article thumbnail

Birding Nanhui, Shanghai, in September 2021

10,000 Birds

I pointed at the bird shown below but he insisted it could not be that species – no long tail … For people of a certain age, gender and background, at some point The Smiths were the most important band in the world. Other species, such as this juvenile Light-vented Bulbul , seem to have more ambiguous feelings about molting.

LACS 259
article thumbnail

Shedding Tears For Shorebirds

10,000 Birds

Most of them are essentially telling you what species they are when they talk, so just focusing on appearance may make the identification process more complicated than it has to be. Photographed at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge, ND. Their bills are obviously different lengths and shapes…they must be different species, right?

LACS 213
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

If We Can Rock Together, We Can Flock Together

10,000 Birds

ALWAYS assume there is some other bird species in there that you have not found yet. Here is a flock of endangered species. Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota. Could a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper be mixed in with that flock of Pectorals ? I think you need to have at least three birds to constitute a flock.

article thumbnail

Car Birding: A Birder Litmus Test

10,000 Birds

This is what we have to remember: - Many species are easier to observe at close range from a vehicle than on foot. - This is one of many Black Terns flying low over a bridge at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota. I have met several birders who think this way, and their arguments have validity. You will be a better birder.

LACS 136
article thumbnail

First Post-COVID-19 Birding Trip: Wisconsin and Horicon NWR

10,000 Birds

In late June, I flew into O’Hare and drove north to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. On eBird, Horicon NWR has nearly 300 species observed, more than 18,000 checklists, and 13 hotspots. It is a popular eBird hotspot with nearly 13,000 checklists and 260 recorded species. There is an auto tour route with several trails along the route.

Wisconsin 264
article thumbnail

Waterfowl of North America, Europe & Asia: An Identification Guide

10,000 Birds

And, the whole question of subspecies, which in the Northeast tends to focus on the Cackling Goose, but which I’m sure is a topic of fascination with other waterfowl species in all other parts of the world. The publicity material says 84 species, but I counted and recounted, and I only see 83.