10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2022

The Spring Festival – or Chinese New Year – is a big period for traveling in China. Covid turned out not to be too much of a hindrance – I had to show a negative PCR test upon arrival on Hainan from Shanghai, and while many Chinese hotels currently do not accept foreigners, I could leave this issue to my guide.

China 214

China Pythons Birds Rabbits 214

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

I tried to get a better idea of what exactly the definition of cuckoo-dove is but am still not very clear about it – Wikipedia only offers the rather formal definition “any of several species of bird in the genera Macropygia , Reinwardtoena, and Turacoena of the pigeon family.” But I may well be wrong.

Geese 147

Geese Birds Fish Sparrows 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 29, 2022

” Funny how the difficulty of breeding a species can be illustrated in simple monetary terms. But that may have helped me to see them – the species is quite nomadic and settles wherever there is rain. Ok, back to the (presumably non-sacred, certainly non-mummified) Australian species. In a paper published in 1938 (!),

Australia 147

Australia Birds Sheep Zebras 147

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2023

It is listed as Vulnerable, as its range is rather restricted, though it has been found outside of China as well, e.g., in Vietnam, though the HBW does not seem to have read that paper yet. Some ornithologists are so desperate to add papers to their resumes that they write about new records of Black-crested Bulbul subspecies within China.

China 147

China Vietnam Monkeys Birds 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2011

This year will be tough on many birds as further mudflat destruction to construct factories in China means that they may not be able to feed in areas that they have known in the past. Here is a little test-there are 6 species of shorebird in the photo-can you identify them? Breeding colour becomes rather obvious!

2011 150

2011 Australia Deer China 150

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2024

Interestingly, these juveniles look more similar to another species, the Pale-billed Parrotbill, than the adult babblers – and they sometimes are part of the same flock. Then we are both hopeless … Anyway, the paper tests whether small roads in a forest are a hindrance to birds – are they reluctant to cross?

Burma 199

Burma Vietnam Birds Laos 199

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2023

The best female strategy seems to be to mate with as many of the males as possible, as this means more help in feeding the chicks by all the potential fathers (I guess the fathers do not have easy access to paternity tests). They found that the species is diurnal (well, using cameras, would they even have seen nightly activities?),

China 130

China Science Birds Mongolia 130