10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Originally a hunting term, the Big Five were the most dangerous and prized targets of the great white hunters on safari. However it is now one of the world’s rarest animals after decades of relentless hunting and poaching. The Black Rhino was also a widespread African denizen occurring throughout the continent, even into desert areas.

Buffalo 242

Buffalo Rhinoceros Leopards Elephants 242

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2015

Further down the road, we reach a derelict building with a large veranda hidden among the trees – an abandoned hunting lodge (if I were in a situation to invest, I would choose to upgrade this into a luxury wildlife lodge). One White-eyed Buzzard has turned its back to us. It is too early to show.

Tigers 252

Tigers Dogs India Snow Leopard 252

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

Its natural range in Europe was restricted the the surroundings of the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, and in Asia it ranged from Asia Minor to central China. Within its European range, it was heavily hunted until the late 19th century, and the Mute Swan was subsequently a very rare bird to encounter in the wild.

Feral 182

Feral Europe Asia North America 182

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Some time after the Spanish encounter with the Turkey, birds were brought back to Europe where they were raised and became an important source of food and fancy feathers. The believability of this is underscored by the fact that the Pilgrims and their guides listed among their possession numerous “fowling pieces” … for hunting wild birds.

Turkey 243

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 243

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

A Marsh Harrier hunting over Elmley Nature Reserve before the storm The wind was building up as I started my slow drive along the track, pausing every few yards to scan for birds. Observation is strictly from inside a vehicle, safari style, until you reach the main car park and start exploring the rest of this spacious site on foot.

Shelters 246

Shelters Cattle Wildlife Hunting 246

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2016

It’s the boar hunting season. This species’ population has decreased rapidly owing to levels of hunting on the migration stopover and wintering sites, as well as habitat destruction, mostly as a result of land cultivation. One Grey-headed Woodpecker flies across the road – a promising start. Should I add, a lifer, too.

Greece 259

Greece Boars Woodpeckers Eagles 259

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2012

Specifically, rural northwestern Spain, at various points along the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route to the supposed burial place of Saint James the apostle and, before that, to the westernmost point in continental Europe, the supposed End of the Earth, the Finis Terra. There are many big birds, many pretty birds.

Spain 202

Spain Europe Rodents France 202

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2024

Tucked away at the extreme eastern end of the Mediterranean, Cyprus is regarded politically as part of Europe, but when it comes to birds it’s very much Middle Eastern in flavour, with a number of species that are hard or even impossible to find in Europe, plus a trio of endemics.

Cyprus 246

Cyprus Breeders Falcons Hunters 246

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2015

And that is why the hides are where they are, not to admire the scenery (or shoot at it – hunting is prohibited in the reserve and the ban is enforced). For example, the White-headed Duck is nowadays a rarity in Europe (okay, excluding Spain, I know… that Spain …), but until some 50 years ago, it used to breed in Serbia.

Serbia 267

Serbia Spain Birds Hungary 267

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2011

Illegal capture for the wild animal trade is an obvious peril for such a charismatic species, but this big blue bird is also hunted both for its meat and feathers. Hyacinth Macaws © Michel Gunther / WWF-Canon Hyacinth Macaws , like parrots the world over, face threats from every side.

Protection 222

Protection Brazil Parrots Paraguay 222

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

the development of field-based ornithological research in Europe and Great Britain; a quick step back through the history to look at bird protection, conservation, and our precarious future, with a focus on Birkhead’s long-term (50 years!) With Birkhead, you never know what’s going to come next.

Dissection 262

Dissection Birds Europe Eggs 262

10,000 Birds

JUNE 15, 2023

Late April / early May is the best birding season in the south of Europe and wherever you go, you will have 50% to 100% more species than in any other season. Pity, it is the sleeping hours and not the hunting (morning/evening), but at least they are not forced to socialise with people all day. Fanatical – from dawn till dusk.

India 231

India Africa Serbia Birds 231

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2013

The survival of songbirds depends in part upon eliminating illegal hunting. If you are a migratory bird in Europe and western Asia, this is your sweet spot. That means passing over the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East, where you’re liable to get shot, trapped, or otherwise hunted.

