10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2021

What I enjoy–almost more than any other moment of my birding year–is that special spring day when White-Crowned Sparrows deign to visit my humble home en route to their boreal breeding grounds. Of all the species he saw he had one that was easily his Best Bird of the Weekend, as it was a new bird for him in New York State.

New York 255

New York Sparrows Birds Breeding 255

10,000 Birds

APRIL 23, 2013

It was made a National Park in the 1980s and is a major breeding and nesting area for over 30,000 seabirds. Lastly, due to its previous inaccessibility to humans and the absence of natural predators, the wildlife is bizarrely unafraid of humans, allowing for a truly unforgettable experience. If you like boobies (no giggles please!),

Whales 261

Whales Whaling Sharks Marine Life 261

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

Miami, Florida has a reputation among the birding community for being overrun with exotic bird species. However, the typical birding experience for someone down here also includes a large menagerie of other species such as Orange-winged Parrot , Mitred Parakeet , Egyptian Goose and Nutmeg Mannikin. It is well-deserved.

Miami 195

Miami Asia Florida Malaysia 195

10,000 Birds

JULY 1, 2024

I listed it on eBird – but my experience (and not only mine) is that the motto of eBird reviewers generally is “If I see it, it’s a vagrant – if you see it, it’s an escapee.” The Amur Paradise Flycatcher is another species breeding in Shanghai. Also breeding here: Japanese Thrush.

Giraffes 183

Giraffes Rabbits Birds Breeding 183

Animal Person

MARCH 18, 2009

Among all the animal species on this planet, humans have domesticated only a handful. And that fact gives rise to a thought-experiment. Horse-drawn carriages and breeding and racing horses and using them to play polo or to schlep kids around is an insult to horses. So far I'm not seeing the mutual benefit.

Experience 100

Experience Experiments Horses Kazakhstan 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

I am still tired from the long drive, but it was great to play with the very best toys for birders, to be able to share experiences and to ask the factory staff all sorts of silly questions. The Lake Neusiedl National Park is Europe’s westernmost steppe lake and an important breeding and wintering area, as well as a migratory stopover site.

Austria 296

Austria Factory Asia Battery 296

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

Above them, on limestone cliffs, Alpine Swift and Crag Martin breed. About 120 species have been recorded so far. The good side of this popularity is presence of restaurants and inns (from personal experience I can recommend a place for carnivores called Vodopad – By the waterfall). About 180 species have been recorded so far.

Serbia 259

Serbia Woodpeckers Owls Eagles 259

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Storks are typically viewed as wetland species and whilst some storks are restricted to aquatic habitats, others are not. This is another wetland species that nests in sometimes huge colonies atop trees bordering rivers and lakes.

Africa 237

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 237

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

Paging through a fieldguide, it’s always with a sense of dismay and sadness that I come across reference to an extinct species. Islands, for various reasons, experience more extinctions than continents (with Africa being the only continent not suffering a bird extinction!). This bird was kept in captivity until it died a year later.

Madagascar 235

Madagascar Lemurs 2006 Owls 235

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2011

They are species that breed in the US and then spend the winter in Central and South America, eating what’s avialable–especially fruit. Nyjer (aka Thistle) for goldfinches was introduced from Nigeria–someone had to experiment with that. Grape jelly for orioles was an experiment too.

Nigeria 246

Nigeria Belize Birds South America 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 14, 2024

They time breeding so that the chicks are fledged before the height of the dry season. Instead, much of central and southern Iberia experiences an intense hot and dry season, from June to September, and a wet season. Other species are tied down. Now, they head for south of the Sahara to catch the rains in the Sahel.

Africa 238

Africa Spain Europe Breeding 238

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2022

In Costa Rica, we have our pewees, 6 species of them. Three live and breed here, two migrate through the country in large numbers (one of those also breeds here in small numbers), and another migrates through and winters in Costa Rica. A common bird of hot, tropical habitats, it is very much an edge species.

Costa Rica 260

Costa Rica Pennsylvania South America Panama 260

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2015

After that experience, I stopped complaining about their hides, realising that they are as good as they ever will be. For example, the White-headed Duck is nowadays a rarity in Europe (okay, excluding Spain, I know… that Spain …), but until some 50 years ago, it used to breed in Serbia. They got the message right.

Serbia 241

Serbia Spain Birds Hungary 241

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. It is not a concept for a total beginner, more of a reminder to someone with some experience. Subspecies are not included.

Botswana 242

Botswana Africa Ecuador Birds 242

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 15, 2020

Even photos of the rarest of birds can be found, even heart-wrenching images of bird species that are no longer with us. Species like the Gyrfalcon , the aerial powerhouse of the tundra, of stunning, breeding-plumaged May warblers. These are all of the toucan species that occur in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Birds Woodpeckers Species 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2011

The birds are not allowed to breed on the runway, but many loaf around on it. The most dominant tern species on Tern Island is the Sooty Tern. Around 100,000 of these terns breed on almost every available space on the island, and walking through groups of them is a deafening and quite painful experience.

Hawaii 172

Hawaii Breeding Wildlife Eggs 172

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2020

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.

Florida 252

Florida Miami Falcons Birds 252

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. And a mere 120 bird species would be a good reason not to take Polynesia as an option. So, the perfect country to move to needs to have at least twice as many species as Serbia.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2020

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 ). Any snipe is a good snipe, they say. Only one has been seen on Tobago.

