10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Though Ron is based in Ontario his reports are eagerly anticipated by birders across the northeastern United States and eastern Canada because it takes into account a vast array of data to figure out which irruptive species might show up where. See individual species forecasts for details.

2012 261

2012 2013 Canada United States 261

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2024

Award-winning free-lance science journalist Nicola Jones , most noted for her work on climate change and environmental issues, ventured into the book world with a picture book on the wildlife rehabilitation efforts for one of North America’s most endangered bird species, the Northern Spotted Owl.

Owls 246

Owls Wildlife Rehabilitation Endangered Species Protection 246

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2012

Warbling Vireos are found breeding in open deciduous woods, often riparian, across Mexico, the United States, and southern Canada. Their fondness for open woods means that they often adapt well to breeding in parks and it was Van Saun Park in New Jersey’s Bergen County that I found the individual shown in this blog post.

New Jersey 248

New Jersey Philadelphia United States Canada 248

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2012

And, as you can imagine about a species with “Indigo” in its common name and Passerina cyanea for a scientific name, these birds are blue blue blue! Indigo Buntings breed from southern Canada across the eastern and central United States, and as far west as Nevada. How willing were these birds to pose?

Nevada 259

Nevada United States Canada Breeding 259

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2024

She lives and birds in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with some trips farther afield. She enjoys seeing all species of birds, but her favorites are hummingbirds. A Palm Warbler , in breeding plumage, hopped onto the end of our table. We decided to have a picnic lunch there. But it was a little warbler who joined us for lunch.

Alligators 244

Alligators Woodpeckers Turkey Florida 244

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2023

The official Ontario bird checklist, produced by Ontario Field Ornithologists , June 2022 listed 506 bird species**, putting it in the top tier of U.S. Small Species Accounts: Each species is allotted one page (with certain exceptions) offering basics–bird names and size, one or two photographs, and a one-paragraph description.

North America 246

North America Birds Owls Canada 246

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2011

The Tennessee Warbler is a poster child for the boreal forests of Canada and the far northern United States. Its population actually fluctuates in response to the availability of Spruce Budworm and though it nests on the ground it is entirely inseparable from the forests of the north during breeding season.

Tennessee 247

Tennessee Ecuador South America United States 247

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

They are a non-migratory species found in western coniferous and mixed-coniferous forests, breeding from Alaska, western Canada, and the United States south through western Mexico to Nicaragua.

Nicaragua 209

Nicaragua Alaska United States Canada 209

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2020

The annual parade of birds is happening and the feathered participants are dressed in their best breeding suits. Now is when we can venture into the closest park and see birds of the deep woods, species that breed far from town. Now is the special time that birders look forward to all year long. Summer Tanagers also migrate.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica 2020 Spain Panama 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2020

Perhaps one of my reasons for going to the lake was that it guarantees more species in one day than any of my other sites. But I am also always eager to get a better handle on the migration dates for our wintering species, and April is a great month for that. How on earth do they breed so quickly up north?)

Mexico 241

Mexico Breeding Ducks North America 241

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

Though Ron is based in Ontario his reports are eagerly anticipated by birders across the northeastern United States and eastern Canada because it takes into account a vast array of data to figure out which irruptive species might show up where. This winter’s theme is a “mixed bag” of finch movements. COMMON REDPOLL.

2014 264

2014 2015 Alaska New Hampshire 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2012

My spring has been pretty amazing so far with 146 species spotted since April 1 and Cerulean , Worm-eating , and Yellow-throated Warblers and a host of other species spotted before May even arrived, but the first couple of days in May have been even better. Queens, New York, May 2009 May is the month of migration in North America.

New York City 194

New York City New York Litter 2009 194

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2011

We will have posts on a variety of individual species of wood-warblers, wood-warbler taxonomy, searches for difficult-to-find wood-warblers, and a host of other topics. Many other non-migratory wood-warbler species are living their lives across the neotropics, doing their best to survive and pass on their genes.

United States 242

United States South America Cooking 2011 242

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2024

, I noticed that many birds had moved from setting up territories and breeding to feeding chicks, I thought it would be worth sharing some more observations. Although I once saw a group of Barn Swallows pass overhead a few weeks earlier, these birds were clearly on passage only as there was no sign of this species since.

Birds 246

Birds Collecting Canada Hunting 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

Also, our winter visitor species are starting to arrive. and Canada. They are always extremely handsome birds; one of my favorite local species, and surprisingly easy to see around Morelia. But very rainy weather during August made it harder to see exciting birds, and often resulted in poor photos of those I did see.

Colombia 264

Colombia ALA Canada Mexico 264

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

As soon as I looked at it more closely it was quite clear that it wasn’t a scaup of any species, despite its resemblance to a North American Lesser Scaup. I hadn’t considered the possible parentage more than the two probable species involved, but intriguingly a Pochard drake x Tufted duck looks quite different.

Geese 246

Geese Falcons Latvia Ducks 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2013

New World populations of the widely distributed Sandwich Tern ( Thalasseus sandvicensis ) are treated by some authorities (including the British Ornithologists’ Union) as a distinct species: Cabot’s Tern ( T. Proposal 2013-A-7 would split the Sage Sparrow ( Amphispiza belli ) into two species: Great Basin Sage Sparrow ( A.

2013 244

2013 Stray Sparrows Owls 244

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2012

In New York, as is the case across most of the area where the “eastern” wood-warblers migrate, there are four species that are almost always the first to appear. Palm Warblers , with their tail-pumping and low-foraging habits, tend to get much of the attention.

