10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2014

The proposal above is one of many that will emerge from a major new paper by Klicka et al., For one thing, as other studies have recently found, New World sparrows belong in their own family, Passerellidae; they are not closely related to Old World Emberiza buntings (see John Boyd’s treatment of the groups ).

Elephants 240

Elephants New Zealand Sparrows Ostriches 240

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. I guess New Zealanders really like flightless birds.)

New Zealand 223

New Zealand Parrots Sanctuary Family 223

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 13, 2013

I’ve stated in the past that I thought that the Pukeko, or Purple Swamphen, is New Zealand’s most iconic bird after the kiwi. Tui are large members of the honeyeater family, one of two species found in New Zealand. Tui ( Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae ) on New Zealand Flax.

New Zealand 168

New Zealand Sanctuary Family Species 168

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Stalking a Kiwi Icon Stalking a Kiwi Icon By Duncan • March 16, 2011 • 1 comment Tweet Share Most people, if asked, would confidently name what they thought the National Bird of New Zealand was.

New Zealand 173

New Zealand 2011 Deer Namibia 173

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2011

Since New Zealand is currently consumed by rugby fever and we haven’t the time to indulge in anything so tedious as birdwatching, I thought I’d dive back under the sea to introduce one of New Zealand’s most iconic aquatic organisms, the Australasian Snapper ( Pagrus auratus ).

New Zealand 183

New Zealand Goats Fish Japan 183

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2013

It’s a model that is now happening across New Zealand, and it was nice to experience it near my friend’s house in Taranaki. Fernbirds are what were formerly known as Old World warblers and are now considered a member of the grassbird family, and are typically as skulky as the rest of their reed living relatives.

New Zealand 168

New Zealand Sanctuary Mammals Wildlife 168

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

But, unlike most books focused on a bird family, this one is organized geographically. Each chapter focuses on a specific geographic area of penguin population: (1) Antarctica, (2) South Georgia, (3) Falkland Islands, (4) South Africa and Tristan de Cunha, (5) New Zealand and Australia, (6) South America and Galapagos.

Penguins 279

Penguins Georgia Albatross New Zealand 279

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 23, 2016

There are few families of birds where despite a cosmopolitan distribution I’m always so pleased to see any species of the family. I can spend months in some locations without seeing a single one, in fact in 10 years in New Zealand although I hear them on a monthly basis I have seen them precisely 3, yes three, times.

Owls 223

Owls Somalia Sudan Gambia 223

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2024

I experienced a perfect illustration of this many years ago when I was traveling in New Zealand with my family. My family still regularly reminds me of that sighting when I get excited about birds. The post Vineyards near Koblenz appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

New Zealand 246

New Zealand Rabbits Adoptable Family 246

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

Conservation was in the news again in the last few weeks here in New Zealand, and unfortunately not in a good way. As most people know cats, both feral and domestic, have a pretty big impact on wild birds and other wildlife, and the effect of mammals is particularly profound in New Zealand.

New Zealand 154

New Zealand Possums SPCA Hedgehogs 154

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2013

A European Starling in New Zealand made the news this week. This particular species is not native to New Zealand (similar to its status in North America). The woman in the video found it as a chick at a few days old and hand reared it. This is not the first talking European Starling on YouTube.

New Zealand 180

New Zealand North America Laws Raised 180

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

Just a quick post today to appreciate one of New Zealand’s most attractive birds, the Paradise Shelduck. They are endemic to New Zealand, but unlike many endemic species that have not suffered at the hands of humans, in fact they have expanded their range as forests have been opened up for pasture. The female.

New Zealand 165

New Zealand Sanctuary Suffering Ducks 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Long before I moved in New Zealand, or visited or even knew much about the wildlife here, way back then I knew about the Poor Knights. In New Zealand I’d even dived the astonishing Milford Sound in Fiordlands National Park, but I didn’t make it to New Zealand’s most famous dive site until January of 2009.

