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For example, when Corey gets the thrill of seeing a Black-throated Gray Warbler in Queens County, New York, he can be almost 100% sure that he is seeing a one-time vagrant, and not a previously undiscovered population. These are only a few examples of the many I could mention. So I’m including it here, just because I can. .
There is a fantastic paper just out in Science : “Sustained miniaturization and anatomoical innovation in the dinosaurian anceestors of birds” by Michael Lee, Andrea Cau, Darren Naishe and Gareth Dyke. So, for example, humans are apes. The paper that just came out in science has the following spectacular conclusion.
Somewhat strangely, the HBW calls it a “small grey to yellow babbler” – while the species indeed has some grey parts, that is not the color that sticks to mind when seeing or remembering the bird. Plus the sibia apparently plays an important role in the pollination of one endangered rhododendron species ( source ).
For example, many photos are shot in poor light, obscuring the true colours. Lees and Gilroy delineate vagrancy status and trends for every bird family worldwide, highlighting examples, synthesizing research, and framing it all with their own thoughts and conclusions.
Before my first trip to the tropics many years ago I always wondered how is it even possible that new bird species are discovered with all the deforestation and general habitat obliteration going on all over the world. I mean, we as a species are today basically everywhere. But still new species are found.
Every single species account includes at least one sentence in which gratuitous references to creation are made. The eighteen species covered are divided into five groups by color (blue or gray, brown, red, black, and yellow or orange) and each species gets an account that is a couple of minutes long.
It’s not an exact science, but it’s to get an idea of general usage and to see how the habitat can be managed in a better way for migratory feeding. Here’s an example of what we see. Can you make out any species in the above photo? There are a couple of American Wigeon mixed in there too.
As an example, my posts on 10,000 Birds are searchable and available online worldwide, but my articles in Birding (such as the one above) are essentially confined to oblivion. Birders care about bird science and conservation, but also about access to birding sites and facilities as those locations, etc.
The feature distinguishes birds from other species; All birds have them, no other species do. Beaks vary across different kinds of birds, and this great diversity in beaks is part of the great diversity of the 10,000+ species of birds that exist today; Beaks thus facilitated the diversification of birds. So how did beaks evolve?
For one thing, we become more aware of cultural biases in our science (new findings on warbling female birds, for example, reveal both gender and geographic biases). Many popular science books have neither. As Ackerman explains in her Introduction, studying extreme behavior brings new insight into what we think we know.
On a positive note, in one study , when small swaths of dense bamboo were cut and cleared for an unrelated study, these were utilized by small insectivorous species including the Golden Bush Robin for foraging. Sounds a bit like some weird Nazi eugenics experiment to me, but I guess it is just science.
At this moment, Baihualing is the eBird hotspot in China which has by far the largest number of species – 486. With 398 species, Nanhui is trailing far behind despite being covered by a much larger number of checklists (2225 compared to 608). But that is science in hierarchical institutions).
Take, for example, the group of the goatsuckers Caprimulgidae – the nightjars, and nighthawks, and whip-poor-wills, and widow-chuckers. I know for a fact that science is correct in stating that they don’t suck the milk of goats. Then again, science is definitely wrong in stating that goatsuckers have legs.
Birding by Impression is a conscious, deliberate method of identifying and recognizing birds based on the study and evaluation of “distinctive structural features and behavioral movements” and comparison with nearby and similar species. It is not a handbook, though it approaches species from a collective viewpoint. So say Kevin T.
These all had their own sub population of one or more species of large land bird, and these populations, in turn, give us the large lane birds we have today, except on Madagascar where the Elephant Bird went extinct (recently).
But still, there is variation in variation and how rapid climate change occurs can matter, as demonstrated in a paper just published in Science: The Influence of Late Quaternary Climate-Change Velocity on Species Endemism. Species diversity drops and the systems become very simple and uninteresting, and probably not very stable.
Sadly, the HBW states that the species is “almost extinct in some areas in China owing to hunting and trapping for the cagebird trade and taxidermy” The Maroon Oriole looks much more interesting, though my photos do not really do it full justice. … Traill did this enough times that Shirley began to hide the scale.’
Artists rendition of Inkayacu paracasensis There are 17 living species of penguins, which make up their own Linnean family (Spheniscidae), which is the only family in the order Sphenisciformes. Penguins are flightless, but some species locomote over long distances on antarctic ice to travel between breeding grounds and the sea.
For example, on finding gulls: Close study of gulls is not for everyone, and birders shouldn’t feel obligated to get deep into it if you prefer colorful, less-confusing, families of birds. It is process that can be as simple or as complex as you wish, and I think this is where Birding for the Curious is unique.
Here are some things I’ve learned from the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean by Scott Weidensaul: The Burrowing Owl is the only North American owl species where the male is larger than the female, albeit, only slightly larger. The 39 owls include five endemic Caribbean species.
Manker’s thesis is that ornithology is an excellent gateway to students becoming science majors in college and, more broadly and longer-term, conservation-minded citizens. Examples here , here , and here.) That article left an impression and I have wondered what became of Manker’s effort to create a high school ornithology curriculum.
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.
The science-based approach that recognises the dilemmas and identifies the hard choices isn’t election material, I suppose. I was going on a quest for a single species – something I normally just don’t do. It’s not officially inside the National Park, but access is easier and the species tally isn’t too shabby, not at all.