Trinidad 265

Trinidad Welfare North America Emotional 265

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2013

En route they will be “birding in nearly every country in mainland North and South America,” and, as they say on their excellent blog , “Our journey is about collecting valuable data on bird species, their status and distribution, current conservation issues, and more along the way.

South America 182

South America San Diego Mexico America 182

10,000 Birds

APRIL 20, 2024

Then sometimes when you see these birds actively regaining their energy and getting ready for defending territories and breeding, they give the impression that their migration had just been a short jog around the block rather than a marathon across desert, mountains, and oceans.

Soreing 172

Soreing Owls Eagles Woodpeckers 172

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

So much so that the two species are placed within their own family, Chaetopidae. The species is insectivorous and nests amongst the scree and boulders on the steep mountain slopes. Breeding groups typically occupy territories of around 8 hectares and consist of a breeding pair and one or two helpers.

South Africa 240

South Africa Penguins Africa Birds 240

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2012

- Chinese proverb attributed to both Maya Angelou and Lou Holtz While spring in New York City is great for birders because of the wide variety of colorful migrant birds moving through it is equally enjoyable because of the birds that return to their breeding territories and let everything within earshot know that they are back.

New York City 174

New York City Birds New York Breeding 174

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2011

It is this season we experience vast musical repertoires, green canopies, hot air, and bustling energy. These birds capitalize on a quick breeding season and usually have young out by mid-July in most cases. Most REAL montane species like this finch are declining in overall population.

Colorado 169

Colorado Breeders Wyoming United States 169

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2013

Or else I’d be tempted to mention that the cold rainy weather has given way to a massive heat wave and drought, or that the summer doldrums this year are more boring than ever, or that it is so unfair that Corey is more than 100 species ahead of me in his year list, or that I really would enjoy some nice birds for a change!

Germany 174

Germany Russia Iceland India 174

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

In this first installment, I will focus on my impressions and experiences in the highlands portion of our tour. Many Nearctic species and families reach their southern terminus in the Northern Central American Highlands, such as Common Raven , Red Crossbill , Steller’s Jay , and even Brown Creeper. We were off to a great start.

Honduras 211

Honduras El Salvador Costa Rica Arizona 211

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2022

After securing our passage, I patiently waited for this once-in-a-lifetime experience to a place we have never been and lacked any knowledge of, we were in for a complete surprise. About half of all breeding Wandering Albatross nest on the Prince Edward Islands. Marion has a fascinating history with invasive species.

South Africa 263

South Africa Mice Albatross Africa 263

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Both species can theoretically breed in central Mexico, but in my experience are almost exclusively winter visitors. Still, it was exciting to experience, although I hope these feathered friends can soon go back to a more normal existence, with appropriate social distancing. And it brought friends.

Mexico 212

Mexico Investigation Science Experience 212

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2021

An uncommon species in Costa Rica, it was in a brushy area that reminded me of its breeding grounds. Only two of us got a glimpse but that was enough to add it to our long list of species for the day. 171 Species. Speaking of bird lists, our’s topped out at a crazy 171 species. Agami Heron.

Costa Rica 218

Costa Rica Wildlife Tennessee Owls 218

10,000 Birds

APRIL 28, 2024

There are a few spectacles in the birding community that are high energy, happen quickly, and is worth any effort to experience it. One such experience is a bird grounding event, sometimes called a fallout. So, maintaining habitat along the coastline is vital to supporting these species.

Texas 203

Texas Alabama Alligators Nashville 203

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2011

Bigger than an Empidonax flycatcher and smaller than a Myiarchus , the Eastern Phoebe is usually only mistaken for a pewee, and even that becomes unlikely with experience. In fact, this is one species that seems to thrive in the face of rampant development. Looking at its range map, this phoebe seems to have split the U.S.

Argentina 221

Argentina United States North America America 221

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2024

It is an exciting place to call home as we experience an influx of thousands during the summers and nice off-season weekends. Then, it is hushed for the remainder of the year—the average experience in many seasonally-dependent tourist destinations. Much of this concerns the world’s changing climate and fishing pressure off our coast.

Puffins 196

Puffins Oregon Bald Eagle Portland 196

10,000 Birds

MAY 18, 2024

I’m not sure if this is exclusively my limited experience, let me know! I finally managed to obtain some acceptable photos of this species, which I did not manage on my last visit. I knew that this species had been seen here two weeks earlier, but did not expect to see it at all.

Germany 181

Germany Birds Parrots Africa 181

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2015

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.

California Condor 211

California Condor Brazil Parrots Texas 211

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

These arid hills, cloaked in a mosaic of deciduous scrub and desert vegetation, form a northern outpost for several Neotropical species while also harboring several key endemics and southwestern Nearctic species. This poorly documented swallow is a breeding endemic to these high mountains.

Mexico 189

Mexico Costa Rica Arizona Bats 189

10,000 Birds

JULY 31, 2020

Starlings, they’ll dutifully explain, are ruthless invasives that have been responsible for the serious declines of several beloved native species, like the Red-headed Woodpecker ( Melanerpes erythrocephalus ) and the Eastern Bluebird ( Sialia sialis ). Good birding and happy drinking! Arrowood Farm Brewery: Starling Brett Farmhouse Ale.

Farming 183

Farming New York Unwanted Breeding 183

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2021

Earlier in the day, as we ventured out towards the deep waters off of Malpais, Costa Rica at 6 in the morning, another Galapagos Shearwater was the first real pelagic species we encountered. A world birder who has seen literally thousands of species, Pirjo had hoped to connect with this small striking gull.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Dolphins Sea Turtles Turtles 264