10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2012

Getting intimate with a species over the course of the breeding cycle is one of the more rewarding aspects of birding, and field research too. Color markings on the legs and head are to identify individuals for research purposes). You don’t really know a bird until you’ve studied it on its breeding grounds.

Eggs 269

Eggs Venezuela Porcupines 2008 269

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2024

Taking inspiration from Matthiessen’s 1967 book (long out of print), which combined his natural history essays with species accounts by Ralph S. I did a little research and found plovers and snipe o n menus and in cookbooks of the time, though I still haven’t found recipes for Dunlin or Dowitchers.

North America 264

North America America 2006 Delaware 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2022

Vagrancy in Birds is organized into two major parts: (1) A detailed, 62-page synthesis of research and theory and (2) “Family Accounts,” 259 pages covering bird families from Struthionidae/Ostriches) to Thraupidae/Tanagers and allies (Clements is the taxonomic authority). Copyright © 2022 Alexander Lees and James Gilroy.

Compassion 264

Compassion Birds Eagles Science 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2011

It is not an encyclopedia, though it does summarize research, explain basic concepts, and ends with a section on bird statistics. It is a fascinating book that teaches while it entertains, that offers research-informed arguments for bird protection and conservation in the guise of vibrant design. We are a BirdLife Species Champion!)

Albatross 234

Albatross Protection Campaign Birds 234

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2014

Jonathan Elphick and John Fanshawe provided “specialist research” and support.” Additional back of the book material includes a Glossary, Biographical Details, a Select Bibliography, Notes, Credits, an Index to Species and a General Index. The beautiful Bee-eater family, with its 26 species, is covered in a little less than two pages.

Egypt 242

Egypt Birds Albania Eagles 242

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2021

In 2012, I reviewed The Jewel Hunter , an absorbing narrative in which author Chris Goodie travelled throughout Asia, Africa, and Australasia to observe and photograph every Pitta species in the world. Hummingbird species, on the other hand, number in the hundreds.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Brazil Bolivia Ecuador 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2024

If you have birded very long, you are probably aware that members of closely related bird species, when their ranges overlap, sometimes love each other very much, and have babies. When this happens particularly often, such hybridization processes can result in entirely new species.

Mexico 245

Mexico United States 2019 Research 245

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

I’ve been fortunate to see two Penguin species in the wild (African and Galapagos) and have dreamed of seeing more–maybe even all!–especially The goal of Around the World For Penguins is simple: Describe the 18 species of penguin and their breeding grounds “from the perspective of a traveller.”

Penguins 279

Penguins Georgia Albatross New Zealand 279

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2013

Of course Africa could not to be left out of the pink weekend so I have researched all African species whose official or alternative names include the word “pink”. Both these names as well as it’s English name refer to the overlapping spots that are a feature of the underside of all the twinspots. Pink-throated Twinspot.

Africa 246

Africa Somalia Mozambique Pelicans 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

This is “the deep cradle of Western ornithology: the birthplace of bird study,” he tells us as he writes about gazing at the 8,000-year old depictions of “flamingos, herons, raptors, avocets and many other species” (p. Common Guillemot research at Skomer Island, Wales. Beagle , pt.

Dissection 261

Dissection Birds Europe Eggs 261

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Here are ten titles (it could have been more) selected for their uniqueness, excellence in writing and research, and giftability. Lees and Gilroy delineate vagrancy status and trends for every bird family worldwide, highlighting examples, synthesizing research, and framing it all with their own thoughts and conclusions.

Sri Lanka 262

Sri Lanka Malaysia Suriname Malawi 262

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2017

The guide presents 69 species and 1 subspecies, from “NEW WORLD VULTURES: Cathartiformes” to “OSPREY: Pandioninae” to “FAMILY: Accipitridae” (Kites, Hawks, Eagles, Hawk-Eagles), to “FALONIDS: Falconidae” (Falcons, Forest-Falcons, Caracaras, Kestrels, Merlin). The order is roughly taxonomic, with the priority showing similar species together.

Mexico 188

Mexico America North America Falcons 188

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

The species was named after John P. I suspect there is little opposition to changing the names of species with particularly sordid namesakes. That said, it seems obvious that the central purpose of a common name is to have a uniform and well-known identifier for a particular species. The Sibley app, however, is updated.)

Birds 264

Birds Laws 2020 Jordan 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2022

Or would be, had I encountered more of them – so far, I have seen only a very small share of the approximately 233 woodpecker species, and got decent photos of an even smaller number – not much more than 10% of all of them. So, writing a post about them is easy.

Woodpeckers 263

Woodpeckers South Africa China Singapore 263

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

While studying, he also worked on various conservation/research projects (parrots, wagtails, vultures, and anything else that flew) and ringed thousands of birds. Dawn Fine Mar 15th, 2011 at 3:50 pm NO Comment YourBirdOasis.com Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:07 pm Yeah, polygynandry is really weird…what other species have this breeding system?

2011 234

2011 Breeders Deer Breeding 234

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 238

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 238

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2022

Not bad given that the 5 families in the inner circle of the laughingthrush family have a combined number of about 68 species. ” Fortunately, most of these researchers could be taken off their antidepressants after proper sound recording was invented. 36, if my counting is right and there has been no very recent split or lump.

San Diego 257

San Diego Malaysia China Zoos 257

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. Most importantly, this section provides an entry point to the major Portfolio of Birds section; each fact is followed by a page reference.

