10,000 Birds

MAY 16, 2017

A New York City Parks Department contractor just wiped out a breeding population of sparrows in tons of trouble already, on land owned by the parks department that was supposed to be protected as “Forever Wild.” It looks to me like they drove a crane straight through this section of what’s called Four Sparrow Marsh. Not anymore.

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New York City New York Sparrows 2016 223

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019

Common birds, you see, tend to have simple names, like House Sparrow, House Finch, or House Wren. A hyphen in a bird’s “first” name can occur pretty much anywhere, which is why the United States has a good supply of birds like White-crowned Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers. But check out this adult!

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Sparrows Mexico United States South America 194

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2017

We have found a spot that is right at the place where a very large arroyo meets up with the Sea of Cortez. This was a real bonus spot last year, especially with migratory sparrows. The biggest surprise this year was the large number of Black-throated Sparrows.

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Sparrows 2017 Battery Pelicans 177

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2012

The bird was a sparrow, that much was clear, but it didn’t seem to fit any of the easily boxes the other North American sparrows can be fairly easily sorted into. Superficially, it resembled the Black-chinned Sparrow of the southwestern United States with its gray chest and chestnut streaked with black back.

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New Jersey North Carolina Sparrows Connecticut 255

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 8, 2012

Saturday of this weekend saw a Le Conte’s Sparrow reported from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. Somehow, I have never seen a Le Conte’s Sparrow , which leaves a gaping hole on my life list among many other fine Ammodramus sparrows. The Le Conte’s Sparrow was not refound. Mystery bird?

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Sparrows Africa Family Rights 234

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

In honor of fall, and of the Chipping Sparrow that just smacked itself (thankfully not too hard) against my balcony window, here’s a blast from the past: Oct. Like right now, for instance. I don’t need any more glamour than that right now. Birding autumn migration sparrows warblers' Dawn is getting later and later.

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San Diego Sparrows Breeders 2009 230

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2019

This sounds like an exciting topic for a blog post, right? For a birdwatcher, it is rather nice to be at a place where – unlike my 13th floor Shanghai apartment – there are birds right outside the house. Eurasian Tree Sparrow. House Sparrow. Which happens to be the exact address of my parents` home.

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Germany Neglecting Blackbirds Sparrows 246

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2021

In that sense, June is no different than any other month, right? eBird) had it that the best place to find Clay-colored Sparrow is a particular conifer plantation on a particular farm road in the rural western portion of the county. On the other hand, if fate turns fickle, you’ll miss the good stuff entirely. Rumor (i.e.

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Sparrows Farming Birds Experiments 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2021

Right now, though, we can watch and listen and enjoy. What I enjoy–almost more than any other moment of my birding year–is that special spring day when White-Crowned Sparrows deign to visit my humble home en route to their boreal breeding grounds.

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New York Sparrows Birds Breeding 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 28, 2020

What better selection than the various birds of the Kenyan highlands, right? Contrasting with the other larks’ habits of perching on the tops of acacia trees and hanging out along the roadways, Fischer’s Sparrow-Larks were intent on slipping through tall grasses. Other sparrows were seen in much more remote areas.

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Sparrows Mammals Parrots Game 269

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2012

The species I refer to is, of course, the House Sparrow Passer domesticus. But the lowly House Sparrow does not need to stay in the realm of the hated, the persecuted, the vilified. If Philip Morris can become Altria and if Blackwater can become Xe, then why can’t the House Sparrow be rebranded as well? We thought so.

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Sparrows 2010 Campaign America 210

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

Like the fine, fine sparrows. Clearly, and as someone who has spent two springs birding around the Great Lakes, I can assure you that you were right all along when you had that subtle, subconscious feeling that spring warblers really weren’t that great after all and that even in spring, sparrows reign supreme. If you dare.

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Sparrows New York City 2011 New York 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

I am not only surprised but shocked at my second lifer of the month right here in Monroe County. A late Northern Parula was nice, his first Canvasback of the season was pleasant, and sweeping the scoters is always fun, but his favorite bird of the weekend was an Ipswich Sparrow. Nothing unusual in your backyard yet?

