10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 23, 2019

How about Thailand? The official bird list is well over 900 species and literally hundreds of fantastic tropical birds are accessible but when to go? According to eBird bar charts, most of the resident species are also seen at other times of the year. Going birding in Hawaii? Check it out! There might be some good recent gen.

Costa Rica 347

Costa Rica Thailand Hawaii Species 347

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

Looking through some of my photos from my last trip to Thailand, I got to wondering what birds the various fish and creatures would be if they were feathered.

Sharks 239

Sharks Thailand Dolphins Whaling 239

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2023

The Chinese Hwamei is a second-level protected species in China – as a consequence, according to Chinese law on wildlife protection, it is prohibited for local people to capture and keep the species in captivity without a permit. Still, a few spend the summer here.

Indonesia 208

Indonesia Thailand Legislation illegal 208

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 245

Burma India Indonesia Thailand 245

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2012

Common Merganser female by John Borg There are six living species of mergansers, three of which are commonly spotted in North America: The Common Merganser ( Mergus merganser ) ranges widely throughout the northern hemisphere. It is also a species in rapid decline, considered vulnerable by some authorities and endangered by others.

North America 247

North America Thailand Russia Ducks 247

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2014

When going on an overseas birding trip, many serious birders want to leave the city as soon possible in search of endemic or rare species in remote wilderness. Second, urban parks can be reliable sites for some species that are generally rare or hard to see elsewhere. Why do I like urban birding? What are their birds? Yellow Bittern.

Thailand 176

Thailand Zebras Birds Sparrows 176

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. I used to live in Botswana, where there are about 450 bird species in an area a few dozen miles from the capital; then somewhat naively moved back to Serbia with mere 250 species around the capital.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2013

The project recruited schoolkids from eight Asian nations, from Russia down to Thailand, to help color in frames of an animation that depicts the lonely and perilous migration of a Spoon-billed Sandpiper as it faces threats from habitat loss and hunting. For proof, check out this behind-the-scenes look at the video-creation process.

Asia 170

Asia Thailand Russia Endangered Species 170

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2019

Some of those “statistical errors” came as surprises to me, e.g. Cuba, Bolivia, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Thailand (this is also a clear message to their tourism boards to invest more into promoting avitourism). If I were answering those same questions, my answers would probably be Ecuador, Uganda and Thailand. What would be your choices?

Papua New Guinea 214

Papua New Guinea America Costa Rica Sri Lanka 214

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 16, 2013

This is mostly because I started the year in tropical Queensland and ended the year in Thailand and the UK. In one insane day in Thailand I added 96 birds to my year list! The middle period of the year was very barren for new species, and this being New Zealand for birds in general. Well, no, but yes?

2012 157

2012 New Zealand Thailand Albatross 157

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2014

The scope is to give you the illusion you might be able to work out the species). My first view of this amazing species! Note bonus swift in background (no idea what species). I saw the species in one of it’s remaining strongholds, the Kinabatangan River. All you need is a boat, or a scope on a windy day.

2013 211

2013 Rhinoceros Thailand Birds 211

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2022

The Black-throated Laughingthrush on Hainan is a distinct subspecies (or maybe a full species, Swinhoe’s Laughingthrush, in which case the poor birds would not have to travel to their mainland no-longer-relatives anymore during Chinese New Year). I have seen seasoned clowns throw up seeing the face of this species.

Birds 278

Birds Egypt China Thailand 278

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2020

With around 400 species recorded for the area, yeah, it’s where we might all like to quarantine for a bit! Named after the Army Ants that are often seen in that area, David Segura has been documenting an expected large number of bird species (check put the eBird list). A Fantastic Day of 200 Plus Species.

Costa Rica 263

Costa Rica Birds Thailand Farming 263

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2011

This week’s quiz was global in nature, asking to identify endemic species of a country that needed to be guessed based on a number of clues. There were four people who correctly ID’ed endemic species in that country in short order. Congratulations to Nick, Pat O’Donnell, Peter O and Clare. How compelling.

Costa Rica 145

Costa Rica 2011 Thailand Species 145

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

For once, eBird gives a good description of the Asian Glossy Starling, calling it a “Fierce-looking, large songbird” As are humans, this species is fairly urbanized – it “sometimes enters urban areas to roost, e.g. in Singapore” (HBW). “Odd, me?”

Singapore 264

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 264

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 233

Papua New Guinea Philippines New Zealand Florida 233

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2013

It’s actually a surprisingly nice location and one you can ge a lot of great birds that are hard to get elsewhere in Thailand. If you have some time to kill, or better yet a tour of Thailand planned, be sure to include it! And if you are going to Thailand and need a bird guide be sure to look Peter up!

Thailand 113

Thailand New Zealand Bats Family 113

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. In any case, our hang-ups with vultures clearly stem from our own issues rather than any inherently bizarre trait of the species themselves. Vultures famously feed on carrion. Dead things. New World Vultures.

California Condor 228

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 228

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2014

The 28 odd species of this genus are found in the Sunda (the islands of Indonesia, Malaysia and the southern bit of Thailand) and the Philippines, and are named for the inescapable (in this region anyway) Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, he of the founding of Singapore fame. Sometimes it is good to stop and smell the roses.

Philippines 169

Philippines Malaysia Indonesia Thailand 169

Critter News

OCTOBER 9, 2010

A coordinated international law enforcement operation has led to the arrest of 25 individuals suspected of taking part in the illicit trade of tigers, one of the world's most endangered species. Tags: wildlife smuggling tigers interpol asia endangered species.

