This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
In short, the accepted view used to be that a small breeding population of Egyptian Vultures inhabited Southern Africa, but has vanished facing the spread of towns, roads and farms. During my lifetime, this species was rare in my native Serbia, too. Too far for a clear camera shot, but most definitively the Egyptian Vultures.
One bird species that we occasionally observe around Broome is the Yellow-billed Spoonbill, but we had not seen one for a few years until recently. We soon observed several bird species and then a Yellow-billed Spoonbill flew overhead. Not only is it a bird species we rarely encounter, but we had never found a breeding colony before.
Instead of going on about zip lines and other modern, adventure tourism attractions, the birding crowd talks about taking photos of Resplendent Quetzals , seeing dozens of hummingbird species, and the seemingly odd absence of raptors in Costa Rica but nope, we don’t really talk about extinction. Resplendence.
In Australia we definitely have our fair share of invasive species and the main problem is that we are such a huge land mass with such a small population. The population of Australia is concentrated mainly around the city areas along the coast and many invasive species have been able to spread with ease.
Out of the approximately 26 species of snipes worldwide, two have been recorded on Trinidad. The trouble begins with the recognition of the fact that both species of snipe were formerly part of a single species – Common Snipe ( Gallinago gallinago ). Such was the unlikeliness of a definitive ID.
These adaptations for avoiding predators has allowed most species of owls to flourish in their own habitat albeit, with reclusive habits. This time of year, in Colorado, offers exciting species like the Boreal Owl and the Northern Pygmy-Owl. The former two species, however, are resident and are just starting to come alive.
There were a total of 69 Royal Spoonbills and 2 Yellow-billed Spoonbills , but you had to look carefully to see the two different species. We know that Yellow-billed Spoonbills breed further south and no doubt start to roam around once they leave the breeding colony.
The official definition of CR status says the species could be gone within ten years, or could lose 80 per cent of its population within three generations – whichever comes first. Sociable Lapwings breed in several areas along the Kazakhstani – Russian border and overwinter in Iraq, Sudan and northwest India.
Of course Africa could not to be left out of the pink weekend so I have researched all African species whose official or alternative names include the word “pink”. Definitely my personal favorite of Africa’s pink birds is the delicate Pink-throated Twinspot. Great White Pelicans showing the pink flush of breeding plumage.
It was also great to finally travel overseas again, meet a lot of people I did not know (and some I did), to be in a new country… and not just the new country, but its best birding area, where almost all local hotspots are yellow (150+ species) and several are ochre (200+ sp.), impressive for Central Europe.
Never trust a field guide publisher’s claim of a definitive text, because each new edition is certain to bring more a definitive text than that from the previous edition! The section with vagrants has been expanded to accommodate more images and longer texts for several species.
Also, our winter visitor species are starting to arrive. They are always extremely handsome birds; one of my favorite local species, and surprisingly easy to see around Morelia. Mexican birder friends assure me that is definitely not the case in other parts of their range.). and Canada.
Clicking on the map will take you to an explanation of this important biome, including its climate and its plant and animal species. From the Boreal Forest Fact Sheet : 325 bird species – that’s almost half of all the bird species in North America! This is a map of of the world distribution of the Taiga or Boreal Forest biome.
It was an undeniably dank morning at the top of this island watershed, and even though we were able to discern some other species like Rufous-tailed Jacamar and the endemic Trinidad Motmot , activity was a bit slow. We were hoping for some of the more secretive species, however. From hidden perches, Blue-backed Manakins vocalized.
I finally managed to obtain some acceptable photos of this species, which I did not manage on my last visit. The favourite part of this species for me (apart from its song) is the neat white “V” on the back of the head when the bird looks away from you (only slightly visible on the photo below).
My area of central Mexico is rich in Hummingbird species, but I do not know any places that are year-round sure things for large numbers of Hummers. Which, it turns out, suits one Hummingbird species just fine. Still, when a site gets good, it really gets good! I was surrounded by loud, piercing EEP!
Whilst enjoying the Magpie Geese breeding around Broome recently we also noticed a Magpie-lark nest close to the highway in one of the very few trees beside the road. The Magpie-larks diet consists of mainly insects and there are currently numerous grasshopper species about after the recent rains and also a huge variety of dragonflies.
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.
If conditions are right, the Palm Beach Agricultural Area can be teaming with various shorebird species such as Spotted, Solitary, Upland, Buff-breasted, Least, Semipalmated, Western, and Pectoral Sandpiper, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plover, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Black-necked Stilt. They especially like live oaks.
Even so, in the short term, it can be hard to accept that hundreds of species are close to being extinguished from this irreplaceble tapestry of life, that hundreds more are headed for the same eventual abysmal stop. We would see how species that used to be common, even abundant, became remnants of their former, robust populations.
However, there are those species which have a hard time bringing attention to themselves such as Yellow-shouldered Blackbird , Giant Nuthatch , and Vinaceous-breasted Parrot. Regardless of their popularity, these species and the threatened ecosystems they inhabit are equally spectacular. Curassows are such stately birds.
White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus) Notwithstanding the fact that nearly all of the endemics and other native species are extinct the islands of St Helena and Ascension remain very popular for birdwatchers and especially photographers because they are both major breeding sites for seabirds.