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2020 Sparrows Birds Experiments 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Not a bad video of a young White-crowned Sparrow , right? The sparrow was remarkably cooperative and that is an important aspect of getting decent video. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Nelson’s Sparrow sit up so long. It really was (and is) that easy!

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South America Sparrows Birds America 279

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2021

October can be a fantastic birding season in the right places. But, of them all, his Best Bird of the Weekend was a new one for him for Ulster County, a Lincoln’s Sparrow. With hope, you’ve found yourself in one of those places! How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?

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Blackbirds Birds Sparrows Wildlife 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

One day while I was a doing a field work, a goldfinch was at the feeder and one of my over-excited coworkers aimed and shot a rubber band that ricocheted right off the glass where the feeder was placed. Not long after that, I noticed a House Sparrow on the feeder. .” We take our rubber band wars very seriously.

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Birds Sparrows Turkey Killing 225

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Left to right: two Black-vented Orioles , one Blue Grosbeak , and a female Hooded Oriole. Chipping Sparrow. Since I can’t leave well enough alone, I’ll throw in a photo of a Grasshopper Sparrow that definitely did not visit my Wonder Tree. Plus, Grasshopper Sparrows are unusually beautiful sparrows.

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Sparrows Investigation Mexico California 255

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2012

I had just arrived at the water hole at Forest Park and was sitting on a log watching White-throated Sparrows forage in the leaves when the wren flew in and landed next to the log to my right. I quickly swung my leg over the log so I was straddling the log facing the bird and snapped a quick shot before it scurried under the log.

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2008 Sparrows Rights Experiments 228

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 12, 2013

American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea. Mostly what was around was sparrows but there were a host of Yellow-rumped Warblers , a couple of flocks of Snow Buntings , lots of Horned Larks , and a variety of other species in smaller numbers. Ipswich Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis princeps. A Grasshopper Sparrow ?

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Sparrows Fox New York Species 216

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2022

That’s me on the right. Las Mesas is the only place I’ve found for which the Black-chinned Sparrow is a reliable species, but this adorable bird, perhaps my favorite local sparrow, always seemed to position himself with some severe backlighting… until this trip. In case you were wondering. Feast your eyes.

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San Diego Turtles Mexico Sparrows 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

I drove out a bit late because of an almost-flat tire that needed attention, and then managed to drive right past the reservoir without seeing it. But I was delighted to see a Black-chinned Sparrow near the shore; this is only my eighth sighting of this species. Not the most auspicious start to my day!

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2020 Reptiles South America Birds 332

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

But Morelia is part of a large relatively homogenous ecosystem, while the La Escalera area sits right on the junction of our highland pine-oak forest system and the lowland tropical thorn forest biome. As I was very surprised to discover recently, this area is at the same elevation as my home in Morelia.

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Sparrows Species Rights Birds 357

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2024

Clay-colored Sparrows In about a month, I will have my 66th birthday. Black-chinned Sparrow , a flagship species for this site. Lark Sparrow In recent months, several American birders have reached out to have me take them birding in or around Morelia. It happens that I hate doing traditional exercise.

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Livestock Birds Sparrows Mexico 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

If you think one of the birds is a Song Sparrow call it “ Song Sparrow &# and not the unspecific “sparrow.&# No, none of the images below feature a Song Sparrow.* Jason Mar 15th, 2011 at 10:41 pm Hooded Merganser, Monk Parakeet, and House Sparrow. Yes, you are right: I have never been to Queens.

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2011 Bald Eagle Sparrows Deer 229

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

Most days, that seemingly random place is right at home. In the erstwhile sanctuary, common species like Red-billed Pigeon , Blue-black Grassquit , and Rufous-collared Sparrow abound. Recently, I was surprised to have a family of Stripe-headed Sparrows , birds typically associated with dry habitats of the North Pacific slope.

