10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2013

It is one of three species of ani ( Groove-billed and Greater Anis are the other two) and together form a unique branch in the cuckoo family. Smooth-billed Anis were relative newcomers as breeders to Florida, having only begun nesting since the 1930s. A Groove-billed Ani photographed in Pinellas County in 2011, by Carlos Sanchez.

Florida 235

Florida Virgin Islands Miami Breeders 235

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2012

Truth is, coming in to this year I found myself with some time off after the sale of a business, but I was tied to New York and not really able to travel extensively for family reasons. It really depends on where the strays and vagrants show up in the second half of the year. That’s about 300 species in a typical year.

New York 225

New York Stray Vermont Marine Life 225

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Common Cuckoo is a fascinating bird, an obligate parasitic breeder that employs numerous strategies, including fraud and murder, to survive. But in 2020, with all my travel plans cancelled and pretty much everything shut down, I wasn’t straying too far from Albany, New York for birding. It’s been quite the year, hasn’t it?

2020 264

2020 Birds Costa Rica Germany 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2024

If you see a flock of kestrels in southern Europe, then the chances are that they will be Lessers, for the Common Kestrel never flocks, though occasionally in summer you will see a family hunting together. The hovering is generally for shorter periods than that of Common Kestrels, with less wing flapping.

Falcons 246

Falcons Spain Europe Portugal 246