10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2019

Our first Day In South Africa, I spotted the Burchell’s Courcal, as it flew across the road in front of us we entered Kruger National Park. We were able to photograph 6 different hornbills in South Africa, but these regal little Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills quickly became an all time favorite.

2018 188

2018 Costa Rica South Africa New Zealand 188

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2012

Found patchily in sub-Saharan Africa, this large, ginger-colored owl can never be guaranteed on a trip to the continent. It is classified as threatened in South Africa – where its numbers have dwindled due to loss of habitat and pollution – and is uncommon and localized elsewhere. Consider their name for a moment.

Fish 261

Fish Owls Botswana Barn Owls 261

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2015

I had seen Thick-Knees in South Africa, but I was very excited to see this species, which is the only member of its family found in Central America. Though common, it is not easily seen because of its cryptic coloring and the fact that it stands still for most of the day.

Honduras 262

Honduras Birds Costa Rica South Africa 262

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2019

Matt was working on his own US Big Year, and wanted to join me for the hunt. South Africa Total: 219. Murray Hunt – Daintree River Guide Caines, Australia – Boatman@daintreerivertours.com.au. Nick Coetzee – South Africa. Phumula Kruger Lodge – info@ phumulakruger.co.za, South Africa.

Costa Rica 151

Costa Rica Tucson South Africa Bahamas 151

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2011

This is not a surprise as both pastimes tap into my primeval desire to hunt. I don’t need to kill something to feel the rush of the hunt. The stuff we get in South Africa or the UK. I enjoy fishing almost as much as I enjoy birding. Although for some, it is buried deeper than others. But I digress.

Ecuador 150

Ecuador South Africa United States Hunting 150

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

Many countries have private reserves and concessions, run for tourism or hunting, that provide outstanding wildlife watching opportunities. The reserve, in the eastern corner of Botswana near Zimbabwe and South Africa, isn’t open to the public in general, so I figured I’d share a few images here by way of showing off.

Zimbabwe 101

Zimbabwe Botswana South Africa Endangered Species 101

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

Early starts are the rule when monitoring endagered species in Mkuze Game Reserve, in South Africa, but there’s a particular urgency to this morning’s start. It’s 3:30 AM when the night’s relative tranquility is shattered by the ancient Landranger’s engine roaring to life.

Wolves 198

Wolves Lions Vet Dogs 198

Critter News

JUNE 28, 2010

Cameron Selogie, owner of the Il Vinaio restaurant in Mesa, served burgers made with African lion this week as a nod to the tournament in South Africa. I was led to believe they were not hunted, they were not shot, they were not abused," Selogie said. "I Reservations sold out, with a waiting list 100 long.

Phoenix 100

Phoenix Lions Meat South Africa 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

” I’ll sometimes add “It’s in West Africa, I’ll be in South Africa. Hunting, the bush meat trade, habitat loss, population increases, they all have a part to play in this story. . “Aren’t I worried about Ebola?” ” To which I reply “No, not personally.”

Humane 167

Humane Animal Ukraine Africa 167

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

The first was Lewis Binford, who noted, correctly, that if you look at actual animal bones from actual archaeological sites, you could not objectively see clear evidence that would distinguish hunting from scavenging, and if you compared these “food remains” to hyena food remains, they looked roughly the same.

Humane 165

Humane Lions Buffalo Butcher 165

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2020

Before it joins waters with the Matabele’s iliMphopho, the river of rapid rising and falling, known to the rest of the world as the ‘great, grey, green, greasy Limpopo’ of Rudyard Kipling’s writings, the Ngotwane River marks the boundary line between Botswana and South Africa.

Botswana 222

Botswana Africa 2001 Monkeys 222

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

Vulture Hunts Down and Ravages Sea Turtles – Dale Forbes, 10,000 Birds. Cape Vultures in South Africa – Alex Lamoreaux, The Nemesis Bird. If you Die – Corey Finger, 10,000 Birds. California Condor, Gymnogyps californianus. Contemplating California Condors – Sheridan Woodley, 10,000 Birds.

California Condor 207

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 207

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

So, it sometimes comes to South Africa to relax and enjoy relative anonymity. Interestingly, the HBW gives different contact calls depending on the country in which the flycatcher lives: “Contact call a simple ‘zeet, zwayt’ (South Africa), ‘ti-twit tee-twit’ (Gabon), ‘zi’zk’zk’ (Tanzania).”

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Benin South Africa Birds 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2015

Ethiopia, a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa, has firmly established itself as one of Africa’s top birding destinations. Its great diversity of habitats hosts an incredible bird count of over 900 species, including Africa’s 2nd highest list of endemics and near-endemics (after South Africa).

Ethiopia 254

Ethiopia Sudan Leopards Cattle 254

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

Pafuri lies in the northernmost part of the Kruger National Park and is described as “some of the most potentially productive birding territory in South Africa” on the SANParks website. For example, this study showed that Malachite Kingfishers spent more time hunting in locations with more fish. ” (HBW).

