10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. In any case, our hang-ups with vultures clearly stem from our own issues rather than any inherently bizarre trait of the species themselves. We’ll take these two similar, yet very different groups of birds separately.

California Condor 174

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 174

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2011

The field site I am assigned to is located in one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world and home to a particularly rich avifauna that numbers well over 500 species. By twos and fours they arrive and scatter in small groups among the canopy to their favorite perches in iron, cecropia and aguaje palm trees.

Peru 254

Peru Parrots 2011 Deer 254

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2019

We are entering the mixed colony of 11 species ( Grey , Squacco , Purple and Black-crowned Night Herons ; Great , Little and, recently, Cattle Egrets ; Eurasian Spoonbill (below) and Glossy Ibis ; Pygmy and Great Cormorant ). But nowadays, they, too, breed here, about 20 pairs this year.

Greece 186

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Fish 186