10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 8, 2024

What is your favorite bird species? Too tough to choose a species but if I could choose a family it’d be a tight finish between shorebirds and vultures. The bird that I’m seeing or hearing at the present moment. Trinidad Motmot What is your name, and where do you live?

Trinidad 246

Trinidad Birds Family Species 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2021

The family Furnariidae consists of ovenbirds and woodcreepers, but the actual Ovenbird belongs to the family of New World Warblers – Parulidae. This is not the most confusing aspect of birds by any means, after all there are tanagers which belong in the cardinal family and cardinals that are tanagers.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Litter Guyana Family 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2021

Many species seemed to come in threes, and today I shall continue my examination of these. Three species of antshrikes are resident in T&T. These endearing birds are almost always found in pairs or small family groups, and I often have difficulty deciding which bird to photograph as both males and females are equally beautiful.

Trinidad 261

Trinidad Bears Family Groups 261

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2020

While the 480-odd species recorded within T&T may outstrip our fellow Caribbean islands by leaps and bounds, it pales in comparison to the massive lists of mainland South and Central America. T&T boasts a fascinating level of biodiversity, however the relatively small size of the islands puts a limit on individual species diversity.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Family America Species 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2024

Not just the Common Cuckoo or the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, you must love the whole family Cuculidae, all 32 general and 148 species of them, from Anis to Roadrunners to Coucals to Lizard Cuckoos to Koels to Malkohas to Drongo-Cuckoos to Hawk-Cuckoos.* You gotta love Cuckoos.

Family 244

Family Species 244

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

I’ve been fortunate to see two Penguin species in the wild (African and Galapagos) and have dreamed of seeing more–maybe even all!–especially The goal of Around the World For Penguins is simple: Describe the 18 species of penguin and their breeding grounds “from the perspective of a traveller.”

Penguins 279

Penguins Georgia Albatross New Zealand 279

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2020

North America is home to many amazing bird species, including several which require a special effort to see and appreciate. Trogons and quetzals are an ancient, colorful bird family that occurs in forests and other wooded habitats from the American tropics to Africa to Southeast Asia. So let’s look at this sampler, shall we?

America 264

America Arizona North America Texas 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2021

A typical description of the family is that of “a tropical African and Asian songbird that typically has a melodious voice and drab plumage”, another is “small, dull-colored passerine birds of Asia and Africa”, yet another states that they are “often rather plain” Individual species get even harsher reviews.

South Africa 273

South Africa Malaysia Africa China 273

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2022

In the 1960s, Efraín Chacón constructed a dirt trail [from San Gerardo de Dota] to the Pan-American Highway, and brought his family to build a house, to farm and fish for trout. more than two dozen species before the rain forced us inside. more than two dozen species before the rain forced us inside.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Opossums Mammals 2000 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2021

One bird species that we occasionally observe around Broome is the Yellow-billed Spoonbill, but we had not seen one for a few years until recently. We soon observed several bird species and then a Yellow-billed Spoonbill flew overhead. Not only is it a bird species we rarely encounter, but we had never found a breeding colony before.

Breeding 246

Breeding Australia Cattle Family 246

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Still, the outing did not produce any new species for the year, or enough good photos for a post here. Instead, I have chosen to write about an idea I’ve had percolating for a while: to tell you what the most common species are down here. I’ll take the most common native species in taxonomic order.

Woodpeckers 362

Woodpeckers Mexico Cattle Turkey 362

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2021

Today, I’m going to look at the family Trochilidae , or hummingbirds. Although eighteen species of hummingbirds have been recorded in T&T, within this there are three species of hermits. Typically they are drawn to the brilliantly colored flowers of the Heliconia family. Little Hermit. Green Hermit.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Family Species Birds 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2021

The islands and surrounding islets of Trinidad and Tobago boast an astounding list of almost 500 species of birds. For such a small place, birders are often spoiled for choice, there seems to be a representative of almost every neotropical family making their presence felt in some corner of habitat. Green Honeycreepers.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Groups Family Species 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2020

But his Best Bird of the Weekend was one he saw with his family on a visit to Jamaica Bay on Saturday evening. A distant American White Pelican on the East Pond was Corey’s 264th species in Queens this year, which tops his previous best by three species. Corey enjoyed some good birding on both Saturday and Sunday mornings.

2020 278

2020 Rabbits Jamaica Pelicans 278

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2021

Our land-locked species in temperate zones tend to become too focused on the little details of perpetuating their species to be sufficiently entertaining. Out on the shore, though, a whole suite of species exists in the places we gravitate to anyway. The best of summer birding in my experience takes place at the beach.

Virginia 264

Virginia Birds Fish Experience 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 28, 2021

Perhaps his first attempt at raising a family – I’ll be checking on him in a few days! Some birds chose to sit quietly together, perhaps getting to know each other’s quirks and habits before settling down to raise a family. Some species have already fledged their young and are in the process of feeding the juveniles.

Raised 264

Raised Breeding South America Family 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2024

There are 154 species of cuckoos in the world, and they’re all a fascinating bunch. I have encountered a few of the more quirky members of the family, including the brilliant and aptly-named African Emerald Cuckoo, India’s ultra-shy Sirkeer Malkoha, and the fascinating Lesser Ground Cuckoo in Costa Rica.

Cyprus 246

Cyprus Africa Europe Asia 246

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2021

At least that’s where I added this species to my New York list. Corey went for a walk at Jamaica Bay with his family on Saturday evening, after the rain had stopped in New York City and went out again, alone, on Sunday morning before the rain picked back up.

Charlotte 264

Charlotte New York City New York Jamaica 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2020

I feel that like most bird families (with the obvious exception of pheasants), buntings are somewhat underrated. At my regular birding spot at Nanhui, Shanghai, five or six species of buntings can be seen fairly regularly, and about the same number very occasionally. In other words, they are my kind of birds. Pallas Bunting.

