10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2014

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Titusville, Florida, is an amazing destination to see a wide variety of wildlife including, of course, birds! And while I didn’t lead any field trips to the refuge this year during the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival I did visit the refuge on a couple of occasions.

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Wildlife Florida Birds Ducks 269

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2011

Our job is to fly above the Mississippi River at a about 120 feet going about 100 mph and count and ID ducks. Can you make out any species in the above photo? The birds in red are Canvasbacks, the birds in blue are Ring-necked Ducks and the birds in yellow are Gadwall. Here’s an example of what we see.

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Mississippi Ducks Minnesota Science 252

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2019

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) attempts to calculate the economic contribution of National Wildlife Refuge visitation to local communities. Rather, birding and other wildlife observation ( e.g., photography) are lumped together as “non-consumptive” uses of a refuge. Every few years, the U.S. billion for local communities.

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Wildlife Maryland San Francisco Minnesota 279

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 21, 2012

Cinnamon Teal ( Anas cyanoptera ) pair by Larry Jordan (click on photos for full sized images) Winter is the time to visit the National Wildlife Refuges in California. Fish and Wildlife Service; they serve as resting and feeding areas for nearly half the migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway.” million, according to the U.S.

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Sacramento Wildlife United States North America 223

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

On a sandbar in the center of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, hundreds of ducks swirled around each other or lay down to take cover against the punishing wind. The waterfowl flock was made up of two very unique looking species: the Fulvous and Black-belled Whistling Ducks. What made my eyes widen?

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Ducks Wildlife Texas Bald Eagle 140

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

That will be the opening day of the 18th Annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville, Florida. Florida is a great place to bird in January because in addition to the year-round species there are a host of birds that winter in the relatively balmy climate that Florida has in winter. It hasn’t happened.

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2015 Wildlife Florida Honduras 251

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

What I am getting at here is that I have seen lots and lots of Ruddy Ducks at Jamaica Bay but never one that looked like this particular individual. She was essentially cream-colored, much lighter than the typical female Ruddy Duck. Anyway, enjoy the images and keep an eye out for odd ducks! Go check it out! Get yours today!

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Ducks 2011 Jamaica Deer 180

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2011

And it looks even better in my hands while I dream about a visit to regions of Brazil I had scarcely heard of before being provided with a review copy of the first volume of the Wildlife Conservation Society Birds of Brazil.* Talk about a win-win!

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Brazil Wildlife 2011 Deer 251

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

I found this pair among the Northern Shovelers at Delevan National Wildlife Refuge and watched as they perched atop a log for awhile, preening and scratching. I’m posting this video I shot at Delevan NWR in case you haven’t seen these elegant ducks in action. Dapper indeed! www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcgOFQtcyAo.

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2006 Ducks Wildlife New York 258

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2016

Since we first launched the Wildlife Conservation Stamp Project, we’ve made our case to thousands of birders and photographers. We’ve worked to change the dialogue around the Duck Stamp in public discussions and meetings, and we’ve reached out to Refuge officials and conservation officers to argue for the viability of this concept.

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Wildlife San Francisco Legislation Ducks 190

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2012

Around thirty miles from Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley lies the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. Even the ride over was productive, with Eurasian Collared-Dove , plenty of Black-billed Magpie , Hooded Merganser , and my first-of-the-year Wood Ducks spotted along the road.

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Wildlife Montana Bald Eagle Geese 206

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2015

The Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors ) is not that common in California except along the coast, so I was pretty excited to discover several pair and a few non-paired individuals of the species at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on the day I had reserved photo blind #2. Click on photos for full sized images. v=V0_Yi28mT0o.

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Sacramento Wildlife North America Ducks 159

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

The name Peregrine means “wanderer,” and northern-nesting Peregrines are among North America’s long-distance migratory species, some moving 25,000 kilometers every year. Peregrine Falcon at Delevan National Wildlife Refuge. Obviously, our National Wildlife Refuge System is one of our most cherished environmental treasures.

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Falcons Wildlife Sacramento Endangered Species 173

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2017

About four years ago I first wrote about the Pink-headed Duck , a charming species related to the pochards (although how, exactly, is up for grabs, like so much duck taxonomy.) Now Global Wildlife Conservation is out to get some fresh evidence and hopefully re-discover the species, which was officially last seen in the 1949.

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Ducks Myanmar Elephants Wildlife 152

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2016

He has visited more than 40 National Wildlife Refuges in 20 states and frequently visits NWRs in his travels, most recently Buenos Aires NWR in southern Arizona. The focus on Malheur is and was appropriate, but we should not lose sight of the significance of the entire National Wildlife Refuge System. The combination is potent.

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Wildlife Grizzly Bear Puerto Rico United States 190

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

As I always do on the way home, following a short visit to the San Francisco Bay Area, I take in at least one of the National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) found in the Sacramento Valley. California is blessed with 51 NWRs and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), second only to North Dakota with 77. Click on photos for full sized images.

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Wildlife San Francisco Sacramento North Dakota 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2017

Birders are familiar with the National Wildlife Refuge System, which consists of more than 550 units distributed through all fifty states. National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs), which are managed by the U.S. The region has justifiably been referred to as the “Duck Factory of North America.” Ding” Darling NWR in Florida.

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Factory Ducks North Dakota Nebraska 136

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2024

Part of the mitigation for the McNary Dam was the creation of McNary National Wildlife Refuge. Fish and Wildlife Service : Established in 1956, McNary NWR was created to replace wildlife habitat lost to construction of the McNary Dam downstream. According to the U.S. My eBird checklists are here and here.)