Cambodia 154

Cambodia Slaughter Slaughtered Cyprus 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2019

The toughest thing for me, as a local birder, was to choose the most attractive birds because those that attract my attention are generally all too common in the northwest of Europe, from where most visiting birders are coming. and the first skyscraper built in Southeast Europe, in 1939. Hence, I asked my friend B.C.,

Serbia 250

Serbia Woodpeckers Albania Eagles 250

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2017

It’s Christmas Bird Count season, and if you know Christmas Bird Counts you have probably heard the tale of how Frank Chapman invented this winter tradition to replace the older and considerably less optimal for birds tradition of the Christmas side hunt. Various bits of Europe celebrate the day in various ways. Sleigh rides.

Ireland 150

Ireland New Zealand Hunting Cooking 150

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2020

A somewhat more credible selection to be sure, as lions actually do exist, but one that sadly snubs the native Scottish wildcat in favor of a felid that’s been extinct in Europe since antiquity. But there’s new hope for Scotland’s Golden Eagles as these atrocious acts are brought to the public attention and their perpetrators prosecuted.

Lions 188

Lions Eagles Hunting Lamb 188

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2015

This may not sound like much, but it is really good compared to just a few decades ago, when hunting had significantly reduced its range and overall population. ” Birds Europe Purple Swamphen rails Spain' When seen from their prey item’s perspective, the blue colouration provides perfect camouflage against the blue sky.

Spain 157

Spain Hunters Africa Hunting 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2012

Leading scientists, conservationists and aviculturalists from Europe and South-east Asia met at Walsrode in Germany recently to formulate a rescue plan. Concern for the future of this species is such that the WPA and BirdLife International-Vietnam Programme are working together to organize immediate action.

Vietnam 167

Vietnam 2000 Germany Asia 167

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

This strange but beautifully plumaged bird was widely known throughout Europe as the Waldrapp (meaning “Forest Crow”). It bred in large colonies on cliffs and castle ramparts in southern and central Europe, before it began a relentless march towards extinction.

Endangered Species 232

Endangered Species Species Morocco South Africa 232

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

A shot or two coming from the opposite bank, but they do not sound like geese shooting – more like boar hunting. A goose hunt sounds like a WWII battle. We counted more than 35 of them, relaxed and fearless, clearly not hunted. Easy – it is forbidden to hunt at night. Labudovo okno reserve, photo (2) by Marko Sciban.

Geese 189

Geese Boars Hunting Serbia 189

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 24, 2020

The controversial management of Scotland’s grouse moors for these hunts is discussed in last week’s edition of Birds and Booze.). Red Grouse by English ornithologist and artist John Gould (1804-1881), from The Birds of Europe.

Sheep 252

Sheep Branding Ireland Fowl 252

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2016

After the Common Starling , my second bird of the morning becomes the largest eagle of Europe, the White-tailed Eagle , this one with a fairly white tail, yet still dark beak, that I estimate to be in its 3rd calendar year. Looking miserable with its feathers soaked, one yellow and blue European Bee-eater sits on a dead branch.

Sheep 171

Sheep Serbia Eagles Mammals 171

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

It breeds on chimneys, roofs, buildings and trees throughout Europe, parts of Asia and even North Africa. In the northern winter, the bulk of the European and North African population migrate down into Africa, as far as South Africa, where large numbers frequent fields where they hunt for insects and rodents.

Africa 250

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 250

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

Yet, one other hunting attempt in the same area I do remember. The next memorable hunt came from winter 2006/07. The year was 1996 and it must have been quite a sight – if I only could remember it! But no, that sighting is no longer in my head, only on paper. And, now, at eBird.

Serbia 259

Serbia 2004 Eagles Chickens 259

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2024

They are probably hunting for herring or some other hapless little fish. But in Europe, nothing. The sea is frothing with Great Cormorant and Herring Gull , with more than 100 birds diving into the water. What’s that? A fin, another one. There are Harbour Porpoises right next to the ferry! However, Sweden may be different after all.

