10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

The obvious choice was the Mallard , that plucky familiar northern hemisphere species that is the father of the even more familiar domesticated duck. In fact, as the species was quickly identified as as creating hybrids with Grey Ducks, the opinion was by the 1920s that the species shouldn’t be released further.

Species 175

Species New Zealand Ducks Game 175

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2013

It has also found its way to Japan where it is considered to be an invasive species. Now and then individual catfish of various species hunt nearer the surface and larger catfish such as the American Channel Cat will take a duck or other water bird. The range of size of sampled catfish ranges from 0.9

Fish 227

Fish Whales Whaling France 227

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2015

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. A female Western Spindalis ( Spindalis zena ) on Grand Cayman © David J.

Sparrows 275

Sparrows North America South America Blackbirds 275

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2022

The book covers all of China, which given the large number of species (1484 are covered in the guide), the relatively low level of bird knowledge and also the limited market for such a book in English language (MacKinnon claims in one interview that the Chinese edition sold ten times more than the English one) is quite an achievement.

China 240

China Brazil 2000 Birds 240

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2014

. … Here at 10,000 Birds 20 July – 26 July is Invasive Species Week. We use the term “Invasive Species” in the broadest sense, to encompass those invasive species that have expanded beyond their historical ranges under their own power, by deliberate introduction, or by unintentional introduction.

Woodpeckers 273

Woodpeckers Illinois Chicago Kentucky 273

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2024

We would walk the Pacific Beach promenade, see Shamu at Sea World (this is before Blackfish, mind you), and sample delicious Mexican food in Old Town San Diego. Riding around Mission Bay and back to the headquarters along the San Diego River can garner us about sixty-five species over the 10-mile bike ride.

San Diego 237

San Diego Sea Lions Lions Birds 237

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2019

Of course, the California Condor is listed as “endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and it has been famously subject to some of the most ambitious conservation efforts (including litigation ) ever undertaken for a bird. One management tool used by FWS is reintroduction of an endangered species into its former range.

California Condor 246

California Condor California Endangered Species Oregon 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2020

An endemic species restricted to southern Costa Rica, the tiny range of this local bird makes it susceptible to any alterations to its already limited habitat. As with other birds featured on the album, the song of this species can be heard in a composition created by a local artist, in this case, NILLO.

Costa Rica 269

Costa Rica Nicaragua Cuba Mexico 269

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

The northwestern spread of this non-native species made it to my yard a few years ago. The lightest shade of lavender coincides with a 0 – 2% frequency of sightings, the next darker shade 2 – 10%, the next 10 – 25%, the next 25 – 40% and the darkest (almost black) shade is a 40 – 100% occurrence of the species.

2002 190

2002 Breeders North America Bahamas 190

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2021

Today the reserve contains mature forests, secondary forests, rivers, lagoons, small waterfalls, agroforestry productive areas, and functional gardens; which are the habitat of more than 350 species of birds.

Costa Rica 263

Costa Rica Sanctuary Bats Woodpeckers 263

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2020

Birders normally care about species and make species lists, how do families fit into those? Adding more species brings a lot of excitement, as long as you bird your own country or a continent. 11,000 species require lots of money and a good portion of one’s life. That gamble is rigged, so the house always wins.

Family 299

Family Birds South America Breeding 299

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

With binoculars around my neck, I am leaving home, wondering which will be the first species on my year list. By contrast, the wild Rock Pigeon, Columba livia livia , is an ill-numbered species that I have seen only a few times, in mountain gorges or Mediterranean islands, further away from villages. New Year’s Day 2014.

Feral 260

Feral Meat Serbia Species 260

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

Greater Rheas, a species the Germans call Nandu, are very popular in Germany and frequently kept in zoos as well as private enclosures. The Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft (equivalent to e.g. the AOU) only considers species as established after they’ve survived in the wild for more than 3 generations (amongst other criteria).