South Africa 226

South Africa China Germany Family 226

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2023

Among the reasons: We saw 51 species… in less than three hours… on 1/20 of a square mile… on the edge of Morelia’s urban area! I always appreciate the opportunity to see and compare multiple members of a single genus and family at the same time. Females of the two species are much more difficult to distinguish.

Family 275

Family Species Birds Mexico 275

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2020

Local guide and birder David Mora Vargas has been spending much of his time at his family’s farm in the Sarapiqui lowlands. With around 400 species recorded for the area, yeah, it’s where we might all like to quarantine for a bit! A Fantastic Day of 200 Plus Species. Fiery-billed Aracari. Trip to Cocos Island.

Costa Rica 260

Costa Rica Birds Thailand Farming 260

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2020

The best laid plans… Last week, I had hoped to get permission to get onto the campus of one or Morelia’s many universities, to look for a family of Wood Ducks that apparently have arrived to spend the winter in its unusual habitat of marshy forest. In fact, it was guaranteed before I got out of bed! cuerpoRRUÍN! cuerpoRRUÍN!”

Mexico 279

Mexico Family Laws Ducks 279

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Over the course of the following hour or so we observed many different species *coincidentally* alight on the wall near to the body of the fallen yellowlegs. Did the Black-bellied Whistling Duck represent his family, “showing face” as we say here in the Caribbean? Pectoral Sandpiper (L) and White-rumped Sandpiper (R).

Elephants 279

Elephants Ducks Humane Family 279

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2022

The Latin species name is dissimilis (different, unlike), possibly because the female looks quite different from the male (though based on that explanation, dissimilis would have to be a very common species name). Niltava is a genus in the family of Old World Flycatchers (though I still think the term Old World is slightly ridiculous).

Horses 244

Horses Family Blackbirds Species 244

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2023

We had observed a few families of Black-winged Stilt and the young are small as below. Black-winged Stilt and young I had a quick look on my camera after taking the header photo and realised it was not a chick in the reeds, but another bird species entirely.

Geese 262

Geese Family Species Birds 262

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2021

Continuing here with the series on threes within the avian landscape of Trinidad and Tobago (in case you missed it, T&T has three each of trogons , antshrikes , spinetails , manakins , hermits , honeycreepers , and resident warblers ) we arrive at one of the more difficult species triads to encounter. Stripe-backed Bittern.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Breeding Family Species 264

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2022

Torresian Crows Corvus orru are the most common of the Crow family in the northern part of Australia and are the most likely of the Crow species that you will encounter. In Broome it is the only Crow species and we do not have Ravens , so it makes identification easy.

Australia 264

Australia Eggs Family Groups 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2022

As this African Green Pigeon shows, the color should offer good camouflage for species living on trees. In case you do not know that brimstone is sulfur, the Brimstone Canary brings the point home by having the Latin species name sulphurata. Different bird families, I know. Lucia for the birds. Celebration everywhere.

South Africa 252

South Africa Africa Saint Lucia Camels 252

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2024

This seems like a strange – but welcome – turn of events after having failed to see this species several times in the region. 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.

New Zealand 245

New Zealand Rabbits Adoptable Family 245

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2022

The stars of the bird world take many forms and fame is often related to location but some species, some cool groups of birds are accorded priority no matter when or where they are seen. One such star avian family is the Setophagidae, the birds known as wood-warblers. 13 Warbler Stars from the North. See our eBird list here.

Costa Rica 290

Costa Rica Nashville Tennessee Turtles 290

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

An associated issue is that the Belize and Costa Rica guides share many of the same descriptions of species, written by Howell. Similarly, descriptions of species repeated across volumes do not lose their accuracy with each publication. Other species are splits and lumped and have had their names changed. Why are these issues?

Costa Rica 246

Costa Rica Belize El Salvador Birds 246

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

Each family is given a double-page spread. Each species is described only by features that may (although not always) be seen in flight; those impossible to notice in flight are omitted. Each species is described only by features that may (although not always) be seen in flight; those impossible to notice in flight are omitted.

Europe 264

Europe Asia Cyprus Turkey 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 26, 2023

The Crested Pigeon family remained in the tree away from danger for quite some time with both parents present. Although Crested Pigeons are quite a common bird Australia-wide you don’t always find a nest, so that you are able to observe the family grow.

Breeding 249

Breeding Australia Eggs Family 249

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2023

Some 320 species have been recorded here, and in springtime it is possible to observe more than 150 bird species in a week. Last but not least, there were three species of shrikes, Red-backed , Lesser Grey and at least 2 Masked Shrikes , possibly 2 more, an entire family (not all were showing so well).

Greece 246

Greece Pelicans Stray Dog Tortoises 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2021

The eggs hatched out around 20th June after 28 days of incubation and the Pied Oystercatcher family were soon on the move. This moves the family closer to a reef that gets exposed on low tides and better feeding opportunities. Usually the first thing we look for when we visit Pied Oystercatcher families is look for footprints.

Breeding 264

Breeding Feral Cats Eggs Feral 264

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2021

We have observed huge flocks of Galahs there on previous visits and other times there are more bird species, but only one or two of each species. Walking out onto the bridge we soon observed a good mixture of other bird species. Brolga had come into drink and there were all three species of Ibis present. Cattle Egret.

Cattle 298

Cattle Ducks Zebras Australia 298

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2022

The exploration of triads within the avifauna of Trinidad and Tobago has taken me through various families and species groups on this blog. On the smaller island of Tobago there are three species of woodpeckers and three species of woodcreepers – one of each is found on Tobago but not Trinidad.

Woodpeckers 264

Woodpeckers Trinidad South America Hunting 264