New Zealand 212

New Zealand Belize Vanuatu Fiji 212

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

People ascribe near mythic status to the members of the family Delphinidae (and other related families). If you love the idea of swimming with dolphins, New Zealand is a great place to do it. Not, may I hurry to add, because I had some issue with swimming in the ocean in New Zealand on South Island in near winter.

Dolphins 170

Dolphins Sharks New Zealand Albatross 170

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2011

When it comes down to it New Zealand is all about islands. Somes, less interestingly, was a rich backer of the New Zealand Company called Joseph Somes (who never went near the place). The island represents one of only three places in North Island that has this New Zealand endemic. I’ll work on that.

Penguins 165

Penguins New Zealand Parrots Fur 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 16, 2013

The middle period of the year was very barren for new species, and this being New Zealand for birds in general. I have a deep love for members of the babbler family (or families now) and so the ten minutes I spent with a pair of Chestnut-crowned Babblers was heaven. Well, no, but yes?

2012 157

2012 New Zealand Thailand Albatross 157

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

As I sat waiting for the bus home there was a wind, hardly a rarity here in New Zealand, but it was a warm wind, and that certainly is. The spring the birds I’ll show you today is far from the seat of New Zealand’s government where I now work. Sparrows are from the family Passeridae. Long may it last.

United Arab Emirates 163

United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia Oman Yemen 163

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2013

Since this research has a strong citizen science component, we want to help Pavel spread the word: What happens with birdsong during invasion of a new territory? Why Great Britain and New Zealand? British Yellowhammers have been purposefully introduced to New Zealand in the 19th century and quickly colonised it.

Czech Republic 168

Czech Republic New Zealand Science Europe 168

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2011

I wasn’t there for birding per se, just a chance to get away from New Zealand’s winter in a sunny tropical island. The Buff-banded Rail (simply Banded Rail here in New Zealand) is something of a tramp, ranging from the Philippines through New Guinea and Australia to northern New Zealand.

Tonga 174

Tonga New Zealand Samoa Fiji 174

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

Four families are often recognized: storm-petrels, albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels , and diving-petrels. But several studies suggest that the storm-petrels actually belong in two different families and that diving-petrels are embedded within the rest of the petrels and shearwaters.

Albatross 219

Albatross Penguins New Zealand Japan 219

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

Wouldn’t you love to chase New Zealand’s newest family of birds at Mount Taranaki ? The verb hark derives from Proto-Germanic by way of Middle English to urge someone to listen attentively.

New Zealand 158

New Zealand 2013 New York Birds 158

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2013

And now we enter into a family of birds more or less unknown to non-birders. And truth told, over the years they’ve been something of a square peg for ornithologists too, not fitting precisely into any of the known families of birds. A Family of Little Grebes – YC Lee, Bird Ecology Study Group.

Jordan 234

Jordan Guatemala South America Birds 234

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 21, 2012

While New Zealand is famous for its endemic oddities, once upon a time New Zealand also had many birds from groups and families that are no longer found here. The mysterious piopio were recently recognized for what they were, New Zealand’s representatives from the oriole family.

Eagles 108

Eagles New Zealand Bald Eagle Collecting 108

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2012

Living in New Zealand is fun and all, don’t get me wrong. Soon afterwards I managed a few more birds, including introduced Javan Mynas , lots of lovely Peaceful Doves , a large and impressive White-throated Kingfisher , an perky family of Oriental Magpie Robins , and a Black-napped Oriole.

New Zealand 177

New Zealand Fur Malaysia Woodpeckers 177

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2017

Mainland island sanctuaries are popular in New Zealand for any number of reasons. Dunedin sells itself as the wildlife capital of New Zealand, in no small part due to its impressive seabird colonies (more of which later this month), but in Orokonui they now have a sanctuary to find rarer forest birds. New Zealand Pigeons.

