10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2023

On the slow crawl into the farm, the first sighting was a small group of Green Ibis – a new species for me. Endemic to the Guianan shield, this species has captivated me since I first laid eyes on a photograph of it. Most notably of which was a pair of Blood-colored Woodpeckers. I had never before seen a Limpkin do this.

Farming 225

Farming Guyana Birds Trinidad 225

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 25, 2021

We are too far into the year for many FOY sightings, but not quite far enough for most migratory species to make their return appearances. Still, in any given three-week period (which is the period I have dedicated to this latest group of thematic posts), dedicated birding will produce some sort of news. Does one ever?)

Louisiana 263

Louisiana 2000 Mexico Hunting 263

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2021

In the Orinoco, the largest observed groups number 30, but average is just above five. We sailed right into a group of more than a dozen Hoatzins (cover photo, by Tyler Ficker) with their orange mohawks and blue facial skin. At first one, then two more, then one more, and altogether some 6 or 7 dolphins were coming to the surface.

Dolphins 262

Dolphins Colombia Otters Monkeys 262

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2024

I remember the guide on my first Kenyan birding safari remarking that “birding groups always see far more mammals than those who come just to see animals. On my 21-day Kenyan safaris we reckoned to find around 600 species of birds and around 60 mammals, both impressive totals.

Fur 190

Fur Otters Bulgaria Estonia 190

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2022

I’ve been leading a small but faithful group on Trinidad for several years to count birds within a livestock farm that is generally restricted to the public (you can read about some of those shenanigans here ); this was the first time I was to embark on a CBC on the smaller island of Tobago. Anyway, I digress. Mangrove Cuckoo.

Trinidad 244

Trinidad Falcons Ducks Livestock 244

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

It feels good to start a post with some truly attractive birds – such as two species of broadbills. Strangely, there do not seem to be many papers on this species. In one paper , you can find fascinating sentences such as “The new species is most similar to D. My cats refuse to even try Fiery Minivets.

Sri Lanka 219

Sri Lanka Taiwan Birds Cats 219

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2022

While preparing an article this week for a local newspaper on the nighttime denizens of Tobago, it crossed my mind that I never considered owls as a group, far less target species for any particular outing (except for a select few, upon which I shall expound here). This resulted in my only photograph of this species to date.

Trinidad 275

Trinidad Owls Barn Owls Abandon 275

10,000 Birds

JULY 12, 2023

Swifts are aplenty, one is likely to see Gray-rumped , Band-rumped , or Short-tailed Swift hunting insects each morning. One step away from swifts are hummingbirds, and at least 13 species of these winged jewels flutter about from sunrise to sunset. Interesting.

Trinidad 234

Trinidad Barn Owls Owls Reptiles 234

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2019

And here in Europe, they are the real deal, an indigenous species and not domesticated animals gone wild. When I reached the levee earlier that morning, I met an elderly hunter from whom I learned that there was an ongoing duck and pheasant hunt, but no one was shooting from, nor towards the embankment, hence I should be safe there.

Serbia 246

Serbia Otters Boars Hunters 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2024

Given that according to the HBW, the species prefers dense primary and secondary montane forests, the note that the bird also forages among kitchen waste (in the same HBW entry) seems somewhat incongruous. Fish & Wildlife Service has a web page for this species – but it contains absolutely no information.

Burma 205

Burma India Indonesia Thailand 205

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2022

There’s an unofficial series of posts on species of birds that occur in threes in T&T (see: bitterns , trogons , antshrikes , spinetails , manakins , hermits , honeycreepers , and resident warblers ). We also saw a small group of Guianan Red Howler Monkeys feeding nearby. Broad-winged Hawk. Slowly, we continued.

Trinidad 250

Trinidad Birds Tigers Monkeys 250

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

The islands of the Caribbean are home to 176 species of endemic birds unevenly distributed across the region. Some islands host one or two species, others more than twenty. For some species, conservation actions are well underway and we are seeing some measure of positive impact as a result.