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Washington Oregon Wildlife United States 246

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2015

Recently I ditched the coast and headed into the bowels of the Central Valley, to meet up with an old friend…you may know him by the name “ Falcated Duck “ Falcated Duck eluded us at first, but eventually let us stare at him at will. But this post is not about Falcated Duck. Do you see?

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Geese Fowl Mississippi Ducks 250

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2011

The haunting call of the West Indian Whistling Duck has long been a sound synonymous with the ever-shrinking wetlands of the Caribbean. But, as with so many other species, these birds have been left to do their own whistle blowing. West Indian Whistling Ducks are the largest of the eight different whistling duck species.

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Antigua and Barbuda Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Jamaica 247

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. Fish and Wildlife Service. this species breeds.

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Albatross Endangered Species Bald Eagle Alaska 253

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2014

The video above showing the pair bonding and precopulatory behavior of the Northern Shoveler ( Anas clypeata ) was shot from the photography bind at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge , one of the refuges of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Northern California. Do you enjoy National Wildlife Refuges?

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Sacramento Defenders Of Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Ducks 192

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

Most of the estuaries of Puget Sound in Washington State have been developed, but one of the few that remain is the Nisqually River Delta, which was protected as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Nisqually NWR is a major staging area for migratory birds , a wintering area for many ducks and geese, and a breeding area for numerous songbirds.

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Washington Portland Birds Geese 269

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2022

Lango Camp deck overlooking Lango Baï, by Congo Conservation Company The forests of the Congo Basin contain more than a 1,000 species of birds, together with 400 species of mammals, including Okapi, Hippos, Leopards, Chimpanzees and Bonobos. Other primates include Chimpanzee and Putty-nosed Monkey, several duiker antelope species, etc.

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Central African Republic Congo Gabon Gorillas 317

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2012

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex offers four photo blinds on three of their refuges which can be reserved, two on the Sacramento Refuge, one at Colusa NWR and one at Delevan NWR. This blind in particular is usually good for ducks, geese, waders and shorebirds. This is what blind #2 at the Sacramento NWR looks like.

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Sacramento Wildlife North America Ducks 122

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Nearly 800 acres of wetlands and tidal flats provide diverse habitat for the local birds, as well as large numbers of migratory species, including thousands of ducks and geese. The last weekend of January found me in the frosty Pacific Northwest, meeting some long over due work and family obligations.

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Wildlife Seattle Bald Eagle Geese 131

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2022

pounds) heavy Colombia field guide with its 1900+ species. And that became heavier with each passing day… On the other hand, Europe’s Birds cover less than half of that number – 900+ species and a softback weighs 1.4 The number of species per page varies from one to two, rarely 3.

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Europe Colombia Birds Ducks 264

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

The Shoebill serves as the symbol of the magnificent wildlife experiences Uganda offers visitors, which may seem a bit odd. That honor goes to the Gray-crowned Crane , a very sexy species in its own right. Having finally seen this iconic species, I can assure you that the experience wildly exceeds expectations.

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Uganda Africa Penguins 2019 299

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2018

Late Saturday afternoon a Tundra Swan was reported from the south end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I set my tripod on the ice and scanned through the birds with my binoculars, ducks, ducks, ducks, two Mute Swans , ducks, gulls, gulls, gulls, ducks, two Mute Swans , ducks.

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Jamaica Wildlife New York City Ducks 131

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

It is extremely unusual that we birders can still walk the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in November. By now water levels should be high and the pond should be full as ducks, both dabbling and diving, are making their way south from cooler climes. What I lacked in species diversity I made up for with good looks.

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Jamaica Geese Ducks Canada 222

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

Geographic patterns of species richness for birds (1,558 species) in East Africa at 0.25° resolution (blue indicates low species richness, while brown indicates high species richness). At the time of writing, Uganda has 16 hotspots with 400+ so far eBirded species, of which one has almost 600 species.

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Africa Kenya Uganda Tanzania 262

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2011

There was a lot of hunting for Bald Eagles—it is traditionally a game species. Yes, they have been an endangered species for as long as most of us can recall, but remember, they were traditionally a hunted species. Hunting eagles will not hurt, but enhance non-consumptive wildlife viewing opportunitites.

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Bald Eagle Eagles Hunting Kentucky 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 21, 2016

In 2015 a Federal Duck Stamp Task Force was convened under the auspices of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) consisting of seventeen individuals. b) Recommendation : Work with all groups to identify synergistic opportunities for promoting broad conservation benefits of the Duck Stamp. 1) Action : U.S.

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Ducks Hunters Hunting Wildlife 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2024

In our early birding days, Erik and I had one of our most hilarious bird-related fights while looking at a flotilla of ducks in Mission Bay yelling at each other about field marks before realizing we were looking at two different ducks. This makes it a prime spot for bicycle-birding, our niche at the festival.

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San Diego Sea Lions Lions Birds 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2012

What this land-locked country lacks in endemic birds it more than makes up for in accessibility of tough species, numbers of birds and the overall wildlife experience. It is also home to the largest concentration of African Elephants on the planet and over 450 bird species. We are currently filming in Botswana.

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Botswana Lions Zebras Elephants 257

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2018

I am something of an aficionado of National Wildlife Refuges. The new features are called “ Explore a National Wildlife Refuge ,” and they can be found in the “explore” tab under the “explore a region” sub-tab. On the overview page , eBird reports that there have been 242 species observed and nearly 6,000 checklists submitted.

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Wildlife United States 2018 Nebraska 114

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2021

This lake, with a surface area of up to 150 square miles in good years, is my go-to site for dozens of waterfowl and shorebird species, so I take its health personally. It is also a vital wintering and migratory site for most of these species, so I imagine they take its health very personally, as well.

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San Francisco 2018 Mexico Ducks 264