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Costa Rica Sparrows Rodents Rats 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2022

Stripe-headed Sparrow and Other Dry Forest Birds. Normally found in much drier landscapes at lower elevations, a few of this sparrow somehow found their way to Calle Viquez. These pioneering sparrows share their patch with another dry forest bird, the Lesser Ground-Cuckoo !

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Costa Rica Farming Sparrows Barn Owls 279

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2012

The conference timed nicely with sparrow migration and everyone was anxious to get views of reported Nelson’s Sparrows that were obligingly hanging out in some mud along a beaver pond. Other birds can viewed there like the above American Pipit, Wilson’s Snipe and White-crowned Sparrows.

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Family Beavers Minnesota Sparrows 220

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2022

In July 2011 a Henslow’s Sparrow was found in Ames, N.Y., I’m not quite sure where I was at the time, probably working, and it was six more years till I got my state Henslow’s Sparrow at Shawangunk NWR (a shorter drive and a more cooperative bird). a rural area in the eastern-central part of the state.

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Connecticut Sparrows Birds New York 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2015

Though sparrows tend to be the main focus of mid-to-late October birding here in New York City there are still plenty of other birds to see like the Eastern Phoebe up above. Kind of a dull example of the species but it was still a Lark Sparrow ! Ammodramus sparrows are my favorite sparrows. More sparrow!

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New York City New York Sparrows Eggs 190

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2019

But, amazingly, not all the “House Sparrows” I saw were House Sparrows ; a large group in Algeciras, in southern Spain, were Spanish Sparrows , and a smaller group in Madrid were European Tree Sparrows. (In In Rome, I saw one that turned out to be an Italian Sparrow. Yeah, I’m a Mallard.

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Spain Europe Sparrows Mexico 214

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2013

The recent American Ornithological Union (AOU) decisions to split Sage Sparrow (RIP) into Sagebrush Sparrow and Bell’s Sparrow has the Birdosphere buzzing on everything from field marks, vocalizations, status and distribution to historical records and hypothetical patterns of vagrancy. The problem?

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San Francisco Fox Sparrows California 235

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2015

However, our attention soon turned to a pair of fantastic Black-chested Sparrows duetting in the thorn-scrub right by the road. Boldly patterned and full of character, this endemic sparrow was the highlight of my first day in Mexico. Black-chested Sparrow is pretty sharp! Photo by Nathan Pieplow.

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Mexico Owls Birds Sparrows 234

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2020

Its insect-like buzz reminds me most of the Grasshopper’s Sparrow’s song. However, in the right habitat I can actually get tired of hearing the lilting song of our endemic Slate-throated Redstart. I almost always see the Rufous-crowned Warbler in groups of two or three. chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-ssiu-ssiu-ssiu-ssiu.

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Honduras Mexico South America America 359

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2022

Towhees are large, ground-hugging sparrows that occur only in North America. Just to complicate things more, four members of the Melozone genus are called Ground-Sparrows rather than Towhees.). They belong to either the Pipilo or Melozone genera, or perhaps both, as their taxonomy is still a point of contention.

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Mexico North America Sparrows 2015 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

Southern Florida offers many unique wintering birds, but perhaps none more so then the sparrows that call different parts of Florida their winter homes. The wigeon madness was just one of the few special species found on the coast that week, but the bird that had me excited the most was the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow.

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Florida South Dakota Sparrows Wildlife 223

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

However, a birder can also stay right at the house and see birds all day long. Out back, a water feature at the edge of the forest saw visits from several Painted Buntings, Olive Sparrow and a few other species during the heat of the day. Olive Sparrow. Gartered Trogon. Painted Bunting.

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Costa Rica Falcons Philadelphia Owls 261

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

It was also when October came with cool weather and bunches of White-throated Sparrows, shy Hermit Thrushes. The muted colors of Blackburnians, Black-throated Greens, and Blackpolls fit right in with the dull greens and golden highlights of the early fall vegetation. Birds Can Fly Right Over Costa Rica.

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Costa Rica West Virginia New York South America 338