Grenada 130

Grenada Parrots Trinidad 2010 130

10,000 Birds

MARCH 28, 2014

The subject was not hunting; it was contest killing. Contest killing – where individuals or teams gun down as many of a single species as they can within a specific time period, with prizes going to the winner(s) – is legal all over the country. As a group, yes, we are anti-hunting,” she said.

Killing 259

Killing Hunting Possums Hunters 259

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2021

Still, how many birders visit this region and could be seen as the target group for this, already a second edition? Just last year, 5 new bird species and 5 new subspecies were discovered in a few short weeks of fieldwork on the islands of Taliabu, Peleng and Batudaka. The rest of the region remains fairly undervisited.

Indonesia 264

Indonesia Timor Brunei Guinea 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

Sadly, the HBW states that the species is “almost extinct in some areas in China owing to hunting and trapping for the cagebird trade and taxidermy” The Maroon Oriole looks much more interesting, though my photos do not really do it full justice. when living in suburbia. How is that for a link?

Nepal 165

Nepal Birds Owls Nigeria 165

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

That honor goes to the Gray-crowned Crane , a very sexy species in its own right. Our group, led by world-renowned guide Herbert Byaruhanga, piled into canoes ostensibly to search for a variety of papyrus and wetland specialties, but really we were just looking for the shoebill. Nor is the Shoebill the national bird of Uganda.

Uganda 268

Uganda Africa Penguins 2019 268

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Babita Tours has many years of experience organizing tailor-made wildlife tours for private groups in this wonderful country. On a recent visit I threw my bags in the hotel room and went straight there, and got over 60 species of birds in a few hours and fantastic views of Nilgai , the largest antelope in India.

India 193

India Wildlife Tigers Rhinoceros 193

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

In front of us, the river is two miles wide… and it is paved with birds: smaller groups of Greater White-fronted and Greylag Geese , numerous Mute Swans and Mallards , plus Eurasian Teals , Gadwalls , Common Pochards , a few Ferruginous and Tufted Ducks , Common Goldeneyes and several Smews. A goose hunt sounds like a WWII battle.

Geese 179

Geese Boars Hunting Serbia 179

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2023

When you have birded a single area as much and for as long as I have birded Michoacán, it becomes progressively harder to find first-time species (“lifers”) there. I had seen several species turn up in new and unexpected places there, but none of them were birds that I had never seen before. This photo is Nacho’s.

Bats 130

Bats Mexico ALA 2019 130

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2020

Just under a fortnight ago, I saw a report on the local bird alert of a sighting of a group of approximately 20 Nacunda Nighthawks at a wetland not more than 20 minutes from where I live. Scores of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks circled overhead, these vocal ducks are often hunted illegally here so it was refreshing to see so many.

Livestock 219

Livestock ALA Ducks illegal 219

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

One study found that birds living in Botswana had elevated levels of lead in their bloodstreams during hunting season, presumably coming from lead bullets used on animals killed by hunters. I could immediately tell them it was an Egyptian Goose – an invasive species in Germany but not at Kruger. ” (HBW).

Elephants 147

Elephants Congo Birds Africa 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2016

Photo above by Louise Hunt, courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) At just about 5,000 individuals, Florida’s only exclusive endemic is Endangered. And with the bird’s oak scrub habitat rapidly disappearing , scientists are searching for ways to preserve the species. Take the Florida Scrub-Jay.

Florida 176

Florida California Hunting Research 176

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2015

This is what we need for birds, whose rights as government-protected species are violated every day by free-roaming cats. Thanks to groups like Alley Cat Allies, outdoor and feral cats have become above the law. They would be made up of people who are sick and tired of government-protected species being slaughtered by domestic cats.

Feral Cats 259

Feral Cats Feral Cats Wildlife Rehabilitation 259

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2021

For example, hunting is not permitted in most NPS wilderness areas, but it is often allowed in wilderness areas managed by the other agencies. It is the only federal research group dedicated to studies needed to manage the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Puerto Rico 259

Puerto Rico Alaska Protection Montana 259

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2015

Further down the road, we reach a derelict building with a large veranda hidden among the trees – an abandoned hunting lodge (if I were in a situation to invest, I would choose to upgrade this into a luxury wildlife lodge). Birds included common species such as Black Drongos , Jungle Babblers and a Hoopoe.

