggs.

Michigan 219

Michigan Bahamas Endangered Species Research 219

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

So, when Redgannet asked me if I was interested in reviewing Phillipps’ Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo: Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Kalimantan, Third Edition , by Quentin Phillipps and Karen Phillipps, a book he had acquired at Birdfair, I hesitated. Did I dare dip my toe into this catalog of tantalizing species?

Brunei 172

Brunei Asia Birds China 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

The section South Georgia Wildlife describes 65 species of birds, 20 species of sea mammals, nearly 60 species of insects, and more than 40 species of flowering and nonflowering plants. The book is entitled South Georgia, but it also covers nearby areas including the South Sandwich Islands, Shag and Clerke Rocks.)

Georgia 172

Georgia Penguins Wildlife Whales 172

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2014

Nearly wiped out by human heedlessness, development, and pesticide use, under the protection of the Endangered Species Act this handsome fish eagle has made a stunning comeback, rebounding in numbers and recolonizing areas where many thought they were gone forever. As an experiment, I also ran this book by a non-birding friend.

Bald Eagle 218

Bald Eagle Eagles Endangered Species Washington 218

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2012

trying to grasp the enormity of what had just happened, and reading this book, The Feathery Tribe: Robert Ridgway and the Modern Study of Birds by Daniel Lewis. Reading this book is, in addition to everything else, an exercise in getting to know the originals of many of our apostrophized birds.

Illinois 145

Illinois Collecting Alaska United States 145

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

It is the 100th Anniversary of the extinction of the species known as the Passenger Pigeon and writers are paying attention. What is amazing is that each of these three books is very different in content and tone. This is not that kind of book, as Fuller makes clear from the beginning. We have a lot of source material.

2014 159

2014 Killing Michigan Kentucky 159

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2024

Osborn, a passionate field biologist who participates to the core of her being three re-introduction projects aimed at saving three very different, endangered species: Peregrine Falcon, Hawaiian Crow (‘Alala)*, and California Condor. My only wish is that the book included photographs. This is the most intense, tragic section.

California Condor 129

California Condor Falcons California Coyotes 129

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2018

It’s not often that we have the opportunity to glimpse the home life of albatrosses, nor of any seabird species. Where does the female Emperor Penguin go after she has produced that one egg and handed it over to the male for incubation? Technology to the rescue! What about incubation shifts?

Albatross 114

Albatross Penguins Research Breeding 114

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

Wildlife conservation is concerned with protecting wildlife at the level of species or perhaps population. With the exception of species that number in the hundreds, conservation biologists are not as concerned with the fates of individual animals, it is only when such fates of many individuals are added up do they begin to worry.

Animal Rights 256

Animal Rights Rights Animal New Zealand 256

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

While these birds are very much liked by Chinese birders, the species could unfortunately not be named the National Bird of China as the Latin species name of the bird is Grus Japonicus. Apparently, birds that are fast in exploring new things – bold birds – are better at rejecting parasitic eggs ( source ).

Eggs 191

Eggs Bald Eagle Birds Owls 191

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2022

The Oriental Scops Owl is possibly my favorite of all bird species (though I may have said that about other species as well) – so, here’s a post with just some photos of this owl taken this autumn migration season. ” According to this book, scops (?) It comes in two morphs – one greyish, one reddish.

Owls 162

Owls Eggs Woodpeckers Cats 162

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022

Even when writing my book with all ardent efforts to remain unbiased; the section on Sandpipers & Allies was by far the longest – surpassing mega-families like Thraupidae and Tyrannidae. Lesser Yellowlegs can easily be confused with the aforementioned species except when they are standing next to each other.

Fish 228

Fish Eggs Family Humane 228

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2015

The species was in the news because some scientists had finally managed (or bothered – it’s much the same thing) to locate the population high in the mountains of the Solomon Islands, and catch and photograph one. Box after box of egg. Unsurprisingly the ones that most stick in the mind were the lost species.

Collecting 213

Collecting Solomon Islands New Zealand Fiji 213

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2013

Once again Pied Oystercatcher breeding season is fast approaching in Broome and we can expect the first batch of eggs to be laid within the next few weeks. We have monitored a 23 kilometre section of beach in Broome for several years now and have discovered that they are not as site faithful or as monogamous as you read in text books.

Eggs 169

Eggs Breeding Australia Raised 169

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2024

Given that according to the HBW, the species prefers dense primary and secondary montane forests, the note that the bird also forages among kitchen waste (in the same HBW entry) seems somewhat incongruous. His obituary was published in Nature. Quite possibly, this laughingthrush is now locally extinct in Switzerland or at least in Basel.

Burma 187

Burma India Thailand Indonesia 187

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2021

.” His classes attracted diverse groups of students, often with little scientific background: “Students have to first pass biology, but most come in knowing next to nothing about birds except that they can fly, that they have feathers, and that they lay eggs.”. No publisher wants to publish a book that can’t be sold.

