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 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 166

Species New Zealand Ducks Game 166

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 198

Livestock Birds Sparrows Mexico 198

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 198

China Brazil 2000 Birds 198

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 184

Mexico Birds Oregon Puffins 184

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2015

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). Two subspecies of the same species that differ within Costa Rica. (4).

Costa Rica 209

Costa Rica Species South America America 209

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 237

Costa Rica Sanctuary Bats Woodpeckers 237

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 207

Zoos 2020 Massachusetts 2015 207

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 231

Costa Rica Nicaragua Cuba Mexico 231

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 220

California Condor California Endangered Species Oregon 220

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 292

Family Birds South America Breeding 292

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 262

Boston New York 2019 Collecting 262

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 258

Costa Rica Birds Cows Hunters 258

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 23, 2023

The White-eared Barbet is another bird species with an annoyingly sensible Latin species name, leucotis (white-eared). Obviously, my job as a blog post writer would be a lot easier if there was a racist slave-trader named Ernesto Leucotis who somehow got a bird species named after him. But the same species was never found again.

South Africa 147

South Africa Africa 2018 Birds 147

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 201

2017 Portugal Africa Europe 201

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 178

2002 Breeders North America Bahamas 178

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

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 115

North America Europe America United States 115

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

Cocoa Woodcreepers are the largest species of woodcreeper in T&T, and they have a proportionately massive bill. Can they ascertain how profitable a specific tree would be by some sampling method? We just needed to find somewhere that was less cluttered to allow us some chance of seeing birds! And so, we continued.

Trinidad 162

Trinidad Eagles Bears Litter 162

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 250

Sparrows North America South America Blackbirds 250

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

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 202

Fish Whaling Whales France 202

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

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 250

Puerto Rico Parrots Ecuador Protection 250

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 190

New York City New York North America Species 190

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

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

Here in Morelia, it seems laughable that I once only had access to less species than I could count on one hand. While they are only a fraction of the 359 hummingbird species in the world, I have seen fully 20 of these within an hour of my current home. This Dusky is Tierra-Caliente-only. And this is the Plain-capped Starthroat.

Minnesota 126

Minnesota ALA Mexico California 126

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 254

Feral Meat Serbia Species 254

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2022

There are quite a few raptor species around Skukuza. Most likely, the devil, not god created this species. While some bustards are the largest bird species capable of flight, the Black-bellied Bustard is only mid-sized. Skukuza is the largest camp and the administrative center of Kruger Park. It is also documented on video.

Africa 147

Africa Eagles Birds Barn Owls 147

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 190

Papua New Guinea Philippines New Zealand Florida 190

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2018

The Northern Spotted Owl is a “ threatened ” species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and it was famously the subject of extensive and protracted litigation in the late 1980s and early 1990s, mostly relating to forestry management plans in the Pacific Northwest. A sample of this process is here.)

Owls 117

Owls Endangered Species Oregon Friends Of Animals 117

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

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 244

Germany 2000 South America Birds 244

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 171

Israel Costa Rica Eagles Raised 171

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2016

Author Ray Reedman writes from a British point of view, with some time devoted to the birds of North America, Australia and other former colonies but the bulk of the space given over to European species.

North America 122

North America America Science Australia 122

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

Other species have certainly expanded their ranges, but never in such a rapid and global scale. For reasons that are not quite clear, this species underwent a massive range expansion. In the east, this species can be found along the east coast of Africa, the Nile Valley,and into parts of the middle east and India and southeast Asia.

Cattle 170

Cattle South Korea Suriname Seychelles 170

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). Here’s a sample of Plate 30, Bat Falcon and Orange-Breasted Falcon (pp.

Mexico 161

Mexico America North America Falcons 161