10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2022

Wikipedia also has an interesting paragraph hinting at observation bias in ornithologists: “At the continental scale, saddle-billed storks preferred protected areas that have a higher extent of open water compared to areas without the storks. Studies on improving ostrich egg hatchability. Ostriches originated in Asia.

Ostriches 147

Ostriches Parrots Eggs Africa 147

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2018

What remains of their range is currently protected as the Pastures of Great Bustard Special Nature Reserve, but in the last several years there are only a dozen birds left, and only one adult male among them. Not the strictly protected bustards, but Red Foxes, Brown Hares, Pheasants , as well as Hooded Crows and Rooks.

Serbia 104

Serbia Romania Hungary Hunting 104

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills goes on to give greater detail of the former nesting sites in Europe: it could once be found “in southern Germany and Austria, in the valleys of the upper Rhine and Danube Rivers, and in the Alps of Switzerland, Italy and Germany, and perhaps in Hungary and Greece”.

Morocco 221

Morocco Austria Algeria Germany 221

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2018

Yet, it takes great logistical effort to organize the census all the way from Germany to Austria, Hungary and Serbia in the same day, to count on numerous volunteers and hope for the best February weather. In the last year, a broken bustard eggshell was found, but since no displaying was observed, those could have been unfertilized eggs.

Hungary 143

Hungary Serbia Austria Eggs 143