10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2021

Here’s a quote about bird lungs from Britannica: “Himalayan geese have been observed not only to fly over human climbers struggling to reach the top of Mount Everest, but to honk as they do so.” The bird is a captive-bred Peregrine/Gyrfalcon hybrid owned by people with an Exotic Species Permit.

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Wildlife Rehabilitation Tethering Giraffes Alabama 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2012

Around thirty miles from Missoula in the Bitterroot Valley lies the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. My specific goal was to see Trumpeter Swans , which, let’s just say it’s lucky that they’re not my new nemesis species – we spotted a group of three from the parking lot as soon as we got out of our cars.

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Wildlife Montana Bald Eagle Geese 188

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2016

He has visited more than 40 National Wildlife Refuges in 20 states and frequently visits NWRs in his travels, most recently Buenos Aires NWR in southern Arizona. The focus on Malheur is and was appropriate, but we should not lose sight of the significance of the entire National Wildlife Refuge System. The combination is potent.

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Wildlife Grizzly Bear Puerto Rico United States 190

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2015

As I always do on the way home, following a short visit to the San Francisco Bay Area, I take in at least one of the National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) found in the Sacramento Valley. California is blessed with 51 NWRs and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), second only to North Dakota with 77. Click on photos for full sized images.

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Wildlife San Francisco Sacramento North Dakota 162

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2024

Part of the mitigation for the McNary Dam was the creation of McNary National Wildlife Refuge. Fish and Wildlife Service : Established in 1956, McNary NWR was created to replace wildlife habitat lost to construction of the McNary Dam downstream. According to the U.S. My eBird checklists are here and here.)

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Washington Oregon Wildlife United States 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

For mankind to snatch away a species’ very existence is wrong on so many levels that I can’t begin to explain them. However, despite our best efforts to wipe them off the face of the earth, some of the more vulnerable species have managed to hang on. Fish and Wildlife Service. this species breeds.

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Albatross Endangered Species Bald Eagle Alaska 243

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2014

For all that, though, migration here is still largely a water-based show, with the most spectacular signs of springs coming in the forms of ducks, geese, and swans. Several locations in the state, most notably Freezeout Lake, are graced with epic spring migrations of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans as they return north along the Pacific Flyway.

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Geese Montana Breeding Pelicans 202

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe today announced as part of Great Outdoors Month the agency is proposing to expand fishing and hunting opportunities on 21 refuges throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System. National wildlife refuges provide premier outdoor recreational opportunities across the Nation.

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Fish Wildlife Hunting Louisiana 152

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2024

Birders know that some of the finest birding locations in the country are on federal land , which include national parks , wildlife refuges , forests , monuments , and seashores , among others. The eleven largest national wildlife refuges are also in Alaska, including Arctic NWR and Yukon Delta NWR , each more than 19 million acres.

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Virgin Islands Alaska United States Nevada 257

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

Most of the estuaries of Puget Sound in Washington State have been developed, but one of the few that remain is the Nisqually River Delta, which was protected as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Nisqually NWR is a major staging area for migratory birds , a wintering area for many ducks and geese, and a breeding area for numerous songbirds.

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Washington Portland Birds Geese 266

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2012

What this land-locked country lacks in endemic birds it more than makes up for in accessibility of tough species, numbers of birds and the overall wildlife experience. It is also home to the largest concentration of African Elephants on the planet and over 450 bird species. We are currently filming in Botswana.

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Botswana Lions Zebras Elephants 244

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2019

It’s that coastline, however, that called me to Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, an oasis drawing migrating waterfowl like a magnet. Is there anything better for a birder than when the target species are literally everywhere , with nothing to obstruct them? Louisiana, I do so love you for your birding opportunities!

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Louisiana Wildlife Bald Eagle Geese 116

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

It is extremely unusual that we birders can still walk the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in November. I saw two other species of shorebird during my walk up and down the east side of the East Pond. What I lacked in species diversity I made up for with good looks. Of course, it wasn’t all Pectoral Sandpipers.

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Jamaica Geese Ducks Canada 202

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

WinGS volunteers visit gull roost sites, counting six key species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Mediterranean Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull. One count I undertake every year is the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Big Farmland Bird Count.

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Ireland Turtles Geese Farming 246

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2011

If it is an emergency and since I get calls and texts from all over the country (even a few out of the country), I direct people to Rehabber Search or Wildlife Rehabber. The adults of most species will still care for the chicks no matter how much you touch them. If the nest was in a bird house, open the house and check the damage.

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Fox Birds Raised Geese 266

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2011

The male of the species has the upper portion of the head, back of neck, back and wings all glossy black. The male is the only Black-necked Stilt in the second segment of this video, along with several Greater White-fronted Geese, and the third bird that comes into view in the final segment that is larger than the other two birds.

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South Dakota Sacramento Jordan North America 223

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

of Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Jon Gassett has indicated that if enough people write in protest, the proposed hunting season–due to start this December– will be reconsidered. Hunting is on a steady downturn, and nonconsumptive wildlife pursuits are on a tremendous upswing. We can fight them back in Kentucky, too.

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2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 263

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Nearly 800 acres of wetlands and tidal flats provide diverse habitat for the local birds, as well as large numbers of migratory species, including thousands of ducks and geese. The last weekend of January found me in the frosty Pacific Northwest, meeting some long over due work and family obligations.

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Wildlife Seattle Bald Eagle Geese 117

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2011

Every autumn, tens of thousands of Snow Geese arrive in California’s Sacramento Valley following their long journey from the Canadian Arctic (click on photos for full sized images). Snow and Ross’s Geese winter there in the tens of thousands. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeCKWKGhgR8

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South Dakota Sacramento Geese Arkansas 159

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

As the tide fell, it exposed sand banks that attracted small parties of garrulous Brent Geese. A party of Dark-bellied Brent Geese , winter visitors from Siberia Brent are abundant along the Norfolk coast, invariably proclaiming their presence with their guttural chattering, so unlike the higher-pitched calls of the Pinkfeet.

