10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 28, 2015

The previous set up made sure that you discounted 20 years of working in difficult jungle in remote countries to better understand and conserve rare and interesting species, and gets you ready to treat him like the truly arrogant monster he undoubtedly is. How it raised its chicks? Science doesn’t work that way!

Collecting 156

Collecting Papua New Guinea Science Guinea 156

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

One North American species I am very familiar with is the Cassin’s Auklet , which ranges from the end of the Aleutian Islands to California. Unless you spend much time on their breeding islands it is probably not one of the better known species of alcid, it is small and nondescript even as auks go. So why do it?

Eggs 163

Eggs Puffins Breeding Albatross 163

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 20, 2011

But still, there is variation in variation and how rapid climate change occurs can matter, as demonstrated in a paper just published in Science: The Influence of Late Quaternary Climate-Change Velocity on Species Endemism. Species diversity drops and the systems become very simple and uninteresting, and probably not very stable.

Penguins 192

Penguins Birds Cooking Fish 192

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Even the Latin species name soror (“sister”) indicates the similarity to another pitta species (blue-naped). The eBird description of the Small Niltava starts with the surprisingly dull statement that “size distinguishes this species from other niltavas” Who would have thought.

China 215

China Birds Pythons Eagles 215

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

Birkhead, the experienced storyteller who is also Emeritus Professor at the School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, author of multiple scientific articles as well as books of popular science, knows how to make it readable and fun. Colonialism and appropriation of knowledge is discussed in Chapter 6, The New World of Science.

Dissection 207

Dissection Birds Europe Eggs 207

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2023

The Majestic Wetlands: Within Shanghai’s boundaries lie several pristine wetland habitats that serve as vital sanctuaries for a plethora of bird species. This expansive marshland is home to rare and endangered species such as the charismatic Black-faced Spoonbill, Saunders’s Gull, and the elegant Oriental Stork.

China 157

China Endangered Species Sanctuary Protection 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2012

Even in the tropics there are few birds that excel some of our own in elegance and beauty of plumage and we have an unusually large number of species considering the smallness of the area they inhabit. ” (Woodward brothers, “Natal Birds”, 1899) The mighty Drakensberg Mountains run along the western boundary of KwaZulu-Natal province.

Mozambique 182

Mozambique South Africa Africa Collecting 182

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

The magnificent history and diversity of birds on Earth came into sharper focus this month with the publication of 28 new scientific papers in Science and other journals. processed the entire genomes of 48 bird species and compared nearly 42 million base pairs of DNA (Hackett et al. American Flamingo photo by Dick Culbert).

Family 279

Family Parrots 2014 Birds 279

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

It is the 100th Anniversary of the extinction of the species known as the Passenger Pigeon and writers are paying attention. Errol Fuller’s The Passenger Pigeon is a beautifully illustrated, elegantly written “celebration” of the passenger pigeon and the artists who illustrated and photographed the species. It is a hodgepodge.

2014 159

2014 Killing Michigan Kentucky 159

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2013

This was the local name meaning “ugly” used for these primates by the people of the Gonder area in northern Ethiopia when the German naturalist Rüppell “discovered” this species for science in the 1830’s. Gelada communications include intense staring with raised eyebrows. Photo by Adam Riley.

Ethiopia 159

Ethiopia Primates Mammals Fur 159

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

I tried to get a better idea of what exactly the definition of cuckoo-dove is but am still not very clear about it – Wikipedia only offers the rather formal definition “any of several species of bird in the genera Macropygia , Reinwardtoena, and Turacoena of the pigeon family.” But I may well be wrong.

Geese 147

Geese Birds Fish Sparrows 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2020

This is a delightful book, large (8-1/2 by 11 inches), filled with Sibley’s distinctive artwork and an organized potpourri of research-based stories about the science behind bird’s lives. His field guides are known for images that simultaneously portray notable field marks and also the ‘personality’ of a bird species.

2020 262

2020 Birds North America Sparrows 262

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

The chapter “Horseshoe Crabs” illustrates why this is THE keystone species of the Delaware Bay. The three co-authors of Life Along the Delaware Bay are scientists who know how to write about science without jargon or pretense. Most articles on the Delaware Bay focus on horseshoe crabs and Red Knots.

Delaware 176

Delaware New Jersey Eggs Research 176

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2022

It is not particularly big but has a reported 430 bird species including migrants, though during my short stay it seems I missed most of the key attractions among them. Great White Pelican is not just the name of a non-existent glam-rock band but also of a bird species. Pel’s Fishing Owl, where were you?

South Africa 147

South Africa Africa Fish Birds 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2023

Not a cover species The Black Kite is not actually black, but of course, misleading bird names are not exactly rare. It is mostly a question of economics – raising just one is troublesome enough given the resources required to feed and educate the chick. No surprise then that the species is listed as Vulnerable.

Iraq 130

Iraq Birds China Ireland 130

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2011

And while they are easily identified to genus level, species identification - where necessary - is all I have mentioned in the intro to this post above, and then some. “Outside North America&# and “where necessary&# ? have asked themselves for ages: Is the Brown Creeper more than one species ? I’ll explain.

North America 145

North America Europe Asia America 145

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2011

Even if you don’t live in the summer range of a particular species, you may have opportunities to observe it while it passes through, especailly if you live in an active flyway, like I happen to. Another question this raises has to do with migration itself. The birds do the flying for you. Why migrate? Well, not really.

Compassion 186

Compassion Humane Research Egypt 186

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2018

Attempting to bluff the bear in believing that they were even bigger bears, Hoshino suggested raising their hands, to appear taller. Cactus finch, Geospiza species. Galapagos cactus finch, Geospiza species. From the behavioural point of view, what has happened? Those bears live in the wild and are not used to humans.

