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Do you know your raptors but wish that you had an easy reference for all the raptors of NorthAmerica? Never fear, David Allen Sibley has done it again with the release by Scott & Nix of Sibley’s Raptors of NorthAmerica poster.* The price of $29.95
Terns are too often considered the baby brothers and sisters of gulls, and if you don’t agree, take a look at the number of books written about gulls (at least four in recent years) and then try to remember the last book you read about terns of NorthAmerica. Note that these are not all species accounts!
Here are some things I’ve learned from the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of NorthAmerica and the Caribbean by Scott Weidensaul: The Burrowing Owl is the only North American owl species where the male is larger than the female, albeit, only slightly larger. The 39 owls include five endemic Caribbean species.
The family has representatives throughout the forests NorthAmerica, Eurasia (including North Africa), and Indomalaya. In NorthAmerica, we have, traditionally at least, four species, the most familiar of which is the White-breasted Nuthatch ( Sitta carolinensis ). In 2007, Garth M.
The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of NorthAmerica, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of NorthAmerica, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume.
I want to alert you to a recent study (from April) that looks at the plight of bird populations under conditions of climate change in Europe and NorthAmerica. Data were collected from the North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Pan-European Common Birds Monitoring Scheme. Stephens et al. Let’s look at that first.
Here at 10,000 Birds we are going to dedicate the coming week, from today until Saturday, to invasive species. Of course, most of the species we will cover will fit the more traditional definition of invasive species, which usually only covers introduced species that are doing harm to species in the areas to which they are introduced.
As the subtitle implies, this appreciation drives the bulk of A Chorus of Cranes: The Cranes of NorthAmerica and the World. A Chorus of Cranes: The Cranes of NorthAmerica and the World by Paul A. While the book as whole is both pleasurable and educational, I found the section on Sandhill Cranes to be the most engaging.
The Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Eastern NorthAmerica by Nathan Pieplow is innovative, fascinating, and challenging. The guide covers 520 species of birds regularly found in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, including, interestingly, a number of exotic species. But, first the basics.
I was soooo excited about getting to know the Middle East, as well as some of its exotic species. The Streak-backed Oriole shown at the head of this post is far from an uncommon species in Paso Ancho. This female Rose-throated Becard also gave me my best photo so far of its species. All in all, it was a very satisfying day.
These and several other species might end up being armchair ticks if and when we take a closer look at their evolutionary history. Taxa that could end up being split into one species occurring north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and one south of the isthmus. (2). Bird species that require further research.
Both of these species show gregarious flocking behavior except when nesting. References: 1 Birds of NorthAmerica Online. The orange beak on the female American Goldfinch and its white undertail coverts distinguish it from the female Lesser Goldfinch below, which has yellow undertail coverts and a darker beak.
When it comes to individual North American species, the old reliable trick of naming them after physical traits is in full effect. Well, I never did see a Black-backed Woodpecker on my trip, but they were on my mind… What could be more straightforward than the naming of woodpeckers? Here are birds that peck at wood. Black-backed.
A new paper out this month attempts to paint the most comprehensive picture yet of the origins and diversification of the American sparrows, wood-warblers, blackbirds, cardinals, tanagers, and their kin, an enormous group of birds more than 800 species strong.
You can blame the nice people at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, who took it upon themselves to send me a review copy of the Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Southeastern NorthAmerica by Seabrooke Leckie and David Beadle. Moth plates from Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Southeastern NorthAmerica. Let that sink in.
Perhaps our outrage at invasive species can be a bit hypocritical at times. Listers are quick to put aside their condemnation of invasive species once they attain that coveted status of exotic: not native, not fully naturalized, but established well enough to be countable by the prevailing authority. That’s where we come in.
Maybe it’s because the American Coot ( Fulica americana ) is the most abundant and widely distributed species of rail in NorthAmerica that it gets no respect? The post The American Coot – One of the Least Appreciated Birds in NorthAmerica appeared first on 10,000 Birds.
In June, I visited North Dakota for the first time. Like any birder visiting a new place, I had a target species list I was hoping to seek out during the one day I had available between business commitments. Black Rosy-Finch. Brown-headed Nuthatch. McCown’s Longspur. White-headed Woodpecker. The time to act is now.
NorthAmerica is home to many amazing bird species, including several which require a special effort to see and appreciate. In the summer, they are the highest altitude breeding songbird in NorthAmerica. So let’s look at this sampler, shall we? Want to see an Elegant Trogon on a Naturalist Journeys tour?
There cannot be many ABA area breeding birds harder to get than those that only breed on the remotest tips of the north of NorthAmerica and then fly off to places that aren’t on the major continental flyways. They do turn up on the coast of NorthAmerica, but not often.
The official Ontario bird checklist, produced by Ontario Field Ornithologists , June 2022 listed 506 bird species**, putting it in the top tier of U.S. Small Species Accounts: Each species is allotted one page (with certain exceptions) offering basics–bird names and size, one or two photographs, and a one-paragraph description.
These particular birds were in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, but the same story is taking place all over the world right now, as few species have successfully adapted to as many locations as the House Sparrow.
The latest from his pen is Birds of Prey , a hybrid between an identification guide and an essay collection, a book of lore that provides a comprehensive overview of the raptors of NorthAmerica. Birds of Prey: Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures of NorthAmerica by Pete Dunne with Kevin T. Fish and Wildlife Service.