2018 262

2018 Agenda Science Massachusetts 262

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 25, 2024

It took me a moment to grab my passport and safely restore it to its place in my carefully organized travel pack because I could not help but stare at my name carelessly written into this large book that was halfway around the world from my home. However, I cannot stop thinking about my name written in that book.

Lesotho 213

Lesotho Sheep Groundhogs South Africa 213

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2014

We can, of course, count wild, native, species. We can count vagrant species that made it to the area we are in under their own power. We can count introduced species that have met the criteria of the “Bird Police” for the area to which they are introduced. When we eat eggs we eat chicken eggs almost exclusively.

Chickens 191

Chickens Florida Feral Eating Eggs 191

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

The opening beautifully encapsulates the essence of the book. She doesn’t know the species till it emerges, almost dreamlike, from the heavy glare of the sun. Fox encounters 69 species, some singly, some in huge feeding or migrating flocks. We are all suckers for an albatross, at least in the United States.

Fox 100

Fox Albatross Geese Bald Eagle 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2013

It isn’t in your book of seabirds? (It But, to Elizabeth Gehrman, the author of Rare Birds: The Extraordinary Tale of the Bermuda Petrel and the Man who Brought it Back from Extinction, and to David Wingate, the man who Gehrman profiles in this excellent book, the Bermuda Petrel is always the cahow. You’ve never heard of the cahow?

Rats 164

Rats Breeding Birds 2012 164

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 16, 2015

On our first morning after breakfast, my group and the teens piled onto a boat and headed out to Eastern Egg Rock, once again the breeding ground for Atlantic Puffins (as well as a host of other seabirds) thanks to biologist Dr. Stephen Kress. There are over a million species of arthropods. What was it like?”

Puffins 245

Puffins Birds Groups West Virginia 245

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2022

The one bird I did not see here, however, was the Bateleur Eagle … One highlight in the area is the Saddle-billed Stork , likely to be the tallest species in the stork family. The African Spoonbill is one of the six global spoonbill species, and the main African one (there are also some Eurasian Spoonbills in Africa).

Ostriches 147

Ostriches Parrots Eggs Africa 147

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

ForestPuffin was targeting this species as it is very habitat dependent and, unbeknownst to me, such habitat exists within a big stone’s throw of my house. Second they are reliant on Horseshoe Vetch on which they lay their eggs and on which the caterpillars feed. The male is on the left.

Rabbits 155

Rabbits Ireland 2002 Sheep 155

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Even the Latin species name soror (“sister”) indicates the similarity to another pitta species (blue-naped). The eBird description of the Small Niltava starts with the surprisingly dull statement that “size distinguishes this species from other niltavas” Who would have thought.

China 215

China Birds Pythons Eagles 215

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2016

Once upon a time, back in the heady, innocent days of 2014, I reviewed a book called The Mincing Mockingbird Guide to Troubled Birds. Of all the books I’ve ever had the honor of reviewing for this site, it was in some ways the most attuned to my own particular sensibility. The Mincing Mockingbird.

Lovebirds 104

Lovebirds 2014 Eggs Wildlife 104

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2022

” (quoted from Tim Low’s book “The Origin of Song”). Wikipedia seems not too impressed with the species, stating that “the brown honeyeater is a medium-small, plain grey-brown honeyeater” The Latin species name indistincta (indistinct, obscure) sounds similarly underwhelming.

Australia 147

Australia Parrots Birds Memphis 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2015

Birdie books will obviously take precedence, but a well written, lavishly illustrated guide is a thing of beauty whatever the discipline. Although the guide describes species from a limited range, the importance of bees throughout the world cannot be overstated. A book mark was very useful to make the glossary quickly accessible.

Ireland 100

Ireland United States 2010 Game 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 7, 2011

This happened to me recently on a birding trip, with somewhat egg-on-the-face results. We were driving up to northwestern Michigan from our homes in Ohio (me) and West ByGod Virginia (Geoff) in search of a bird species that would be a lifer for both of us: the Bohemian Waxwing. I was on a birding quest trip with my friend Geoff Heeter.

2011 210

2011 Michigan Birds Ohio 210

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2024

The island is teeming with so many birds that their eggs and young chicks were once harvested for food. We had the foresight to book the Three Islands Seabird Seafari in advance, a thrilling journey where we would see the seabirds around Lamb, Craigleith, and Bass Rock from a small inflatable boat.

Puffins 156

Puffins Sanctuary Lamb Investigation 156

Animal Person

OCTOBER 26, 2009

The good news is that if you know someone who needs to be schooled on all of the sordid details of factory farming, and appreciates good writing, this is a great book. Also, if, like me, you know someone who appreciates the things we do with language to mask the reality of our behavior, this is a great book. Not great, but good.

Factory Farm 100

Factory Farm Factory Farming Animal Vegan 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2022

Side note: Indeed, if you follow the titles of newly published books, you will see that there is a constant flow of “Reverse harem” publications. According to the HBW, when breeding, male birds do most of the incubation and parenting while females often leave the nest up to one week before the eggs hatch.

Birds 162

Birds South Korea Japan Abandon 162