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 224

Hawaii Breeding Wildlife Eggs 224

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 264

New York Sparrows Birds Breeding 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2023

While the P-a-P Wildfowl Trust’s main thrust is the breeding and release of five duck species, the habitat encourages a number of native wetland birds to inhabit and proliferate the area. Due to the plethora of bird species around, invariably we were to experience something breathtaking.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Birds Ducks Fish 264

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 242

South America San Diego Mexico America 242

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

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

In the next year I visited the British Birdfair for the first time, which turned out to be the experience that changed my life. With more than 312 so far recorded bird species, Lake Kerkini National Park offers great birding year-round. In 2008, with my family decided to build the Limneo Lodge , a small accommodation with only 9 rooms.

Greece 264

Greece Wildlife Boars Otters 264

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 267

Whales Whaling Sharks Marine Life 267

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 235

New York City Birds New York Breeding 235

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 232

Germany Russia Iceland India 232

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 243

Soreing Owls Eagles Woodpeckers 243

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 245

Germany Birds Parrots Europe 245

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 268

Serbia Spain Birds Hungary 268

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

Being a shy and skulking bird of the reedbeds, the Black Bittern is evidently rather a tough one to find, especially out of the breeding season. With a dose of luck, we had one Black Bittern fly overhead (I got one ghastly ID photo) – evidently the typical observation experience for this species.

Thailand 227

Thailand Birds Parrots Breeding 227

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 247

Mexico Costa Rica Arizona Bats 247

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 264

Serbia Woodpeckers Owls Eagles 264

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 279

Costa Rica Pennsylvania South America Panama 279

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

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 264

Botswana Africa Birds Ecuador 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2013

Being technically outside the summer tourism season, one can enjoy the somewhat less expensive travel and hotel costs, less crowded venues, great weather and nearly endless daylight—and of course many birds migrating and beginning the breeding/nesting season! I can hardly begin to describe the surreal experience that unfolded before me.

Iceland 243

Iceland Puffins Europe Birds 243

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

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 299

Austria Factory Asia Battery 299

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 246

Puffins Oregon Bald Eagle Portland 246

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 254

Honduras El Salvador Costa Rica Arizona 254

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 264

Costa Rica Wildlife Tennessee Owls 264

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 252

Nigeria Belize Birds South America 252

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2011

They breed year round and the single young remain in the pouch for about 30 weeks and become independent after a year. The other wallaby that is seen around this area is the Northern Nailtail Wallaby Onychogalea unguifera, which is a smaller species. The male Agile Wallaby weighs in at about 27 kg and the female at about 15 kg.

Taiwan 236

Taiwan Breeding Experience Experiments 236

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

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 264

Florida Miami Falcons Birds 264

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 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. Photo by Dušan Brinkhuizen (www.sapayoa.com).

California Condor 246

California Condor Ecuador Blackbirds Parrots 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012

The brilliant orange coloration and rich, haunting song of the Spot-breasted Oriole ( Icterus pectoralis ) makes this species one of my favorite permanent residents in southeastern Florida, even though it is an introduced exotic. How can an introduced species be a favorite among birders? Don’t they compete with native birds?

Miami 230

Miami Costa Rica Florida 2005 230

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2011

As part of the Wildlife Conservation Society Birds of Brazil giveaway we asked readers of 10,000 Birds to name the bird in Brazil that they would like to see more than any other species. What follows are the responses that readers offered, a veritable aviary of sought after species. It is a really neat bird that I have not seen before.

Brazil 247

Brazil 2011 Birds Penguins 247

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 257

South Africa Penguins Africa Birds 257

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

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 240

California Condor Brazil Parrots Texas 240

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 279

Trinidad Welfare North America Emotional 279

10,000 Birds

JULY 1, 2011

Or maybe, after my experiences with the Scott’s Oriole in Union Square earlier that year, the Tanager just seemed unconfiding and hard to see. I didn’t have my binoculars, but it didn’t take long to suss out that it was a bright, shiny breeding-plumaged male Western Tanager. And that, that was exciting.

New York 217

New York Montana Breeding Fish 217

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 246

Texas Alabama Alligators Nashville 246