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Geese Russia Unwanted Breeding 234

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2017

A few weeks ago I led a field trip to Butte Valley Wildlife Area. It was a destination I had never experienced so I made a few phone calls and got some information from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife agent who actually runs both the Butte Valley and the Shasta Valley Wildlife Areas, which are about 25 miles apart.

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Wildlife Chipmunks Sparrows Blackbirds 102

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2015

Since we’ve covered some generalities already, once a month I’ll be exploring how a species, genus, or family of birds got its name, and how those names fit in with our larger understanding of, and relationship with, birds. Images courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Birds Goshawk names Northern Goshawk'

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Falcons Eagles Meat Geese 260

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2012

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex offers four photo blinds on three of their refuges which can be reserved, two on the Sacramento Refuge, one at Colusa NWR and one at Delevan NWR. This blind in particular is usually good for ducks, geese, waders and shorebirds. This is what blind #2 at the Sacramento NWR looks like.

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Sacramento Wildlife North America Ducks 112

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2011

Feeding birds is generally regarded as a harmless past-time, a wholesome way for people to share nature and enjoy wildlife with the family. Sometimes people find themselves the victims of ill-informed home owners associations that have a phobic view of wildlife. Do neighbors refer to you as bird species + Lady or Guy?

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Bald Eagle Deer Minnesota Eagles 262

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2019

Last year, I compiled a subjective list of the Top 25 National Wildlife Refuges for Birding. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) manages the wildlife aspects of the unit while another federal agency (in this case the U.S. According to eBird , 340 species have been observed at the “ Hagerman NWR ” hotspot, which ranks as No.

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Oklahoma Texas Dallas Wildlife 149

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2018

Late Saturday afternoon a Tundra Swan was reported from the south end of the East Pond at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I watched the swan for awhile, occasionally being distracted by Snow Geese flying over, a Northern Flicker calling from nearby, and other birdy distractions. I didn’t see any of the dabbling ducks dabble.

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Jamaica Wildlife New York City Ducks 117

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 11, 2016

The best place I could come up with that was within a short drive of my in-laws’ place in Yorba Linda was the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in nearby Irvine, only a quick twenty-minute drive away. The goose flies out early with a flock of Canada Geese so if you want to see it get there at or shortly after dawn!

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Sanctuary Wildlife California Ducks 104

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

In a typical birding year, no other month will bring you that many new species as January. So I walked up and down the paths through subtropical vegetation (if I remember well, with 20+ species of figs alone) looking carefully for a green, pigeon-sized bird with a purple crest and scarlet wings. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Serbia 2001 Geese Ducks 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 15 March 2009 It was at about 1:30 AM on Saturday morning that I startled awake and found myself sitting in an empty subway car in an unfamiliar location. Maybe their numbers are being augmented by birds that wintered a bit further south? But we weren’t done yet!

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New York Honduras Jamaica Geese 177

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2013

If constructed properly, these facilities can be not only a boon to birders and other wildlife enthusiasts but an obvious benefit to their local communities. One of the best examples in the world is the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary on the northern California coast. There were House Finches ( Capodacus mexicanus ).

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Sacramento Sparrows Sanctuary Geese 175

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2019

A while back, I wrote about an under-appreciated part of the National Wildlife Refuge System : Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs). Although little-known, WPAs provide critical breeding, resting, and nesting habitat for millions of ducks, geese, and swans, as well as shorebirds and grassland species.

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Nebraska Dissection Geese Ducks 147

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

This refuge came up as #4 on a recent list of the top 25 National Wildlife Refuges that were featured in a great story here by 10000 Birds own Jason Crotty. While most major estuaries in Washington state have been filled, dredged, or developed, Nisqually River’s has been set aside for wildlife.

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Fox Washington Bald Eagle Geese 163

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2013

Clicking on the map will take you to an explanation of this important biome, including its climate and its plant and animal species. More than 1 million birds, including tundra swans, snow geese and countless ducks, stop to rest and gather strength in these undisturbed wetlands each autumn. National Wildlife Federation.

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Obama 2008 United States North America 263

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2018

More than 50 years ago, the Hawaiian Goose (Nene) was one of the first birds listed under the Endangered Species Act, part of the inaugural “ Class of 1967 ”. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed downlisting it from “endangered” to “threatened.”. Due to substantial improvements in its population and its prospects, the U.S.

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Endangered Species Species Hawaii 2018 107

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2018

The focus of the trip was ducks and we hit a couple of hotspots in central Queens, Baisley Pond Park and Willow Lake Preserve, and then we took a quick stop at World’s Fair Marina to track down a few more species. Waterfowl is defined here as swans, geese, and ducks. Most winters Snow Geese are a gimme when birding Queens.

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Geese New York City Ducks Jamaica 135

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2022

” are the big questions at the heart of Vagrancy in Birds by Alexander Lees and James Gilroy, an impressive, fascinating book about what ornithologists and wildlife biologists have found out about avian vagrancy so far and their theories explaining this phenomenon. ” and its companion question, “Why is this bird here?”

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Compassion Birds Eagles Science 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

Starting the New Year by trying to see as many species as possible is something of a birding tradition. My diary notes that the New Year dawned grey and windy, but I rose early, walked six miles before breakfast and noted a modest 26 species of birds. One of my more memorable New Year’s days was in the Falkland Islands, back in 1989.

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Albatross Barn Owls Birds Sparrows 245