10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

Back in 2009, Tai Haku sent us a fascinating post exploring a question that ecologists worldwide grapple with: can the translocation of rare species into niches left empty by extinction be successful or justified? It is extinct. It persists in captivity at a breeding facility on Guam and in a number of American zoos.

Puerto Rico 244

Puerto Rico Guam Virgin Islands Feral 244

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2022

I’m talking, of course, about “my” flock of American White Pelicans. No matter how many times I see them, this particular species remains breathtaking. I cross my fingers that they make it safely, raising voracious chicks before returning to the Sunshine State once more. Did I mention they’re huge?

Pelicans 264

Pelicans United States Arizona Canada 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2024

While I’ve heard and seen both species multiple times, these atmospheric songs in the humid dawn, with songs of other species and the sound of water dripping through the foliage in the background, was already a highlight of the day. Common Nightingales and Common Cuckoos where calling everywhere.

Sri Lanka 246

Sri Lanka South Africa Transported Africa 246

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 264

China Birds Pythons Eagles 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

The species that manage to colonize these islands evolve in competition with relatively few other species, developing survival strategies based on interdependence, co-evolution, and mutualism rather than adapting to deal with a broad range of predators and competitors. A species, wiped off the earth, never to exist again.

Cuba 259

Cuba Parrots Columbus DC 259

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2012

There are, however, two species that are more accesible than the rest of the family. Four members of the family are found in Australia, and while two of these are in the no less inaccessible cape York region, two species of riflebird range as far south on the coast of Australia as just north of Sydney. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VGongXYDGo

Indonesia 246

Indonesia Australia Guinea Cooking 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2013

The group has a worldwide distribution; 28 species living and two additional extinct. Both extinct species were island-dwelling and flightless, suggesting a propensity of the group to disperse over long distances , a characteristic that any birder in late summer is familiar with. Scarlet Ibis , photo by Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela.

North America 250

North America Charlotte Birds Miami 250

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

The story of the White-winged Guan , in some ways resembles the re-discovery of some species thought to be extinct. The decades of storage in a museum came after it was regarded as an extinct species. A species, wiped off the earth, never to exist again. Most species go extinct. The Guan was declared extinct.

Collecting 270

Collecting Peru Neglecting Ecuador 270

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2015

Like my two previous visits I spent one day that I didn’t have to lead any field trips doing a run through central Florida looking for some of the specialty species of the region. On my previous trips I was successful on each and every species except for the crane.

Cattle 251

Cattle Bald Eagle Florida Endangered Species 251

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2021

With that logic those trees, if left to grow, should produce something of use to at least one or two species of birds. It’s been some years since I’ve seen any Short-tailed Hawks as the entire valley is now overrun with concrete – but I’m trying my best to create some sort of oasis for any species.

Opossums 264

Opossums Barn Owls Reptiles Hunting 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2023

The somewhat shoddily edited Wikipedia entry on sunbirds states that there are 145 species in one paragraph and then talks about 146 in the next. There isn’t really a lot of interesting information on the individual sunbird species – but the photos hopefully still make this a post worth looking at.

Indonesia 244

Indonesia Asia Species Raised 244

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

There are of course, many other birds which feed on flying insects, such as jacamars and trogons. Their name is no accident – Piratic Flycatchers closely monitor the nesting activities of pendulous-nesting species like Crested Oropendolas and Yellow-rumped Caciques.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Abandon Abandoning Abandonment 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2021

If the avian realm had self-conscious, talking ambassadors, “spokebirds”, which species would partake in birding conferences? Some might even protest at being kept separate, raising their voices as they eye the main conference birds with hungry intent. The Rufous-naped Wren is a very animated, common species in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Belize Guatemala Protesting 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2023

The Latin species name alphonsiana refers to Prof. Of course, the Red-billed Leiothrix is a species native to Sichuan – in Britain, it is now discussed whether to regard it as an invasive species ( source ). The Latin species name ocellata (“marked with eylets”) for once works reasonably well.

Italy 260

Italy China France Eggs 260

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

A species, wiped off the earth, never to exist again. It is correct, of course, to think of extinction this way during the Holocene Extinction, which we are living through right now. Extinction is what befalls the species that fails to adapt, to survive, to thrive. Most species go extinct. … Extinction is forever.

California Condor 256

California Condor Guam Whales Whaling 256

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 260

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 260

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

For mankind to snatch away a species’ very existence is wrong on so many levels that I can’t begin to explain them. However, despite our best efforts to wipe them off the face of the earth, some of the more vulnerable species have managed to hang on. this species breeds. Here are some U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Albatross 253

Albatross Endangered Species Bald Eagle Alaska 253

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

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

The species is said to have never been common, a description I’ve always thought is applied too liberally to long-gone species almost as a convenient declaration of helplessness or shrug of the shoulders toss off in the face of its eventual demise. A species, wiped off the earth, never to exist again. What a horror!

South Carolina 233

South Carolina Cuba Missouri Mississippi 233

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Last year, in November, I notched up a dozen species of butterflies, an impressive total anywhere in Europe so late in the year. They are, of course, a smaller more compact goose, but picking out the various distinguishing features (such as the yellow eye ring) at such range is invariably challenging, to say the least.