Germany 262

Germany 2000 South America Birds 262

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2014

In the late nineteenth century, Eugene Schieffelin, a wealthy New York drug manufacturer, resolved to introduce to North America every species of bird mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare. … Here at 10,000 Birds 20 July – 26 July is Invasive Species Week. It’s one of the stories every birder knows.

New York City 219

New York City New York North America Species 219

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2024

Black-chinned Sparrow , a flagship species for this site. And I must say, based on this most unscientific sample group, the future for my own birder’s health could be quite rosy. And I must be careful to protect my skin, having had a couple of basal cells removed. It happens that I hate doing traditional exercise.

Livestock 237

Livestock Birds Sparrows Mexico 237

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2015

The Moustached Kingfisher was known by only three samples– one female “collected” in the 1920’s, the other two females “collected” in the 1950’s, according to an Audubon Magazine article. The justification was ridiculously laughable: in order to further study the species. How its diet changed seasonally? How it raised its chicks?

Collecting 240

Collecting Wildlife Rehabilitation Solomon Islands Texas 240

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2021

I don’t know whether head brewer Chris Schell – a Delmar native with a decade of craft brewing experience – is a birder or not, but each beer is adorned with trippy, vaguely sci-fi depictions of birds by Boston artist Ian Tartasky , some of which seem to be identifiable to species.

Boston 264

Boston New York 2019 Collecting 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2011

Here is a sample of a chapter, “Ratites & Tinamous”, from the Birds in Order section. And so, I learn from this page that each bird’s scientific name is unique, a combination of its genus and species names. In the earlier chapters, the maps illustrate bird species distribution.

Albatross 224

Albatross Campaign Protection Birds 224

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2014

It varies in appearance across its enormous range, and a new genetic study — Dispersal and speciation in purple swamphens (Rallidae: Porphyrio) — bolsters the case that this “supertramp” is actually a superspecies that could be split into six different species. Above: Swamphen in Australia by James Niland).

Papua New Guinea 213

Papua New Guinea Philippines New Zealand Florida 213

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2011

Founded by Roberto Chavarro and his family in the early eighties, this little reserve has been dropped slap-bang into the birding spotlight by the recent claims of the rediscovery of the Bogota Sunangel Heliangelus zusii , a species that is known from one record – a skin from 1909! How much variation was there in this species?

Colombia 256

Colombia Family 2011 Species 256

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2024

I have been slowly working up to my latest life list benchmark (2,000 bird species) and scoured eBird for a location within an 8-hour flight to get some lifers. Although we had enough alcohol for a lifetime on our mezcal trip, we stopped by a pulqueria to sample one of the oldest drinks of the region: pulque.

Mexico 227

Mexico Birds Oregon Puffins 227

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

At least most of the resident species can still be seen right along the road, you just have to keep an eye out for cyclists and vehicles on their way up and down the volcano. This shimmering mega species is regular on Poas and, when feeding, is often joined by the Black Guan , an arboreal black turkey-like bird with a blue face.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Birds Cows Hunters 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2022

There are many many podcasts and I have only sampled a small number, so if there are episode suggestions, please leave them in the comments. Below are some fairly recent episodes that I have enjoyed and that may be of interest to others. All can be listened to for free online via the links. Fresh Air ( NPR , 2021, 46 min.):

Zoos 249

Zoos 2020 Massachusetts 2015 249

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2014

So I was delighted to get the chance to review Like a Butterfly , a short film from director Frank Neveu that chronicles the life of the species in French Alps. The undoubted highlight, though, was the trip to Neuschwanstein.

McDonalds 218

McDonalds Germany Animal Species 218

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

How can two species interbreed into a new species? They took blood samples from the birds in order to extract DNA. If the birds had been breeding, the scientists say that they would have found genetic “intermediates&# – birds with genes from both species. Hey, science people (scientists?),

Sparrows 154

Sparrows Science Breeding Species 154

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2021

Of the thirty or so members of the family Icteridae that go by the name “oriole” on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean, several species are partial enough to fruit that they even visit feeders that offer it as jelly, as the sugar-preserved form usually reserved for human consumption is known.

