10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

One of the less well remembered awful things that happened in the Second World War (a six year period of history filled with an uncountable number of awful things) is that war’s direct role in the extinction of two species of rail. The loss of these two species was, in fact, no aberration, except in how late the extinctions were.

Hawaii 201

Hawaii Guam Mammals Fiji 201

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2013

This group — dubbed the bombycillids , from the waxwing genus and family name — appears to fall near kinglets and a large group containing thrushes and muscicapids (Old World flycatchers and chats) in the passerine tree. Here’s the only known video footage of that species: Kauai Oo. Spellman et al. Spellman et al.

Saudi Arabia 213

Saudi Arabia 2008 Indonesia Colombia 213

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

I saw two Pitta species at Hongbenghe, both among the slightly less glamourous among the pitta family: The Blue-naped Pitta … … and the closely related Rusty-naped Pitta. It seems that this is another species for which the standard phrase of scientists anywhere, “more research needed”, applies.

Myanmar 147

Myanmar Birds China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Birders have a natural tendency to appreciate variety in form, from the bewildering range of colors displayed within a single avian family, to minute distinctions between otherwise similar birds wholly inscrutable to the untrained eye (or even to those of many birders!). Birders are generally happy when this happens.

Ohio 113

Ohio India Hawaii United States 113

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2014

So when we were contacted by Mitchell Waite, the creator and owner of the iBird family of apps, offering a promotional code for the new version of iBird Ultimate in return for a review I thought, why not? You can easily scroll through the 940 species of bird included, which covers the United States (including Hawaii) and Canada.

New York 174

New York Battery Hawaii Woodpeckers 174

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

In Hawaii I stood on a beach as albatrosses fledged and Tiger Sharks prowled for the less successful ones. You may not get the species counts that the race delivers, but you’ll have memories burned into your skull. You may not get the species counts that the race delivers, but you’ll have memories burned into your skull.

Uganda 160

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 160

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2011

They are rock stars in their family (or group of families, depending on what taxonomists have been smoking lately), a family that includes Scarlet Macaws , Crimson Shining-parrots , Golden Parakeets and Rainbow Lorikeets , and that is no mean feat. Kakapo are bird rock stars. Sirocco than Kakapo being handfed.

New Zealand 180

New Zealand Parrots Sanctuary Sheep 180

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2011

In spite of this New Zealand does have an iconic family of birds that has served as an emblem for the country for over a century, the kiwi. There are are presently thought to be five species of kiwi with a possible sixth extinct species, all of which have suffered varying degrees of range contraction since the arrival of humans.

New Zealand 144

New Zealand 2011 Deer Namibia 144

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2020

Didn’t every household have a copy of a Peterson Field Guide on the shelf, maybe a third or fourth edition that family members grew up with, which they could quickly consult to see the arrow pointing to that belly band? These are the species that immediately come to my mind, and I probably missed some. Or, a classic Golden Guide?

North America 224

North America America 2020 Hawaii 224

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

The trip was to visit a handful of sites across North Sydney, which was great for me as they were places I could stand to know better and were close to where my family live (and I was staying). Another nice find by the assembled birders was a Bar-shouldered Dove , a species I had only seen in Queensland before this point.

Owls 175

Owls Birds Hawaii Neglecting 175

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

Eighteen-hour trips are the rule and only about four or five hours are spent in the prime area to see the species most birders are hoping to see. Where Hawaii, Japan, and Siberia are just an ocean away. That said, I’ve had some pretty amazing trips over the years. Where the possibilities seem limited only by your imagination.

Whales 109

Whales Whaling Albatross Sea Lions 109

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2021

Decades later, Richard Pough’s Audubon Bird Guide, Eastern Land Birds (I happily own the 1948 edition) included nest and egg descriptions for each species as well. And photographs of feathers in the species accounts, which surprised me. Text retrieved from the Hathitrust Digital Library. The first is accomplished well.

Eggs 227

Eggs United States Sparrows Birds 227

10,000 Birds

APRIL 20, 2011

This association belies the advanced and highly sophisticated adaptations the family has evolved for a life of wandering, hunting and, yes, piracy on the high seas. The etymological disconnect between the common name (Great) and the specific name ( minor ) is due to the species originally being described as Pelecanus minor , little pelican.

Albatross 157

Albatross Pelicans Hunting Family 157