Greece 246

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo 246

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2020

Luis Gonzalez is a Miami resident and IT major who was originally born and raised in Cuba. Luis is an avid eBirder and he likes to keep a good record of his lists, photograph as many species as he can, and he encourages others to do the same. Does that number seem a bit high for a winter count in the US? Why was it me?

Canada 243

Canada Cuba Miami Florida 243

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2012

The Barred Warbler , otherwise known as Sylvia nisoria , is one of those species that is aptly named if you only ever see an adult male. Should you have the misfortune, or rather, good fortune (they are rather skulky) to see a female or an immature you might wonder why they are called Barred Warbler rather than Bland Warbler.

Hungary 225

Hungary Eggs Abandon Abandoning 225

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

Federal funding for conservation is dependent on the revenue raised by selling the duck stamps, a unique dynamic for wildlife managers in the United States. Up to 98% of money raised by the duck stamps is used to purchase or lease habitat within the National Wildlife Refuge system.”.

Ducks 256

Ducks Hunters Hunting Wildlife 256

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 13, 2019

Fortunately, the very abundant 2018 rains raised the water level to heights I had never seen, and so far, that seems to be making up for this year’s poor rains. During the winter migratory season, I can always count on seeing at least 70 species of birds. Each species is possible, but not common. All Wigeons.

Ducks 187

Ducks 2018 Pelicans Europe 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2015

They are typically easy places to reach, easy to get about in, safe, and serve as a natural primer for many of the species you’re going to be seeing on a trip. Of course, you don’t have to worry about not seeing a single bird. This Cape Francolin was raising a family less than a hundred metres from the main gate.

Africa 245

Africa South Africa Mongoose Birds 245

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2015

Eastern Bluebirds live in “ open country around trees, but with little understory and sparse ground cover ,” which today attracts them to fields, parks, yards, and even golf courses. Both species are notoriously aggressive, and out-competed bluebirds for the nesting cavities they needed to raise their young.

New York 160

New York New York City United States 2010 160

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

While this allows for the delightful prospect of Thanksgivingakkah, with attendant turkey dreidels and whatnot, it does raise certain perennial questions of the nature of time itself, as applied to birding. Rosh Hashanah, the New Year of the Jewish calendar, has come relatively early season-wise this year. It’s a good time.

Livestock 208

Livestock Psychology North America Turkey 208

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Unlike other bird races where participants keep tight-lipped about bird species as mundane as a House Sparrow , this event gives a prize to the team that helps the most. But isn’t all of that data sharing counterproductive for a bird race where the team with the most species wins?

Israel 189

Israel Costa Rica Eagles Raised 189

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2021

And apart from local people, primate researchers sometimes spot it, but it is a species seen by fewer than ten living birders. The rest of the 216 pages long book is devoted to various African bird families and half a dozen individual species. He has authored several other books and many articles, largely on natural history.

Congo 264

Congo Africa Madagascar Kenya 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

The waterfowl flock was made up of two very unique looking species: the Fulvous and Black-belled Whistling Ducks. Encompassing over 30,000 acres, the refuge protects birds of course, but also butterflies, mammals, and more. After noting as many species as possible, I high-tailed it back to the car. What made my eyes widen?

Ducks 164

Ducks Wildlife Texas Bald Eagle 164

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

Private property holders with prairie/agricultural land can potentially make a big difference in maintaining and recovering populations of many of these charismatic species. Mountain Plover and many other grassland birds have populations in steep decline. Rich in life, rich in birds, yes…but a birder billionaire I am not.

United States 210

United States Endangered Species North America Protection 210

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2012

They reside there at the top of a small mountain sanctuary as mythical as my first remembrances of ancient thunderbirds, living, mating, and raising young. Of course, there are those things to consider. My first view of them was at a distance. Condors, like all New World vultures, can disturb the human psyche.

California Condor 262

California Condor California Idaho Utah 262

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2012

Over twenty species of wood-warbler may be recorded in a single winter in Miami-Dade County, with several more species recorded regularly in Monroe and Broward. In addition to these widespread species, Common Yellowthroat and Northern Waterthrush are reliably seen in the right habitats.

Florida 182

Florida Miami Cuba Bahamas 182

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2015

So, the 49 subject species include birds with interesting family behaviors that we might not see every day (Cedar Waxwing, Great Blue Heron, Peregrine Falcon), migrant songbirds (Tree and Barn Swallows, House Wren), and common, everyday birds (Northern Cardinal, Downy Woodpecker, and, yes, Rock Pigeon). Egg biology, from Part I.

Eggs 263

Eggs Family 2006 New York 263

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2017

One of the best things about our annual Lassen Park campout is that we get to see several species of birds that are rarely, if ever, seen in the Sacramento Valley. Many of those species also nest in the park. One of my favorite species is the Water Ouzel , more commonly known now as the American Dipper ( Cinclus mexicanus ).

Woodpeckers 133

Woodpeckers Sacramento Squirrels Raised 133

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

Not only that, but another species of starling was already called Calornis inornata.). To confuse things even further a later voyage to the Cook Islands (Cook’s second voyage) resulted in a drawing of a starling by Georg Foster which some tried to say was the same species as Bloxam’s bird. Most species go extinct.

Killing 193

Killing Rats Cooking Norway 193

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

So: we have bird identification shorthand, which is usually the bird’s North American Ornithological Society abbreviation, but which could be just one particular rehabber’s nickname for the species.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 254

Wildlife Rehabilitation Turtles Turkey Wildlife 254