10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2024

Any place that used to be good for an interesting species last year is likely to have been turned into another construction site this year. A few changes happen in March – for example, many European countries and the USA switch to daylight savings time. One is the continuing destruction of much of its environment.

Chicago 146

Chicago Birds Asia China 146

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

My British total was a mere 172 species – not bad, but not very good. Every one of my 171 species was a bird that I found myself. It keeps a monthly record of sightings, so I can tell you that it was in February that I recorded my highest monthly species total (106), while my lowest total was in August (39).

Estonia 230

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 230

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2021

You can’t say the same about migration: you can’t say that every book about birds is necessarily about migration, for the simple reason that only about 4,000 bird species migrate (with some 1,800 of those traveling long distances). (Well, purely physical attributes play a part, too: they’re pretty good looking.).

Alaska 212

Alaska Kenya Georgia Russia 212

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

Seychelles’ small landmass combined with geographic isolation results in few species. For example, the main islands are the world’s only granitic ocean islands and at 750M years of age are also the world’s oldest ocean islands. That antiquity produces a high level of endemism, e.g. 19% of 62 breeding birds are endemic to the islands!

Seychelles 238

Seychelles Wildlife Tortoises Reptiles 238

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

Insects and a host of other invertebrate life have evolved with these plant species, and thus depend on them. The latter figure very significant when you remember that many breeding passerines depend on the humble caterpillar to feed themselves and their offspring. Locally native plants are the base part of the local ecology.

North America 264

North America Wildlife Mammals Breeding 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2024

The species is listed as Vulnerable – the estimated number of individuals is 4600-5100 (HBW), of which about 2000 winter on Hokkaido. There is a book on the species, but it is out of print and seems impossible to find even in online secondhand bookstores. Where is the movie about his life then? Back to the eagle.

Eagles 130

Eagles Sea Lions Russia Bears 130

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2020

Birders normally care about species and make species lists, how do families fit into those? Adding more species brings a lot of excitement, as long as you bird your own country or a continent. 11,000 species require lots of money and a good portion of one’s life. That gamble is rigged, so the house always wins.

Family 295

Family Birds South America Breeding 295

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

An associated issue is that the Belize and Costa Rica guides share many of the same descriptions of species, written by Howell. Similarly, descriptions of species repeated across volumes do not lose their accuracy with each publication. Other species are splits and lumped and have had their names changed. Why are these issues?

Costa Rica 219

Costa Rica Belize El Salvador Birds 219

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 233

China Birds Pythons Eagles 233

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2022

One such example is “pewee” Pewee sounds like something small, something seemingly insignificant but with a certain degree of charm. In Costa Rica, we have our pewees, 6 species of them. A common bird of hot, tropical habitats, it is very much an edge species. This appropriately named bird is just what its name says.

Costa Rica 266

Costa Rica Pennsylvania Panama South America 266

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2022

The scolding alarm call of the Spectacled Thrush for example is something that I grew extremely tired of – the birds would sit on our window and glare at our indoor cat and yell (what I presume to be some form of obscene insult) at him. Wise creatures. First on the trail was a very vocal (albeit not yet melodious) Yellow-legged Thrush.

Trinidad 147

Trinidad Emotional Breeding Cats 147

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. It is not quite clear why they do this as it apparently does not affect breeding success. A nice example of gender equality of sorts.

Eggs 207

Eggs Bald Eagle Birds Owls 207

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 2, 2021

Black Drongos must be breeding here – this juvenile was terrorizing his parents with constant calls for food. For example, one cat is named “damao” (“big cat” in Chinese) while another was named “xiaomao” (“little cat”). Black-tailed Gulls , I think.

Cats 223

Cats Kittens Birds Transported 223

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Kooyman (co-author with Jim Mastro) spent decades studying Emperor Penguins and can be considered the world’s foremost expert on the species. Empire Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are the largest living penguin species, almost four feet tall (taller when they stretch), and the least likely to be seen on birding or nature trips.

Penguins 159

Penguins Seals Leopards Mammals 159

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2022

pounds) heavy Colombia field guide with its 1900+ species. And that became heavier with each passing day… On the other hand, Europe’s Birds cover less than half of that number – 900+ species and a softback weighs 1.4 For example, many photos are shot in poor light, obscuring the true colours.

Europe 255

Europe Colombia Birds Ducks 255

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2024

Given how far Hokkaido is from Europe, it seems a bit surprising how many bird species wintering on this Japanese island have a name starting with “Eurasian” Or how many of these species I have also seen in my parents’ garden in Germany. It seems extra-pair paternity is very frequent in this species.

Iran 178

Iran Germany Research Humane 178

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2024

Nor have I chased particular birds, either: almost all the birds I have seen have been encountered during a normal day’s birding, not a targeted twitch for a particular species. I haven’t, for example, seen a Bewick’s Swan, though I have encountered a number of Whoopers, their bigger cousins.

Spain 130

Spain Eagles North America Cyprus 130

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2024

The proximity to the Myanmar border is reflected in the presence of Burmese Shrikes here – on the wrong side of the border, but it is well known that this species has never been particularly good at geography. This photo explains the scientific species name haemacephalus (bloodheaded).

Myanmar 182

Myanmar Sri Lanka Nepal Niger 182

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

For example, when Corey gets the thrill of seeing a Black-throated Gray Warbler in Queens County, New York, he can be almost 100% sure that he is seeing a one-time vagrant, and not a previously undiscovered population. These are only a few examples of the many I could mention. They were probably not preparing to go south.

