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Do nine-primaried oscines represent 16 different families?

10,000 Birds

Some scientists have lumped them all into one enormous family (e.g., Sibley and Monroe 1990), but more often, they have been treated as several families. This approach, though, has lead to much confusion over which birds belong in which families (remember when we learned that Piranga tanagers are actually cardinals ?),

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The origins of tanagers, warblers, and sparrows are coming into focus

10,000 Birds

It also appears that at least one early radiation from North America into the Caribbean resulted in several relatively old island lineages, which the authors treat as four families, Nesospingidae, Spindalidae, Calyptophilidae, and Phaenicophilidae. The wood-warblers are coming into focus , and the sparrows are getting their own family.

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Pied Oystercatcher breeding season is here again!

10,000 Birds

The eggs hatched out around 20th June after 28 days of incubation and the Pied Oystercatcher family were soon on the move. The strategy of this pair of Pied Oystercatchers is to lay their eggs in a dune area which is amongst the busiest area for vehicles on the beach. Last Saturday, 26th of June, we walked north on Cable Beach.

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Vineyards near Koblenz

10,000 Birds

It initially ran off, but then adopted a different strategy by crouching on the ground and relying on its camouflage, its big eyes looking up at me. I experienced a perfect illustration of this many years ago when I was traveling in New Zealand with my family. The post Vineyards near Koblenz appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

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Tanzanian Starlings, Shrikes, and Weavers (Part 1)

10,000 Birds

Singularly beautiful as individuals but glared at by many a birder for their stubborn survival streak which can play havoc with the delicate nesting strategies of pre-established locals. Getting a glimpse into the workings of the world by witnessing a family of starlings foraging together is a real treat.

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Northern Potoo

10,000 Birds

Sometimes called “Poor-me-ones&# on account of their haunting calls, these bizarre denizens of the night come in 7 different flavors from the family Nyctibiidae within the order Caprimulgiformes. In reality though, this is actually a pretty stellar nesting strategy.

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Black-backed Woodpeckers and Forest Fires in California and the West

10,000 Birds

I had taken the short drive to the park to search for a family of American Dippers sighted near the visitor center by a fellow birder a few days before. In October of 2012, the Institute for Bird Populations released “ A Conservation Strategy for the Black-Backed Woodpecker in California 3.” It was July of 2012.