2020 264

2020 Birds North America Sparrows 264

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 242

Burma India Thailand Indonesia 242

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2021

Pough “with illustrations in color of every species” by Don Eckelberry, Doubleday, 1946. The National Audubon Society Birds of North America covers all species seen in mainland United States, Canada and Baja California. The press material says it covers over 800 species, so you know I had to do a count.

North America 279

North America America California Condor Birds 279

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2015

It is swimming with its body half-submerged (typical for the species and yet, so strange for songbirds) and often diving. This species is reasonably easy to find if you are in the right kind of habitat – but I am rarely in that type of habitat. And in order to see the bubbles underwater, one needs to be right above the bird.

Bats 247

Bats Squirrels Woodpeckers Game 247

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 17, 2014

Developed in the post-frontier era, the NAMWC helped put a stop to wanton wildlife destruction in an era where many species were being hunted and trapped ruthlessly to the brink of extinction. Wilderness Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air and Water Acts, and similar acts in Canada.

Wildlife 255

Wildlife Coyotes Wolves Hunters 255

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2013

And while the birds that we in the western hemisphere refer to as blackbirds in their common names are from several different genera it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that if a bird is in the same genus as the North American meadowlarks that it would also be called a meadowlark. female Red-breasted Blackbird.

Blackbirds 169

Blackbirds Trinidad Costa Rica Nicaragua 169

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

Their habitats vary widely in both rural and urban landscapes; open habitats are preferred and the species generally shuns only extensively forested areas and wetlands 1. To show how adaptive this species is, the following photograph was sent to me by one of my readers and I use it with her permission.

Hunters 200

Hunters Hunting North America Game 200

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

The Red-breasted Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus ruber ) and the Red-naped Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus nuchalis ) were considered different forms of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus varius ) until 1983 when they were split into separate species. The bird shown above arrived at my house at the end of October, a new species for my yard list!

Alaska 172

Alaska North America Woodpeckers 2010 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

An associated issue is that the Belize and Costa Rica guides share many of the same descriptions of species, written by Howell. Similarly, descriptions of species repeated across volumes do not lose their accuracy with each publication. Other species are splits and lumped and have had their names changed. Why are these issues?

Costa Rica 245

Costa Rica Belize El Salvador Birds 245

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2017

Way back in the days when blog posts still got a lot of comments, I wrote a piece on why field guides that arrange species in a more or less strict taxonomic order regularly frustrate me. Taxonomy is constantly changing and so does the order of species in field guides. It was a nightmarish thing to do.

Brunei 194

Brunei 2009 2014 2016 194

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2024

Hauber Hauber’s mini-essays focus on specific behaviors, enhanced by references to recent research yet written in a relaxed, personal way. Hauber is really good at presenting scientific findings so they don’t seem scientific at all, simply reasonable answers to our questions. Mark Hauber is currently (just appointed!)

Barn Owls 230

Barn Owls Chicago Penguins New Zealand 230

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

BOC has 95 colour plates illustrating more than 400 species (three country endemics, Cyprus Wheatear , Cyprus Scops Owl and Cyprus Warbler , among them), with text and distribution maps on facing pages. His work in Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey remains inspirational to researchers throughout the region.

Cyprus 264

Cyprus Saudi Arabia Europe Birds 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2012

Note the long yellow gape, a characteristic field mark of this species. Ferruginous Hawks were petitioned for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1991 but rejected; currently they are listed as a Category 2 Species by the U.S. Obviously more research needs to be done on this magnificent raptor. Raptor Res.

Squirrels 163

Squirrels Prairie Dogs North America Rabbits 163

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2015

With the breeding colony concentrated on one small island this species is vulnerable to a catastrophic weather event. It’s all of the things I learn about different birds from researching to write posts. If you want to learn a lot about bird species, I find “Birds of North America Online” the best resource on the net.

San Francisco 162

San Francisco North America Seals Sanctuary 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2020

The simple answer is monetary gain, there is a global black market for these items, regardless of the species’ vulnerability for extinction. And, how they betrayed that trust, stealing eggs for years and, possibly even worse, falsifying research data. wrote a lengthy article in Outside magazine (Jan. 2019), and now this book.

Falcons 257

Falcons United Kingdom Zimbabwe Eggs 257

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2012

The New Jersey Bird Records Committee (NJBRC) documents 465 species of natural origin. Used in conjunction with the species distribution maps, this is a helpful feature in evaluating field observations. There are, sadly, entries for extinct species. It’s a great reference book, but, I confess, a book I seldom use.

New Jersey 225

New Jersey 2009 Bald Eagle New York City 225

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

Navarro’s exceptional drawings illustrate the species accounts. Forty-eight species. Compare, for example, the species account illustration of the Cuban Trogon with the photo that opens up the introductory chapter. The luxury of space means that each species can be shown from various angles and in distinctive poses.

Cuba 244

Cuba Birds 2000 United States 244

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Kooyman (co-author with Jim Mastro) spent decades studying Emperor Penguins and can be considered the world’s foremost expert on the species. Empire Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are the largest living penguin species, almost four feet tall (taller when they stretch), and the least likely to be seen on birding or nature trips.

Penguins 199

Penguins Seals Leopards Mammals 199

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2014

The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume. This volume is no exception.

North America 184

North America America Family Falcons 184

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2017

In a time of little published information about the rainforests of Central and South America aside from scientific journal articles and the works of 19th-century naturalists, the “little green book,” as it was called, became a must-read amongst nature-oriented travelers and researchers. Please–do not read this section only!

South America 185

South America Ecuador Reptiles America 185