Tigers 100

Tigers International Fund For Animal Welfare IFAW Nepal 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2014

From a birder’s perspective however, this is both a shame and a blessing, as I will show below based on my observations of the species on the island of Java in November. The prinias are a group of around 25 Old World warbler species found in Africa and Asia. The Brown Prinia is an Asian species with a very peculiar range.

Laos 174

Laos Burma Cambodia Indonesia 174

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 25, 2022

The first title of the ‘official’ series (there were two ‘prequels’) was “ Birds of Thailand “, published in 2018. For species with more than one subspecies in the region, the separate resident/breeding ranges of the distinct subspecies are indicated on the map.

Thailand 147

Thailand Colombia 2018 Groups 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2023

Its mood is not helped by the ambiguous review on eBird: “Although not actually pale, this brownish songbird is one of the plainer thrushes in its range” The Latin species name of the Dusky Thrush is eunomos (I guess that is Greek, but whatever) – meaning well-ordered. One page is dedicated to the Long-tailed Shrike. (yes,

Blackbirds 245

Blackbirds Birds Indonesia Bhutan 245

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2023

This is how it looks like: Or at sunset: A species I did not come for from Shanghai is the Black-crowned Night Heron. Its species name graydoni is in honor of Philip Newenham Graydon (1864-1940), a British planter in Sabah. Why that makes Mr. Graydon worthy of having a bird species named after him is a mystery to me.

Birds 246

Birds Elephants Eagles Rhinoceros 246

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

And, to give his dream year a little more oomph, he created a grand once-in-a-lifetime goal: to track down and see every pitta species in the world in one year. Some of his finds are the first documented records of the bird in that area or the first decent photograph of a little-known species. And mosquitos. (At

Hunters 240

Hunters Sri Lanka Asia Solomon Islands 240

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2012

It’s the warbler that is often the last unchecked species on birders’ life lists and, whether you list or not, for most of us observing it is a once in a lifetime experience. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species list. The warbler is on the road to being delisted from the Endangered Species List.

Michigan 258

Michigan Bahamas Endangered Species Research 258

4 The Love Of Animals

MAY 7, 2013

These births are critical to help preserve the species. These newborn cubs will add to the genetic diversity of the Malayan tiger population and contribute to conservation efforts for the species. The births are part of park’s partnership in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP).

Tampa 100

Tampa Tigers Thailand Livestock 100

4 The Love Of Animals

JULY 11, 2011

Also airing tonight, Thailand’s Killer Cats! In Thailand, a land known for its exotic animals, Steve comes face-to-face with the longest venomous snake in the world, the king cobra, whose bite could kill an elephant. They’ll take down dune ants over twice their size with their legs by barbecuing them alive on the searing African sand.

Cats 100

Cats Leopards Namibia Lions 100

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. No surprise then that the species is listed as Vulnerable. But then, sanity (or maybe respect for you, the reader) prevailed. Fortunately, they are quite common in Shanghai. It is also called Chinese Bulbul.

Iraq 130

Iraq Birds China Ireland 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2013

At the time this post goes live I’ll be wandering around Hong Hong in a bemused state of mind trying to identify not only the native birds but the multitude of other species released by the inhabitants into the area. I saw this species at Bang Poo in the south of Bangkok, on the coast, where a large flock winters every year.

Turkmenistan 170

Turkmenistan Mongolia Asia Europe 170

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 31, 2019

Perhaps you don’t know it yet, but with more than 1000 bird species, palm-fringed sandy beaches, developed tourism infrastructure, moderate prices and political stability, Thailand is a country you definitively want to visit. Among them are 20 endemics and near-endemics, and 58 vagrant species. And what do you need to pack?

Thailand 214

Thailand Zambia Asia Birds 214

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Knowing that there are reserves with long lists of 600 or more species, I set my threshold at more than 600 birds… and found only a few such hotspots. In early November 2020, there were 15 countries with more than 1000 species eBirded so far. Other than that, there are barely a few hotspots with over 500 species.

Asia 279

Asia Malaysia Papua New Guinea Thailand 279

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 21, 2023

As a bird mainly feeding on seeds, it is regarded as a threat to crops (in fact, the Latin species name of oryzivora combines the words for rice, “oryza”, and eating, “vorus”). Continuing with the topic of singing, apparently, Zebra Doves are highly valued for their singing, particularly in parts of Southern Thailand.

Zebras 246

Zebras Thailand Philippines Dissection 246

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2024

Interestingly, these juveniles look more similar to another species, the Pale-billed Parrotbill, than the adult babblers – and they sometimes are part of the same flock. If you want to see how this species builds its nest, see here.) These roads are much less of a hindrance for the Pin-striped Tit-babbler , a mid-story bird.

Burma 244

Burma Vietnam Birds Laos 244

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2012

On the way I managed to sneak in a manic day of birding in and around the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. The flowerpecker, an attractive species, was actually responsible for Peter becoming a birder in the first place! Our next species was decidedly uncommon, a Black-headed Ibis circled overhead for a minute before flying off.

Thailand 167

Thailand New Zealand Terrapins Asia 167

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2022

It’s a unique bird, even its scientific name is wonderful, so it’s not surprising that Gerard Gorman, Woodpecker Expert Supreme, has written a book all about the species. I was surprised to learn that there are two Wryneck species in the Jynx genus: Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla, and Red-throated Wryneck, Jynx ruficollis.

Woodpeckers 264

Woodpeckers Hungary Thailand Europe 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2021

I already had Nordmann’s on my life list from a single sighting of two birds in coastal Thailand back in 1995. To underline the mystery of this species in 2019 a Nordmann nest was discovered; the first in 40 years! That was clearly some time ago.] In addition, it should be stated that this Greenshank is rare everywhere!

Australia 264

Australia 2019 Thailand Russia 264