10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2011

The Buller’s Mollymawk is an endemic breeder to New Zealand, although it ranges widely away from the islands to feed, and regularly goes to South America’s Humboldt Current to feed. As albies go they seem to be doing better than most species, and are only listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. I hope you enjoy the photos.

Albatross 259

Albatross New Zealand South America Breeders 259

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

Both the male and female of the species have a bright red crown. Most Acorn Woodpeckers are cooperative breeders and live in family groups of up to a dozen or more individuals. Within a group, 1–7 male co-breeders compete for matings with 1–3 joint-nesting females who lay their eggs in the same nest cavity.

Woodpeckers 210

Woodpeckers Breeders North America Groups 210

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2020

This is not to say that you won’t find great birds where you are, but only that they will likely be the resident breeders or wintering species you’ve already grown accustomed to. As we ascend to the height of the season, we become more likely to encounter extreme weather coupled with extremely mundane birding.

2020 203

2020 Breeders New York Birds 203

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2011

You can see the list of the more than 270 bird species observed throughout the year at the marsh, along with their frequency and time of year seen here. Among the several species we did see on the jetty however, is the Black Turnston e ( Arenaria melanocephala ). Click on photos for full sized images.

Sanctuary 251

Sanctuary Breeders Alaska North America 251

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2013

His personal fieldwork, supplemented with research into records dating back to 1794, are melded here to create not merely an exhaustive list of recorded species with notes on their status, dates, and population trends, but a portrait of a patch.

Breeders 247

Breeders Birds Wildlife Research 247

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2014

Traveling really rejuvenates the passion when local breeders become banal. It is the first record of this invasive species for New York City and it served as a nice contrast to the hordes of pigeons in the neighborhood. Most people don’t expect birding wisdom from Buffet, but he is, after all, the Chief Parrothead! How about you?

New York City 203

New York City 2014 Breeders Virginia 203

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

We all have invasive species on our minds this week, which should serve as an inspiration to those of us interested in expanding our personal range. Being a resident in an ecosystem certainly has its advantages, as does being a breeder (sometimes), but, every once in a while, you should visit someplace where you’re considered an exotic!

Colombia 189

Colombia Breeders 2014 Birds 189

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2020

But we’re not confined to a wasteland of resident breeders just yet, are we? His Best Bird of the Weekend was an Acadian Flycatcher in Forest Park on Sunday both because it’s a good bird for his home borough and because it was the final of the five Empidonax species that occur in Queens that he saw this year.

2020 203

2020 Breeders Birds Owls 203

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2013

The male and female of the species look very similar but they are easy to tell apart. Probably one of the most interesting things about these little birds is that they are cooperative breeders. It is camouflaged with local plant material, usually of the tree species the nest is built within.

North America 236

North America Breeders America Breeding 236

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

The species ranges widely across the Pacific, as its scientific name suggests, from the Revillagigedo Islands off Mexico to the Japanese Bonin Islands to New South Wales in Australia. In the air you can see the wedged tail that gives the species its name. I’ll do a post on this special little shearwater later on.

Albatross 209

Albatross Madagascar Breeders Mexico 209

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2015

In fact, they are one of the few avian species that can survive on classic American lawns, perhaps explaining why their range is so large. Still, this leaves them more vulnerable to pesticides compared to many other species. Robins are prolific breeders, capable of producing not one, not two, but three broods in one summer season.

Connecticut 199

Connecticut Wisconsin Michigan Hawaii 199

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2011

Interestingly, according to BirdLife International , which lists the Glaucous Gull as a Species of Least Concern because of its large range and population, the populations found in the western Palearctic tend to remain near nesting grounds year-round so it is essentially only the North American breeders that wander during the winter months.

Breeders 223

Breeders Birds Species 223

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2011

… leaving the remainder of the birds on the Cyprus Species List (over 380 species) are either migrants or accidentals. the first three found only in the Troodos and Paphos forests). That’s quite a lot! As it happens though, Blackcaps may provide a modern example of how this can occur.

Cyprus 157

Cyprus Breeders 2000 Protection 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

Dawn Fine Mar 15th, 2011 at 3:50 pm NO Comment YourBirdOasis.com Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:07 pm Yeah, polygynandry is really weird…what other species have this breeding system? In the case of Acorn Woodpeckers, they are cooperative breeders (as with many other polygynandrous species), which seems to predispose species to polygynandry.

2011 235

2011 Breeders Deer Breeding 235

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2011

Western New York might not boast a phenomenal diversity of resident breeders, but we have lots of fun species summering here. Share your plans in the comments below. Corey and I both plan to stay local and low key. I hope to run into some! Whatever your plans this weekend, make time to enjoy SkyWatch Friday.

Breeders 162

Breeders 2011 New York Game 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2022

So, the basic idea is to show 15 species of Australian birds in each post and give you the usual trivia about them. This species has also eliminated the need for childcare – the chicks emerge from this pile on their own and never even get to see their parents. Similarly, the Grey Shrikethrush is neither a shrike nor a thrush.

Australia 255

Australia Koalas Parrots Birds 255

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

One of the less well remembered awful things that happened in the Second World War (a six year period of history filled with an uncountable number of awful things) is that war’s direct role in the extinction of two species of rail. The loss of these two species was, in fact, no aberration, except in how late the extinctions were.

Hawaii 253

Hawaii Guam Mammals Fiji 253

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2014

Sure, Miami and the Florida Keys do not boast any endemics ( ‘Cape Sable’ Seaside Sparrow is close) at the species level. Many visitors who come through Orlando or Tampa see maybe eight or ten species on a winter trip. However, few realize how unique and how good the birding can be here.