Animal 114

Animal Bears Stray Dog Blackbirds 114

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

That’s pretty amazing–Bolivia has more bird species than India! The source of this ranking, BirdLife International, lists Bolivia as currently having 1,439 bird species, including 18 breeding endemics. The guide covers 1,433 species, the number of birds documented at the end of 2014, the cutoff point for the book.

Bolivia 167

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 167

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

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. The climatic changes set in motion by the Industrial Revolution are now proceeding at a pace far greater than many species and ecosystems can adapt to naturally.

Species 173

Species Los Angeles Science 2000 173

Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Cows, domestic sheep, chickens and many others would not survive if they were not raised for human consumption, protected from malnutrition, disease and predators. 22, 2009 The writer is professor emeritus at the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics at California State University, Long Beach. Lawrence S. Lerner Woodside, Calif.,

New York Times 40

New York Times New York Vegan Vegetarian 40

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2022

The first half describes the problem (why birds hit windows, the scale of the deaths, scientific research, what happens when birds strike windows) and the second half discusses what to do about it (community and worldwide education, window deterrent solutions, legal mandates and building codes, citizen science–what individuals can do).

New York City 246

New York City Illinois Science Killing 246

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2021

Pough “with illustrations in color of every species” by Don Eckelberry, Doubleday, 1946. If you remember that the first edition of Sibley was published with “National Audubon Society” on the cover, raise your hand. The press material says it covers over 800 species, so you know I had to do a count.

North America 278

North America America California Condor Birds 278

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 18, 2014

The vast majority of the 10,000+ living species of birds are passerines, and the vast majority of those have a similar system of breeding: Mom and dad bird make a nest and share parental responsibilities roughly equally, if not identically. In the latter, three or more adult individuals contribute to the raising of offspring.

Breeders 194

Breeders Breeding Science Raised 194

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2023

Birders often venture into various habitats, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, or coastal areas, to encounter different bird species. The primary objective of birding is to identify bird species based on their physical characteristics, behavior, and vocalizations.

United States 147

United States North America Birds America 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2011

Between staying warm/cool, finding food, avoiding predators, migrating thousands of miles every year, finding mates, raising chicks and doing all this at the mercy of the elements, it makes sense that they have more brainpower than just simple instinct to run on. I believe in science. Science, for many years, has done no better.

Emotional 197

Emotional Science Mammals Alaska 197

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

Hunting sandhill cranes in Kentucky is a bad idea from a public relations standpoint, considering the growing cadre of birders and nature enthusiasts for whom cranes are a touchstone species. Initiating a hunting season on a large, charismatic species like a crane is no way to resuscitate hunting.

2011 237

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 237

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2012

The book has 25 chapters, each one treating a different species of bird. Songbird rehabilitation, unlike the vastly more popular raptor rehab, mostly involves raising orphans. There’s a lot of science in the book, but there’s also magic. The big new book. Two and a half pounds of book. Baby hummers, not so much.

Boston 203

Boston Raised Rats Turkey 203

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2012

The new edition adds 11 species, birds such as Zone-tailed Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, and California Condor that are only seen in specific areas of North America. Individual species accounts follow, featuring a description of the hawk’s range, a little of its history in North America, sections on Identification and In Flight.

North America 214

North America Bald Eagle Eagles Tail Banding 214

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2021

The fields near the Tiaozini mudflats look very much like a lunar landscape, but this does not seem to keep a number of species from breeding there, sometimes directly on dirt roads. The fourth species apparently breeding on these fields is Grey-headed Lapwing. The birding life. A somewhat older chick. Not this one.

Uganda 203

Uganda Birds Breeding Rats 203

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

They were my target species, and I remember being delighted in not only seeing them well, but finding feeding flocks that were remarkably unconcerned about being watched. Many have been shot since the project started, despite a great deal of publicity raising awareness of the birds.

Morocco 213

Morocco Algeria Austria Germany 213

10,000 Birds

JULY 26, 2024

The Common Swift , Apus apus , is the most widespread of all the world’s 114 swift species, breeding throughout much of Europe and far into Asia, and wintering in sub-Saharan Africa May is the quietest month, as the returning birds soon get down to the urgent business of breeding.

Liberia 200

Liberia Africa Mozambique Breeding 200

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2013

On a Big Year, every species counts equally, even the lowly House Sparrow. As of my writing this he is off to a roaring start with 169 species recorded already. Rangel Diaz is doing a big year in Miami-Dade County, Florida, hoping to reach 300 species, and keeping a blog about it. What records will fall in 2013?

2013 190

2013 Los Angeles New Jersey North Carolina 190

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2020

She lives part-time in Uruguay and is co-director of the Fiction Meets Science program at the University of Bremen, Germany, which seeks to bridge the “two cultures” of science and literature. Her narrator is Gabriel, 23, raised in Northern California by an American father and a Uruguayan mother. Gabe agrees to come along.

Uruguay 152

Uruguay 2001 Bald Eagle Science 152

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

For this reason, the species is evaluated as Vulnerable.” The Rufous-tailed Robin used to be called Swinhoe’s Robin but apparently, somebody decided that there were already too many bird species (6, according to the HBW) named after him. The Latin species name, however, is still elegans. And it is still justified.

Birds 190

Birds China Eggs Owls 190

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2013

Mark Kirk and Alisha Belo are doing a southern Africa big year, trying to see 800 species. As of the end of March they had already reached a whopping 652 species ! Ali Iyoob is sitting pretty at 230 species in his North Carolina big year during which he is trying to break the state record of 351. Birding 2013 big year'

2013 179

2013 New Jersey North Carolina Canada 179

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

Jennifer Ackerman points out in the introduction to What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds , that we don’t know much, but that very soon we may know a lot more. What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds is a joyous, fascinating read.

Owls 198

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 198