Mexico 298

Mexico Science Breeders United States 298

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2021

I pointed at the bird shown below but he insisted it could not be that species – no long tail … For people of a certain age, gender and background, at some point The Smiths were the most important band in the world. Other species, such as this juvenile Light-vented Bulbul , seem to have more ambiguous feelings about molting.

LACS 234

LACS Birds France Japan 234

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2021

Similarly, the Alpine Leaf Warbler is one of the more attractive species in an otherwise almost indistinguishable family of identical leaf warblers. (“But the difference in wing bars, Kai!”). For some reason, the HBW specifically mentions that this species also breeds in a city park in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

North Korea 243

North Korea China Birds Woodpeckers 243

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2022

It’s a long drive, at least an hour of steadily climbing twists and turns; but there are high-altitude species I can only see there. I was not disappointed, as four FOY (First Of Year) species turned up. So why am I focusing on that species in this post? So eventually, the pilgrimage must be made.

Mexico 195

Mexico South America America Species 195

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2021

But when I felt familiar with perhaps half of the species around my town, I started to feel that my field guide is now too bulky and too hefty to carry, and that was the era before smartphones and phone apps. of January 2019, which resulted in 10,711 species, 40 orders, 246 families and 2,313 genera. Subspecies are not included.

Botswana 249

Botswana Africa Ecuador Birds 249

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

The book is divided into three parts: “Introduction,” “Avifaunal Overview,” and “Species Accounts.” The authors’ detailed delineation of problems with the accuracy of NYC breeding bird surveys or with the limits of historical writings may test a reader’s patience. Most birders will go straight to the “Species Accounts.”

New York City 152

New York City New York Birds Breeding 152

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2020

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!)

San Diego 179

San Diego San Francisco Baltimore Mexico 179

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2021

Just last year, 5 new bird species and 5 new subspecies were discovered in a few short weeks of fieldwork on the islands of Taliabu, Peleng and Batudaka. In recent years Indonesia has been competing with the Andes as the region giving rise to the biggest number of undescribed bird species (naturally, all of them endemics).

Indonesia 264

Indonesia Timor Brunei Guinea 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2020

This sort of biozone mixing can create a tremendous richness of species. Each of these habitats attracts its own group of species. Blue-black Grassquits , for example, depend entirely on the brushy grassland shown above. Among those are Sulphur-bellied Flycatchers , a species I love. This one was a true lifer for me.

Mexico 246

Mexico Nicaragua Lamb South America 246

10,000 Birds

MAY 11, 2021

For example, the panel (see below) included three members of the pro-change Bird Names for Birds group (more representation than the Cornell Lab of Ornithology , the National Audubon Society , and the U.S. For example, Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark Expedition fame, has been honored with the names of multiple U.S.

Birds 264

Birds Russia Hawaii Woodpeckers 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2019

Of course, the California Condor is listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and it has been famously subject to some of the most ambitious conservation efforts (including litigation ) ever undertaken for a bird. One management tool used by FWS is reintroduction of an endangered species into its former range.

California Condor 226

California Condor California Endangered Species Oregon 226

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2021

Mid-May to Mid-Jun is the best time to see some of the most exciting species here, as this is the prime breeding time. For another species, the Firethroat , it meant I only got acceptable views rather than the really good ones reportedly possible a few weeks earlier.

China 264

China Vietnam Birds Fast Food 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

For once, eBird gives a good description of the Asian Glossy Starling, calling it a “Fierce-looking, large songbird” As are humans, this species is fairly urbanized – it “sometimes enters urban areas to roost, e.g. in Singapore” (HBW). “Odd, me?”

Singapore 225

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 225

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2023

In total, there are eight species of hornbills in Borneo – the best place to see them seems to be the Kinabatagan River area (also known as Sukau). For example , fallen figs do not seem to mind catching a ride with Oriental Pied Hornbills. Indeed, this species seems to be the equivalent of weeds among the hornbill species.

Rhinoceros 128

Rhinoceros Singapore Transported Hunting 128

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2019

Our big month of bird movements in Costa Rica, the 10th month of the year, is when most of the swallows, Scarlet Tanagers , thrushes, and other species on the South American express push through. How do they compete with resident species? In October, it’s what’s happening in Costa Rica. What do they eat?

Costa Rica 262

Costa Rica Nicaragua Panama North America 262

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2022

Assuming that several of the observers involved had made multiple observations, that probably represents only around one hundred people having ever reported this species, even though it breeds in a country bordering the United States. Mexico boasts ten Swift species.) Male Sinaloa Martins look like Purple Martins. Could the be?

Mexico 147

Mexico Penguins United States Breeding 147

10,000 Birds

MAY 14, 2019

The endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler breeds only in Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio, but much of its nesting grounds have cleared in favor of subdivisions. First, some background regarding the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the listing of the Golden-cheeked Warbler is required. What is a conservation bank? # # #.

San Antonio 124

San Antonio Endangered Species Texas Austin 124

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2023

On a positive note, in one study , when small swaths of dense bamboo were cut and cleared for an unrelated study, these were utilized by small insectivorous species including the Golden Bush Robin for foraging. As typical for bird names, the species is named after a relatively inconspicuous part of its overall appearance.

Birds 171

Birds Science Humane Species 171

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 29, 2022

According to Tim Low (in “Where Song began”), “so easy were they to breed that by 1859 they cost less to buy in London than in Sydney.” ” Funny how the difficulty of breeding a species can be illustrated in simple monetary terms. We even had some chicks – not that this was a big achievement.

Australia 147

Australia Birds Sheep Zebras 147