Florida 180

Florida Miami Stray United States 180

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2011

Even the most barren habitat shelters enough stealthy, confusing, downright frustrating species to scare off newbies. Every season presents its specialty species in the full flower of their availability, diversity, and beauty. Too many steps in a process can seem daunting, so always keep it as simple as possible.

United States 253

United States Birds 2006 Breeders 253

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2011

It is even more odd to be birding Central Park in June, when migration has essentially wrapped up and all that is left are breeders and stragglers. But that is what I did yesterday morning because Nate was in town, I had some time available, and we are birders!

Fish 200

Fish New York City North Carolina Breeders 200

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2024

Apparently, the species name rutila means “red, golden red, reddish yellow”, which sounds a bit like a contradiction in itself. It is well known that chicks of this morph immediately start having an identity crisis when combining the knowledge of their species name with the information gathered from a look in the mirror.

Killing 240

Killing Birds Breeding Breeders 240

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2018

The only unstreaked pipit around here and a characteristic breeder of sand dunes is the Tawny Pipit and this one shows well, holding to the grass edge. They are quite a rare breeding species in Serbia, declining as we speak, but one pair breeds nearby. Two European Rollers await us on the wires, while one Eurasian Hoopoe flies by.

Serbia 176

Serbia Eagles Falcons Breeders 176

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2022

Not bad given that the 5 families in the inner circle of the laughingthrush family have a combined number of about 68 species. The Hainan version is sometimes considered a separate species, in which case it is classified as Near Threatened. 36, if my counting is right and there has been no very recent split or lump.

San Diego 273

San Diego Malaysia China Zoos 273

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2011

The grasslands have been popping off with breeders for well over a month, but the snow is just now giving way to lush alpine meadows and rocky tundras. This is my time of year to explore thin air and look for unique Colorado breeders. Most REAL montane species like this finch are declining in overall population.

Colorado 169

Colorado Breeders Wyoming United States 169

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 264

China Birds Pythons Eagles 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2014

The next hour plus netted me a host of other species, including my two other targets, Virginia Rail and Common Gallinule. As always, the woods around the marsh were busy with breeders setting up shop. Who likes a declining species of shorebird that eschews the shore and has as its most impressive vocalization a wolf-whistle?

Breeding 168

Breeding New York Downers Breeders 168

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

Westland Petrels are endemic breeders to New Zealand, and an attractive large black seabird. It is one of several species of Procellaria petrels found in New Zealand, and several more that are found in the southern hemisphere. Westland Petrel ( Procellaria westlandica ). Westland Petrel with Cape Petrel behind.

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Breeders Albatross Mammals 157

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

Their habitats vary widely in both rural and urban landscapes; open habitats are preferred and the species generally shuns only extensively forested areas and wetlands 1. To show how adaptive this species is, the following photograph was sent to me by one of my readers and I use it with her permission.

Hunters 220

Hunters Hunting North America Game 220

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2013

It was for many years the last place you’d find Stitchbirds anywhere in the world, and to this day it still has the largest population of this species and arguably the only stable and secure one. Cook’s Petrel ( Pterodroma cookii ) is another range-restricted breeder that nests on Little Barrier Island.

New Zealand 158

New Zealand Rats Cooking 2003 158

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. Fish & Wildlife Service has a web page for this species – but it contains absolutely no information.

Burma 246

Burma India Indonesia Thailand 246

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2020

Just as your conationals up north are rejoicing over the return of hundreds of migratory species, you sadly say goodbye to the same. I have still seen each of these species out in the forest between two days and three weeks after they abandoned my yard. So go ahead and take your summer breeders back. That is a garden first!

Nashville 178

Nashville Louisiana ALA Breeders 178

10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2020

One has a large yard in the jungle along the same flyway, and can see as many as 100 species during migration, including a fantastic collection of eastern Wood Warblers. A good morning in my yard will probably only yield some 20 species, including those seen from my house and in neighbors’ yards.

Birds 215

Birds Breeders Species Mexico 215

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

That more-or-less covers a vast range – both metaphorically and literally, as the yellower birds are eastern breeders and the more whitish ones hail from the west. The other half glow more-or-less yellow. Their habitat and incessant tail-bobbing makes them easy to pick out even before I spot the rusty cap and yellow under-tail coverts.

San Diego 212

San Diego Sparrows Breeders 2009 212

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2024

The antwren had been elevated to species level and Hilton is just a sucker for anything Paulista, and besides, who needs a reason to go birding? He did know all the little roads in the area and as he wasn’t a trapper but a breeder we asked him to show us the way. It is possible to clutch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Mozambique 246

Mozambique Zimbabwe Birds Mammals 246

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2011

They are the first of our migrant breeders to go, and they are gone by the beginning of August. The species is quite common within settlements indeed, and the inner cities are a favoured haunt. The theatre of the evening sky that soothes the mind and brings to rest the hot summer days is over. That is early.

Elephants 190

Elephants Neglecting Europe Breeders 190

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

I am planning to have this post be the first in a (very) small series on Europe’s “large white-headed gulls” It will of course only be a small series since there aren’t that many large white-headed gull species in Europe and particularly because I don’t want to cause too harsh a drop in the blog’s visitor numbers.

Europe 175

Europe Spain Italy Ireland 175

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2015

In all that swirling of swallows, I am not certain was there a third species, so I keep watching. Supposedly, in Spring this area is teeming with migrating passerines, but in September, I recorded a mere dozen species, including very numerous Red-backed Shrikes (9 in this area alone). eBird hotspots of Prespa lakes. Practicalities.

Greece 252

Greece Pelicans Geese Albania 252