Elephants 147

Elephants Congo Birds Africa 147

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2015

The populations remain stable in Ethiopia, Tanzania and southern Africa, but have collapsed in West Africa and have declined in other parts as well. On my recent visit to southern Africa I saw them in several parks and even outside some protected areas, and in some numbers too.

Africa 176

Africa Ethiopia Feral Tanzania 176

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

This makes it a particularly exciting time in New Zealand as the Rugby World Cup begins in two days, and the competition is being held right here in New Zealand (I would imagine they might be more excited if they hadn’t just lost two matches to Australia and South Africa, their big rivals in the Tri-Nations).

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Penguins Sanctuary Fur 157

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2013

Here, thousands of Amur Falcons hunt for insects during the southern summer, Wattled Cranes and Denham’s Bustards may be seen, impressive Long-tailed Widowbirds display over the grasslands and the waterbodies are a haven to many hundreds of waterbirds, including Maccoa and White-backed Ducks.

Lesotho 194

Lesotho Rats Africa Woodpeckers 194

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

With a trip to South Africa on the horizon at the time, I thought I could handle it. The two-page spread, shown above, gives a history of the species interaction with humans (fortunately, it does not taste good so it is not actively hunted) and documents records for each of the four areas covered by the guide.

Brunei 189

Brunei Asia Birds China 189

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

The bulk of my lifers were on a trip to India in October/November but all the birds were surpassed by watching and photographing a Snow Leopard hunting and killing a Blue Sheep , so none of them are real contenders for BBOTY.

2013 168

2013 Costa Rica Birds India 168

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

However South Africa doesn’t meet either of these criteria, but one special factor nevertheless carries it into this auspicious list of 17 nations – the Cape Florisitic Kingdom. The Southern Double-collared Sunbird is a common denizen of the West Coast of South Africa where-ever flowering plants abound.

South Africa 257

South Africa Africa New Zealand Asia 257

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

I’ll never forget my introduction to the mammals of Kruger National Park, South Africa. We –participants of the ABA South Africa Safari—were on a small plane when one Lori Conrad looked out the window and screamed, “There are elephants down there!” and everyone ran to Lori’s side of the plane.

Rhinos 252

Rhinos Animal Mammals White Rhinos 252

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2012

A former wildlife wrangler, Currie also hosts, Nikon’s Birding Adventures TV , the first bird-watching travel show in the US. James Currie is a native of South Africa; he has led wildlife and bird-watching tours for more than 15 years. The new hour-long show delves into the Sonoran Desert to track Harris’s Hawks.

Madagascar 278

Madagascar South Africa Wolves Lions 278

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

Later, Harry Fuller, President of the Klamath Bird Observatory, led us to an open meadow where we saw a pair of Great Gray Owls hunting in a meadow. Duncan is currently enjoying South Africa but he got his BBOTY in before he left: As of today I have no idea what birds I will see in December in South Africa.

2014 213

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Penguins 213

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2024

If you see a flock of kestrels in southern Europe, then the chances are that they will be Lessers, for the Common Kestrel never flocks, though occasionally in summer you will see a family hunting together. I have fond memories of watching flocks feeding on the open veld in South Africa, where thousands spend the winter.

Falcons 231

Falcons Spain Europe Portugal 231

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

Here in New Zealand te only potential big tick would be a lost vagrant painted snipe, and we’ve already established that I don’t enjoy that kind of vagrant hunting. I’m fairly sure the only family I’m missing in Europe is the Wallcreeper (Tichodromadidae), assuming you don’t lump it with the nuthatches.

Family 167

Family Wombats Uganda Fiji 167

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2012

Growing up in South Africa, I fell in love with our two representatives of this genus, the Pearl-spotted Owlet and the Barred Owlet. And, like the Pearl-spotted Owlet of Africa, this species often hunts in the middle of the day. A nice Ferruginous Pygmy Owl showing its rufous tail.

Owls 172

Owls Texas Arizona Pigs 172

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2015

I was in contact with a group of birders for whom I arranged and guided an annual tour to Africa. We already had South Africa, Zambia and Uganda under our belts, but my clients’ request for the next year came right out of the blue: Ghana! During each trip we would discuss a destination for the following year.

Ghana 213

Ghana Hunters Gambia Guinea 213

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

They are also hunted. People and organizations in Nepal, Zambia, and South Africa have sought to change cultural attitudes, having the most success with school children. They roost and hunt, at night (mostly) when we can’t see them. I’m wondering if the subject of this book itself presented a challenge.

Owls 240

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 240

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2012

Anchieta’s and Whyte’s are restricted to the Miombo or Brachystegia woodlands of south-central Africa, White-eared to the forests along Africa’s eastern coastline and Green to scattered forests from south to east Africa. This image was taken at Makakatana in Isimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa.

Ethiopia 250

Ethiopia Tanzania Uganda Africa 250

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2022

Strangely, the Latin name of the Hair-crested Drongo is Dicrurus hottentottus – Hottentot is a name previously given to the Khoikhoi, a nomad pastoral people of Namibia and South Africa, far away from where this drongo lives. I wish there was a way to give some guns to Hen Harriers so that they could shoot back.

Eggs 243

Eggs Birds Bangladesh China 243