This is called the “Head Immersion Method”, according to Birds of NorthAmerica (BNA), a feeding process in which the bird dips its head in the water and mud to feast on aquatic invertebrates. (I BNA says that both species share a passion for brine flies, and tend to share habitat. Random House, 2003. Poole, Ed.).
Actitus macularius , as spotties are known to the scientific set, are widespread across NorthAmerica and winter across Central and South America, even as far south as Chile.
Here in Northern California I am fortunate to have at least three of the western hummingbirds of NorthAmerica visiting my yard. The least common species of hummingbird I see here is the Calliope Hummingbird ( Stellula calliope ). The male is the only hummingbird in NorthAmerica with a rufous back.
And some distinctive-looking species, like Surfbird and Buff-breasted Sandpiper are placed in genera by themselves. Curlews The first branch contains the curlews, plus NorthAmerica’s the Western Hemisphere’s Upland Sandpiper. But let’s take a look at how things are shaping up for the future.
Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the “Rufa” population of Red Knot ( Calidris canutus rufa ) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The other sub-species, Calidris canutus roselaari , migrates along the Pacific Coast and breeds in Alaska and the Wrangel Island in Russia. Conservation'
Common Merganser female by John Borg There are six living species of mergansers, three of which are commonly spotted in NorthAmerica: The Common Merganser ( Mergus merganser ) ranges widely throughout the northern hemisphere. Anyway, the hoodie is the only merganser endemic to NorthAmerica. Notice the sawbill?
Bluebird Man is about Alfred Larson, but you can be one of the film’s heroes by contributing to its production… There is something special about bluebirds, and it isn’t just because the world’s three species are only found in NorthAmerica. There is something more. Preparing to band 3 Mountain Bluebird chicks.
There was a time when I thought each bird species had its own individual song. Then I found out that there was this vocalization called a ‘call,’ so I thought each bird species had its own individual song (but just the males) and individual call. Bird communication is a complex and evolving science. How do they know?
This didn’t detract from the pleasure of finding one of NorthAmerica’s most strikingly marked wablers. It was almost as if the species had been forgotten. I was thrilled to be seing warblers so early in March, until I remembered that Townsend’s Warblers can be seen along the west coast during the cold months.
The Bank Swallow ( Riparia riparia ) is NorthAmerica’s smallest swallow. The report identifies 33 species that do not meet the Watch List criteria but are declining rapidly in many areas. The main reason for this rapid decline, as in the case of most species, is loss of habitat.
This time the tome that three lucky readers will receive is Birds of Prey: Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures of NorthAmerica by Pete Dunne. The first and easiest way to win a copy of Birds of Prey: Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, and Vultures of NorthAmerica is to subscribe to the 10,000 Birds email mailing list.
Although it was formerly abundant and geographically widespread, Trumpeter Swan numbers and distribution were greatly reduced during the early fur trade and European settlement of NorthAmerica (1600’s to 1800’s), when it was prized for its skins and primary feathers 1. www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq1bx7Ic2FY. v=kq1bx7Ic2FY.
The recent hubbub in the northeastern United States in terms of rare birds has been all about the Whiskered Tern at Cape May, the third record of this species for NorthAmerica. All three of those records are from Cape May. You can read more about this awesome bird here.
Bushtits ( Psaltriparus minimus ) are the only New World representative of the long-tailed t**s ( Aegithalidae ) and they are primarily limited to the western parts of NorthAmerica and the highlands of Central America. The male and female of the species look very similar but they are easy to tell apart.
Since its introduction, this dove has spread quickly across the North American continent. The northwestern spread of this non-native species made it to my yard a few years ago. In NorthAmerica and the Caribbean, they are found mostly in suburban, urban, and agricultural areas where grain, roost, and nest sites are available.
I think most of us in NorthAmerica have come to the somewhat disappointing conclusion that fall migration is pretty much finished for the year. The flocks that just a fortnight ago held multiple species in varied, if subdued, hues, now overwhelmingly consist of a single species. You’re done.
The Salvia mexicana is sold in NorthAmerica with the varietal name “Limelight” But this one was wild, native, and beautiful. This species loves to sing while high up in pine trees. But I was delighted to see a Black-chinned Sparrow near the shore; this is only my eighth sighting of this species.
Green-tailed Towhee s breed in species-rich shrub communities within shrub-steppe habitats, and disturbed and open areas of montane forest, often created by forest fires 1. References: 1 Birds of NorthAmerica Online. Click on photos for full sized images. Up in Ashland we found them on the outskirts of Howard Prairie Lake.
If so, will it be given full species status or be lumped as a subspecies of Audubon’s Shearwater ? We wrote last year about a study that suggests the White-breasted Nuthatch is actually a complex of up to four species. Tern Split? Sandwich (Cabot’s) Tern ( Thalasseus sandvicensis acuflavida ) by David J. Split Sage Sparrow.
Though Ron is based in Ontario his reports are eagerly anticipated by birders across the northeastern United States and eastern Canada because it takes into account a vast array of data to figure out which irruptive species might show up where. It will be a quiet winter in the eastern North Woods.
The group has a worldwide distribution; 28 species living and two additional extinct. Both extinct species were island-dwelling and flightless, suggesting a propensity of the group to disperse over long distances , a characteristic that any birder in late summer is familiar with. Scarlet Ibis , photo by Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela.
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