Sanctuary 108

Sanctuary New Zealand Pedigree Protection 108

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2014

The broadbills are always a family* that birders visiting South East Asia want to see, and who could blame them? They are, with the pittas, the Old World’s only representatives of the otherwise American sub-oscine passerines (the New Zealand wrens being afforded their own distinct lineage).

Madagascar 167

Madagascar Malaysia New Zealand South America 167

10,000 Birds

MAY 18, 2016

It’s that time of year where I complain about the Austral winter, which arrived suddenly yesterday and has been inflicting gales, thunderstorms and tornadoes on New Zealand. To celebrate I’m off to Melbourne on Friday, were the weather promises to be more pleasant, for a long weekend.

New Zealand 100

New Zealand Family Species Birds 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2013

Its mostly found on the ground in thickets or the edges of dense vegetation and usually in small family parties. Puffbacks belong to the bush-shrike family Malaconotidae and this group are called puffbacks due to several of the species forming a habit of puffing out their fluffy white back feathers during display. Pink-headed Dove.

Africa 249

Africa Somalia Mozambique Pelicans 249

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

We’ve only recently begun to completely piece it together, using fossils and scientific analysis, but what is shows is that, once upon a time, the rail family was one of the most, if not the most, species rich family of birds in the world. But they are, as a family, prone to remarkable wandering.

Hawaii 247

Hawaii Guam Mammals Fiji 247

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

Not forever mind, I’ll still be living here in New Zealand and carrying on as its beat writer here (I may even write about New Zealand again some time). Ugandan Mangabeys were part of my family once. Over a decade since I was last there, I am finally heading back to Africa late this year.

Uganda 171

Uganda Sharks New Zealand Africa 171

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2011

I couldn’t tell you how many birds I’ve seen in New Zealand. I guess it must have been a slow news day. And it also occurs that had I not gone to see it and Corey and Mike had found out I would have gotten 10,000 demerits and lost my position as beat writer for New Zealand. So I went to see it.

Penguins 177

Penguins New Zealand Zoos Hunting 177

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2016

But there is one such bird in New Zealand, and it is, as far as I know the only songbird where the young bird has a unique name (I’m sure I’ll be corrected in the comments). On South Island, in a very few places, you might find a Jackbird. This Saddleback is older and has mostly adult plumage, but still has small wattles.

New Zealand 117

New Zealand Parrots Rats Bats 117

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

Here in New Zealand our shambolic exercise in not picking a new flag is becoming a) political and b) something that people will quickly stop paying attention to when the Rugby World Cup starts. They are large, scruffy looking kingfisher by ancestry, five species of that family founds across Australia and New Guinea.

Australia 176

Australia New Zealand Guinea Hunters 176

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2018

This weeks posting finds me north of the Whananaki area, which is north of Auckland, New Zealand. We are spending some time here on my wife’s family property right on the water. Unfortunately, there have been no new birds that I can check off my “Wish List” but if you have to hang out in a place, this is pretty awesome.

New Zealand 100

New Zealand Alaska Groups Laws 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2018

You might remember, or maybe not, that the last spot I birded, prior to boarding a plane for New Zealand, was Nisqually NWR, in a snow storm, and -5 ° F. Today, I saw a handful of Mallards , two Common Mergansers, and a Wood Duck Family. New Zealand species – 104. That is what birding weather should be.

New Zealand 143

New Zealand Seattle Qatar South Africa 143

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2011

The Takahe, a large flightless bird endemic to New Zealand, was thought to be extinct, and then was rediscovered in 1948. It is still the focus of an intensive conservation program.

Albatross 240

Albatross Protection Campaign Birds 240

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2012

For example, I was going to add “no tail” to the list of features above, what all frogs share, when I remembered that there are indeed a small family of Tailed frogs, four species in New Zealand and two in North America (though, the tails are quite tiny). But, within the frog group there is a tremendous range of diversity.

Reptiles 216

Reptiles Madagascar Family New York City 216