2017 243

2017 Portugal Africa Europe 243

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2018

I sample birding on Poas more often than at other sites in Costa Rica because it’s close to home and makes for a worthwhile guided day trip from the San Jose area. Recently, while guiding on the slopes of Poas, without too much effort, we had more than a hundred species. This Red-faced Spinetail was one of them. Two hundred?

Costa Rica 100

Costa Rica Species San Jose Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

Though it is an invasive species it does not seem to be harming other species despite the concern about a potential negative impact on other Columbids. It was just nice seeing a species of pigeon or dove other than Rock Pigeon or Mourning Dove in New York City. Nonetheless, this week will be chock full of invasive species.

New York 167

New York New York City North America Bahamas 167

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2021

Thus, the sample appears to skew young (late-30s) relative to my impression of the overall age of the birding community, likely a consequence using eBird as the pool of potential respondents. Thus, birders like natural areas close to home with rare species, and perhaps some ducks. This is not a surprising result.

Minnesota 264

Minnesota Pennsylvania Ohio United States 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2011

I queried for birds and mammals living in the new world (but excluding sea birds) outside of the tropics (which includes a lot of tropical migratory birds, obviously) an a similar sample of mammals. There are 200 animals in each sample, and I presume that this is a random subset of the larger sample of over 400 or so in each category.

Mammals 190

Mammals Rodents Reptiles Birds 190

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 13, 2011

Originally considered monotypic, two species are now recognized. Drakensberg (or Orange-breasted) Rockjumper is a Drakensberg Mountain species whose range is shared with the tiny landlocked kingdom of Lesotho. Males of this species are more brightly colored in their non-breeding winter plumage. the Rockjumpers.

South Africa 250

South Africa Lesotho Swaziland Africa 250

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

So I put together a “carnival” (of sorts) of Feral Cat Ordinances and Issues that samples current events across the US. … Matthew Anderson [of Audubon] said proponents of colonies are putting the interests of one invasive species — cats — over the hundreds of other native ones that are their prey.

Feral Cats 239

Feral Cats Feral Cats Minneapolis 239

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2016

Unlike other bird races where participants keep tight-lipped about bird species as mundane as a House Sparrow , this event gives a prize to the team that helps the most. But isn’t all of that data sharing counterproductive for a bird race where the team with the most species wins? This is a Masked Shrike.

Israel 189

Israel Costa Rica Eagles Raised 189

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2014

Most species are so relaxed down here, getting images of birds is like shooting fish in a barrel like the above Tricolored Heron. One young vulture even charged towards the otter as if to sample a bite. So spending a day in balmy Florida yielded lots of great birds. Maybe it’s the whole retirement community atmosphere?

Otters 181

Otters Turkey Minnesota Florida 181

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2020

Because NAOC is so large, it is more accurate to say I sampled small parts of the enormous event. He modeled likely future suitable habitats in a climate change scenario for a number of bird species of conservation concern. Last week, I “attended” the virtual North American Ornithological Conference (NAOC). Dr. Tom White of the U.S.

Puerto Rico 264

Puerto Rico Parrots Ecuador Protection 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2016

From the Abstract and summary: Changes in climate can cause populations of species to decline, to increase, or to remain steady. looked across species of common birds in Europe and the United States. The difference in the jitteryness of the lines has to do with sample size. Reminder: This study looked at the more common species.

North America 136

North America Europe America United States 136

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2013

As Duncan explained, the birds in the following photographs (bar the last two which were taken on nearby Kapiti Island) “dropped by our house a few times to sample our offered apples (one of the views has Wellington Harbour in the background).” ” Imagine parrots in your back yard!

New Zealand 176

New Zealand Possums Parrots 2010 176