Oxford Languages offers this definition: 2. (of When a birder uses the word, we usually refer to a species that canbe mostly or exclusively found in a single country. And indeed they had; we saw 7 wild duck species, where usually there are none. of a plant or animal) native and restricted to a certain place.
I often cover 45 kilometres in a day whilst I monitor the Pied Oystercatchers breeding, but I do need to plan carefully around large tides. They can walk forwards unlike other species that can only walk sideways and form large armies. I would definitely recommend birding by bicycle along the beach-but BE PREPARED!!!
By late March, hordes of Laughing Gulls and multiple species of pelagic terns gather for their turn. Both Brown and Red-footed Boobies actively breed on Little Tobago as well as Saint Giles. It was this post right here on 10,000 Birds I ended up bookmarking as the definitive source for ID’ing these two species.
Maybe these people like challenges – at least here at the monastery, getting good shots of this species is quite easy. Another species apparently enjoying the proximity of a monastery is the White-winged Grosbeak. In the non-breeding season, Common Merganser all look pretty much like females.
The Sinaloa Martin is a large swallow, which seems to breed only along a narrow band of the Sierra Madre Occidental, in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Durango, Nayarit, and Jalisco. I have now seen the species in eight different years. Of course, Paso Ancho is also a hotspot for many other beautiful species and endemics.
When the orioles arrive at my feeder, they definitely have a preference for the grape jelly to the orange–who doesn’t love to chow down on that high fructose corn syrup? They are species that breed in the US and then spend the winter in Central and South America, eating what’s avialable–especially fruit.
On the other hand, in April, some other species start breeding here in Shanghai. Nearby, two Grey-headed Lapwings have apparently decided to stay in Shanghai and start preparations for breeding. Definitely not soulmates of mine. Still, it makes you wonder whether staying in Shanghai all year really is the best decision.
It seems he had looked long and wide for this species. They have come over the years seeking specific species. For the most part, I have been able to show them the species they sought. For the most part, I have been able to show them the species they sought. Happily, I was able to show him three individuals that day.
The small community out there is lucky to have a large Common Tern colony that also hosts breeding Black Skimmers and Least Terns , to say nothing of the Piping Plovers and American Oystercatchers that breed out on the barrier beaches as well. Some are already in high breeding plumage while others are mired in drab near-basic.
Apparently, Longcanggou is a great place to see a variety of parrotbill species. I can only partly confirm this, with my sightings restricted to two species. Like many of the largest species within bird families, the Great Parrotbill looks somewhat plain, at least in the weather I encountered it. ” Definitely not.
When our local government called for Michoacán’s residents to stay at home, I said goodbye to some 250 regional species, and shut myself in at home with the other 30 that regularly visit my neighborhood. And on this particular trip, I could see all these species on a single kind of tree. And what species!
The flocks that just a fortnight ago held multiple species in varied, if subdued, hues, now overwhelmingly consist of a single species. We get to see a lot of them around here, and familiarity breeds, not contempt certainly, but perhaps apathy. I flushed several of them, mostly the brown breasted western subspecies, palmarum.
Lake Kerkini National Park in the north of Greece is the very best birding area in the Balkan Peninsula and definitely among the top ten hotspots of Europe. Some 320 species have been recorded here, and in springtime it is possible to observe more than 150 bird species in a week. The lake lies at a mere 35 m / 115 ft a.s.l.
(The White-tipped Dove is actually called, in Spanish, the Paloma Arroyera , or “Gully Dove” And sorry, I have yet to get a photo of this shy species. Like most of the species on this list, this tiny highland bird prefers to make its presence know by singing, rather than by being seen. You do want to see it.
Have you ever enjoyed one of those brilliant birding expeditions, the outing where every target species takes its cue with machine precision? The lush pastures of the Aripo Livestock Station sustained herds of happy Buffalypso , a special breed of T&T beef cattle named for their Water Buffalo heritage and Calypso-happy country.
Avocets, Black-necked Stilts , and Spotted Sandpipers breed at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Later in the season more species show up. Black-necked Stilt is one of those species that needs no explanation for their common name. Was I ever glad I did, as a gorgeous male Costa’s Hummingbird was coming in to feed!
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.
For, in birder lingo, a split occurs when subspecies are determined to be, in fact, entirely separate species. If you happen to have seen both species, your life list can increase without you even leaving the house. Two former species can also be joined into one, the same way. And there was great rejoicing thoughout the land!)
The eBird cartoonists call the Spot-breasted Parrotbill a “bulbous-headed brown bird with a comically large bill” As a foreigner living in China and thus used to having my nose size ridiculed, I definitely feel with the parrotbills. The Latin species name alphonsiana refers to Prof. What a pity.) What a weird world.
I mean you have two year gulls, three year gulls and even gulls that take four years to mature, and the plumage of all these species changes as they mature. On top of that, they occur in breeding and non-breeding plumage! You definitely want to click on this photo!
This is not a species that loves to be seen, but one helpfully posed on a fencepost for me (although it was early, and a hurricane off the coast was giving us dense clouds with intermittent rains, so the light was bad). In other words, they were definitely lifers. I just don’t quite know which one, yet!
A week ago today, the federal government proposed a “threatened” listing for the Greater Sage Grouse in Nevada and California , as part of a larger study considering whether the species as a whole should be listed. Private efforts are inevitably, almost by definition, atomized.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 30+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content