Sweden 228

Sweden Birds Porpoises Deer 228

10,000 Birds

MAY 31, 2015

The Common Buzzards , for example, who usually hunt by circling high above the landscape, will hover in kestrel fashion much more frequently. The kestrels , on the other hand, will more frequently hunt from low perches. Sometimes, red foxes can even be observed hunting during the day when rodents and fox babies are plentiful.

Fox 168

Fox Rodents Gophers Germany 168

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2019

While the hunting of game with trained birds of prey can be a controversial topic among birders , falconry was a valuable early source of information on birds, and its history, culture, and imagery continue to fascinate bird lovers, as we shall see. es de altaner ía. ( The pursuit of love. is like falconry.).

2016 158

2016 Portugal Belgium Falcons 158

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

I failed to score any lifers in 2023, which isn’t really surprising as there are very possibilities left for me in Europe, or even the Western Palearctic. My targets are 200 species in Britain and 300 in Europe: a little bit of ambition never does an harm. I also have an Excel spread sheet for my European year list.

Estonia 246

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

That was a wild cat, a wild Wildcat, the cat that lives in the wild because that is where it is from and where it belongs, at the southern end of its pan-African range that extended at one time well into Europe and Asia. Read what you want about the origin of domestic cats; the genetic evidence is not properly sampled.

Feral Cats 257

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 257

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2014

There is a breeding pair of White-tailed Eagles at the Veliko Ratno Island and they can be seen year-round, but the best chances are in winter, when they hunt ducks around the island. Trips birdfinder Europe Serbia' In March and November, Common Cranes are a possibility.

Serbia 254

Serbia Ducks Birds Eagles 254

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2015

This species is still uncommon in the Balkans and despite the recent spread, Kalamas is the most reliable site for it in Greece (and this made my only second ever observation of them in Europe). Further north, I reach the Kestrini River and turn left. A few moored boats with piles of fishing nets, but no people.

Greece 240

Greece Dogs Pelicans Cattle 240

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2012

After breeding they also disperse over the rainforests and savannas of West and Central Africa, where they hunt for aerial insects. As its name indicates, it breeds in Europe, with good numbers still nesting on the Iberian Peninsula and into eastern Europe, as well as further westwards right across to China.

Africa 266

Africa Gabon Uganda South Africa 266

Critter News

SEPTEMBER 6, 2009

The hunting and selling of ortolans, which have suffered a Europe-wide decline of 40-50% in the last 40 years, has been illegal in France since 1999. During the hunting season, which lasts from mid-August until the end of September, the birds are taken from their cages, fattened up in the dark and then drowned alive in Armagnac.

France 100

France Endangered Species Protest Protesting 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

The prehistoric extinctions most famously include the megafaunal assemblages of Europe, the Americas, Australia and Madagascar. As climates are transformed, habitats plundered, and nonnative fauna carried to virgin hunting grounds, extinction rates are increasing.

Marsupials 198

Marsupials Costa Rica Elephants Cuba 198

10,000 Birds

MARCH 22, 2019

While the hunting of game with trained birds of prey can be a controversial topic among birders , falconry was a valuable early source of information on birds, and its history, culture, and imagery continue to fascinate bird lovers, as we shall see. During the hunt, Mary’s horse lost its footing, throwing her from the saddle into a ditch.

France 113

France Hunting Horses Falcons 113

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2012

The White Wagtails , omnipresent on all my other trips to Europe, were not around this time. Our farthest planned trip to the south of the island was to the Argiolas winery, so we planned to hunt down the living lawn ornaments that afternoon: after all, nothing like a bit of wine to make the colors brighter.

Goats 128

Goats Montana Europe Hunting 128

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

My mind wandering off: A century ago, birding meant hunting birds and we stole the term from hunters – it may be time to steal another one: “Lord John came abreast of me, however, and his face was more grave than was his wont. (In Here in the continental south of Europe, gulling season is definitively winter. Back to gulls.

Hunters 168

Hunters 2011 Campaign Europe 168