Tigers 241

Tigers Dogs India Snow Leopard 241

10,000 Birds

APRIL 21, 2016

” The Task Group issued its final report on September 15, 2015. ” The Task Group issued its final report on September 15, 2015. b) Recommendation : Work with all groups to identify synergistic opportunities for promoting broad conservation benefits of the Duck Stamp. 1) Action : U.S. no physical stamp required).

Ducks 100

Ducks Hunters Hunting Wildlife 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2014

I am not anti-hunting. The “Crow Down” is a “hunting contest” where both adults and children slaughter as many crows as they possibly can in two days. Obviously killing contests have nothing to do with traditional hunting, and “animal abuse” is normally used when describing domestic animals.

Killing 272

Killing Animal Abuse Slaughter Slaughtered 272

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

Colorful bills and heads seem quite popular among Letaba’s bird species – see the African Jacana (blue and black) … … the Striated Heron (yellow and blue) … … and the Yellow-billed Stork (yellow and red). The Latin species name vermiculatus (worm-like) refers to the markings on the upperparts.

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Benin South Africa Birds 147

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2022

Here in Shanghai, December is the month that a birder’s addiction cannot be satisfied by the increasingly meager assortment of species at Nanhui – we have to go to other places as well. This includes the Common Pochard , a species classified as Vulnerable despite a relatively large population that is, however, declining rapidly.

Birds 219

Birds Chickens Mammals Japan 219

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Ascending further requires a hike – required to see some high-elevation species absent from elsewhere on the island. Stopped briefly at a small roadside waterfall where we enjoyed observing a medium-sized centipede methodically hunt, finally being rewarded for its efforts after approximately 15 minutes.

Woodpeckers 250

Woodpeckers Trinidad Battery Hunting 250

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2020

And when I say bird migration I’m referring to a specific group of birds – shorebirds. Last weekend I wasn’t on the hunt for any species in particular though. This pervasive pandemic we’re currently experiencing has squashed everyone’s travel plans – humans that is. Greater Yellowlegs.

Trinidad 183

Trinidad South America Blackbirds Game 183

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2014

The serpent-eagles of the genus Spilornis are an Asian group, not to be confused with two different genera found in Africa or, for that matter, the snake-eagles, a mostly African but also European and Asian genus (simple, right?). This species ranges from India to Japan and south down Borneo.

Eagles 174

Eagles Japan India Africa 174

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2019

Though the terns actively feed throughout the day, the skimmers wait until dawn and evening to hunt for prey in small flocks, flying low and fast across the water. Local birders are grateful for the fledgling success here. Today, the seabirds also nest on the gravel rooftops of buildings.

Florida 113

Florida Protection Eggs Hunting 113

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2011

As you’ll remember, Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources unanimously passed its sandhill crane hunting proposal. The public comment period on the Kentucky sandhill crane hunting proposal ends AUGUST 1 2011. Here are six top reasons to protest this hunt. Why put additional pressure on a recovering species?

Kentucky 260

Kentucky Protest Protesting Protesters 260

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Originally a hunting term, the Big Five were the most dangerous and prized targets of the great white hunters on safari. Elephant The big – two species of elephant are now recognized as occuring in Africa, the smaller and more secretive Forest Elephant and the larger, more familiar African or Bush Elephant.

Buffalo 207

Buffalo Rhinoceros Leopards Elephants 207

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2012

It has recently been reclassified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List; this category is reserved for only the most threatened species in the world. If this bird did become extinct, it would be the first pheasant species to have been lost in the 400 years since proper records began.

Vietnam 155

Vietnam 2000 Germany Asia 155

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2015

APRIL 12: Second flight of a b h and then she hunts. ” Falcons do hunt pigeons, we all know that, but what is a Kamikaze pigeon? Take the Saker for example: with 52 to 64 breeding pairs ten years ago, Serbia held 13 per cent of the European population of this Globally Threatened species ( source ).

Switzerland 196

Switzerland Serbia Feral Falcons 196