New Jersey 241

New Jersey New York Louisiana United States 241

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2015

Here are some things I’ve learned from the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean by Scott Weidensaul: The Burrowing Owl is the only North American owl species where the male is larger than the female, albeit, only slightly larger. It includes owls found in Canada, the U.S.,

North America 255

North America Owls America Dominican Republic 255

10,000 Birds

JULY 8, 2020

One of the ways I could describe the unique mix of birds I can see here in southwestern Mexico, would be to divide our species into five categories. The invasive species are few, but, unfortunately, very numerous. But there is a final group of species here, about which I have not written very much.

Mexico 261

Mexico Birds Honduras United States 261

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

When I got back into birding about six years ago, I would not have predicted the personal bonds a birder can form with certain species. While all birds bring us joy, and we certainly want to see as many as we can, some species just seem more… special. I’ll start with two species that are especially hard to find.

Mexico 226

Mexico South America Birds Turkey 226

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2021

This lake, with a surface area of up to 150 square miles in good years, is my go-to site for dozens of waterfowl and shorebird species, so I take its health personally. It is also a vital wintering and migratory site for most of these species, so I imagine they take its health very personally, as well.

San Francisco 264

San Francisco 2018 Mexico Ducks 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Counting the Birds I was in my teens when I undertook my first bird-survey: it was field work for the British Trust for Ornithology’s The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. The breeding and wintering birds of Britain and Ireland. Published in 1976, The Atlas was, I believe, the very first work of its kind.

Ireland 246

Ireland Turtles Geese Farming 246

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2012

They are fiercely territorial on breeding territory, but in migration they often gather in rather large numbers. Eastern Kingbirds breed across the eastern United States and much of southern Canada. Eastern Kingbirds can pull off amazing aerial maneuvers but can also look very inefficient in flight.

Kittens 248

Kittens Hunting South America United States 248

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2011

The sighting was easily the best I have ever had of the species, and it was in and out of view for about twenty minutes, foraging in small circuits but always coming back to the stand of thick brush where I had first spotted it. Read about them here but also get out and experience them.

Tigers 182

Tigers United States Jamaica Pennsylvania 182

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2014

It also makes sense, what with the black-on-yellow stripes and its pugnacious personality when it comes to defending both feeding areas and its breeding turf. Fortunately for birders, the Cape May Warbler is considered a Species of Least Concern by Birdlife International because of its large range and large and stable population.

New York City 205

New York City Tigers New York Canada 205

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2013

The Black-capped Chickadees have been adjusting their songs for weeks; now they are well-practiced and ready to get on with the business of breeding. I pass over the bridge on my way to class and a Song Sparrow is starting to defend a clump of bushes along the river.

Canada 228

Canada Sparrows Breeding Humane 228

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

The inscrutable species frustrated me and I found myself especially stumped by the difficulty I had distinguishing them, and wildly mystified by the excitement they inspired in my fellow-birders. On our way to the breeding rocks, we saw a group of Ruddy Turnstones fly off, but they turned a corner before we could get acquainted properly.

Puffins 229

Puffins Whales Whaling Bald Eagle 229

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2024

Many species come here to winter, breed or moult despite the presence of six refineries. For instance, Lesser Black-backed Gull s have a substantial breeding colony right next to a chemical plant. A nearby little wetland allowed me some good looks of Greylag Goose , Canada Goose ; Egyptian Goose , Mallard and Eurasian Teal.

Feral 246

Feral Transported Blackbirds Canada 246

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2013

The Black Swift is considered a Species of Special Concern in California. The Black Swift is considered a Species of Special Concern in California. Even though the overall breeding range remains largely unchanged from that in the 1940′s, the entire coastal population has been in recent severe decline.

California 240

California Costa Rica North America Niger 240

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 24, 2012

I got out of my car and walked up to the parade grounds where large numbers of Canada Geese often forage. I was wondering if I would be able to identify this bird as to its origins – Greater White-fronted Geese in the northeastern United States could be coming from Greenland or from the Alaskan and Canadian breeding population.

Geese 178

Geese New York City United States Canada 178

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2011

What species is shown? Though wood-warblers, the mostly brightly colored birds of the family Parulidae, are only found in the New World we felt that birders the world over would be pleased to see a plethora of posts about these striking and sought after species. Below is the logo. Leave your best guess in the comments.

United States 178

United States South America 2011 2012 178

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

Other species have certainly expanded their ranges, but never in such a rapid and global scale. For reasons that are not quite clear, this species underwent a massive range expansion. In the east, this species can be found along the east coast of Africa, the Nile Valley,and into parts of the middle east and India and southeast Asia.

Cattle 193

Cattle South Korea Suriname Seychelles 193

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2011

Iceland Gulls do not breed in Iceland. They do winter there, as well as in northern parts of Europe, in eastern and central Canada, and across the northeastern and central United States, but like many other birds named after places they essentially have a misnomer.

Iceland 154

Iceland United States Canada 2011 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2015

The Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors ) is not that common in California except along the coast, so I was pretty excited to discover several pair and a few non-paired individuals of the species at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on the day I had reserved photo blind #2. Click on photos for full sized images.

Sacramento 174

Sacramento Wildlife North America Ducks 174

10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2014

Montreal, while far to the north of New York City, is in Canada, which is certainly not the Adirondacks. But one of the species I most wanted to track down because they are one of my favorite boreal birds, Olive-sided Flycatchers, were absent. Shows what I know about when birds breed.

New York City 207

New York City New York Canada Woodpeckers 207

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2022

But it wasn’t the day’s first FOY species. As it turned out, these were not the only bad photos to help me flesh out my 2022 year list that day (species 201-211, on February 12th). But previous experience with Ejido Triquillo taught me that another species might turn up during the spring.

Mexico 257

Mexico Guatemala South America United States 257