Originally considered monotypic, two species are now recognized. Drakensberg (or Orange-breasted) Rockjumper is a Drakensberg Mountain species whose range is shared with the tiny landlocked kingdom of Lesotho. Males of this species are more brightly colored in their non-breeding winter plumage. the Rockjumpers.
Others might require a life list or the ability to identify a specific number of species, or some other criteria. For example, if just 1 in 10 U.S. For example, among others, I have the 1st Edition of Sibley, the 2d Edition, both of the smaller regional versions, plus one for the car.).
Not too many highlights, not too many species … hard to say whether this is just the usual nostalgia for a better but probably nonexistent past or a real phenomenon. This species is listed as vulnerable – similar to the Yellow-breasted Buntings, it is trapped on a large scale. Humans, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
Additional back of the book material includes a Glossary, Biographical Details, a Select Bibliography, Notes, Credits, an Index to Species and a General Index. Cocker writes about the species within each family with a literary specificity softened by a tone of conversational patience. Larks, for example.
During the decade, I submitted 1,219 checklists and observed 555 bird species, all in the U.S. After an initial period when all species are new, the lifers begin to follow a pattern. Thus, I can pinpoint my first pelagic trip, as it added 13 new species. For example, I’ve seen Bald Eagles in 15 states. and Canada.
Any place that used to be good for an interesting species last year is likely to have been turned into another construction site this year. A few changes happen in March – for example, many European countries and the USA switch to daylight savings time. One is the continuing destruction of much of its environment.
Lago de Yojoa, Honduras, February 2009 Let’s say that you are a serious birder on your first trip to the neotropics and are hoping to see as many species as possible. We watched Purple Gallinules , Pied-billed Grebes , several species of swallow, Great-tailed Grackles , and every other bird that crossed our paths.
It’s a matter of personal preference: neither does every reader like, say, science fiction, or the writing of Henry James, or romance novels. Each title in the series is the collective noun for a bird species, which becomes a central theme of the story. There’s no accounting for taste.
But does the value of a particular trip come from the number of birds seen, viewing a particular species, seeing an endangered species, catching a glimpse of a rarity, adding a lifer, or something else? For example, binoculars and field guides have a cost that can be measured in dollars. Q: Why study birders and why use eBird?
Or, one of the 145 species of Glass frogs living in the Cental and South American rainforests, I could look through the transparent skin on their undersides and see their internal organs. All species of frogs and toads share the fact that they are amphibian creatures, they have two types of skin gland, four legs, and, well, they jump.
There was a time when I thought each bird species had its own individual song. Then I found out that there was this vocalization called a ‘call,’ so I thought each bird species had its own individual song (but just the males) and individual call. Bird communication is a complex and evolving science. How do they know?
At the recent Swarovski Social Media Summit in Arizona, Nate proselytized passionately for the program that both manages your sightings and contributes them to science. Then the fun really started… The eBird interface came back saying that a whopping 251 species needed clarification. But Nate is an eBird fanatic.
From the Abstract and summary: Changes in climate can cause populations of species to decline, to increase, or to remain steady. looked across species of common birds in Europe and the United States. Reminder: This study looked at the more common species. Stephens et al. Stephens, Philip, et al. 352:6281(84-87).
As if eBird, the marvelous citizen science produced database of bird sightings, wasn’t awesome enough, you can now have an eBird profile that is viewable by other eBird users. For example, while exploring profiles I happened upon Noah Stryker’s profile. It’s a simple but amazing idea. And, much to my delight, I won !
One North American species I am very familiar with is the Cassin’s Auklet , which ranges from the end of the Aleutian Islands to California. Unless you spend much time on their breeding islands it is probably not one of the better known species of alcid, it is small and nondescript even as auks go.
For example, take the Mississippi Kite (above), photographed at the Dairy Mart Ponds in Tijuana River Valley, between San Diego and the Mexican border. Not only is it a very impressive citizen science project that manages to marshal the legions of birders around Canada and the U.S., Let’s get to it then. 9) Birdfinding.
The chapter “Horseshoe Crabs” illustrates why this is THE keystone species of the Delaware Bay. The three co-authors of Life Along the Delaware Bay are scientists who know how to write about science without jargon or pretense. They are simply amazing, as I think you can see from the examples here.
“The Purpose of Field Guides: Taxonomy vs. Utility,” co-authored with Brian Sullivan, Michael O’Brien, Chris Wood, Ian Lewington, and Richard Crossley ( Birding , November 2009) proposed a standard avian species order for field guides, apart from the ever-changing AOS taxonomic order. Species are useful handles (p. 16, below).”
The Majestic Wetlands: Within Shanghai’s boundaries lie several pristine wetland habitats that serve as vital sanctuaries for a plethora of bird species. This expansive marshland is home to rare and endangered species such as the charismatic Black-faced Spoonbill, Saunders’s Gull, and the elegant Oriental Stork.
That’s pretty amazing–Bolivia has more bird species than India! The source of this ranking, BirdLife International, lists Bolivia as currently having 1,439 bird species, including 18 breeding endemics. The guide covers 1,433 species, the number of birds documented at the end of 2014, the cutoff point for the book.
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