10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2011

I had spotted a Turkey Vulture ! Well, I had looked out the sliding glass door that leads to my balcony and spotted a large bird that seemed to have the flight pattern of a Turkey Vulture but I needed to drop the darned phone and grab the binoculars that live near the door for exactly this purpose. What had happened? … a.

Turkey 145

Turkey Species Birds 145

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2023

Dave Gosney’s Finding Birds Series covers mostly the Western Palearctic and describes birding in various regions of Portugal, Spain, Morocco, France, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, etc., with some additions, namely South Texas, The Gambia, and Goa (India).

Greece 181

Greece Macedonia Bulgaria Gambia 181

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2024

There are 154 species of cuckoos in the world, and they’re all a fascinating bunch. It’s not a species you are likely to overlook, either, as it is extremely noisy, its cackling call carrying great distances. It is one of the most range-restricted of European birds, breeding only in Greece, Turkey and adjacent areas.

Cyprus 198

Cyprus Africa Europe Asia 198

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2024

The first Monday out after the festival, I took six people to Las Mesas, because it is almost within the city of Morelia, but offers a wide collection of habitats and species. We saw 72 species, although in winter we could have found 30 more. And nobody was dissatisfied with the day’s total of 52 species.

Turkey 176

Turkey ALA Mexico Collecting 176

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

More than 150 bird species are known to have become extinct over the past 500 years, and many more are estimated to have been driven to extinction before they became known to science. The Gray Crowned-Crane is a new addition to the list of the world’s Endangered species, creeping up a category from Vulnerable.

Endangered Species 178

Endangered Species Species Morocco South Africa 178

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

But here goes, a list of my favorite sightings for 2023: You stole my heart, you rascal you: We made a major trip to Europe, North Africa, and Turkey in late October, November and early December, combining work with some down time. In 2022, while in Turkey for our first time, I saw my first Dipper , a White-throated Dipper.

Morocco 159

Morocco Turkey Mexico Birds 159

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2022

And I did manage to see a large number of new birds — 45 new species, to be specific. I will start by telling you about encounters in Turkey with two special bird families. But no, I had to travel to Turkey to meet them in the wild. Turkey can get really hot in the summer. (It New places, new birds!

Spain 162

Spain Turkey Mexico Agenda 162

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2020

Since the migratory season ended down here, I have not managed to see more than 20 species in any single day from my yard. The above-mentioned Rufous-naped Wren added some melodious notes to the mix, along with Tropical Flycatchers and several other species. Turkey Vulture. A Zone-tailed Hawk imitating a Turkey Vulture.

Turkey 235

Turkey Mexico Uruguay Guatemala 235

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Had it not been for the Wild Turkey, for instance, the first Pilgrims to America, the English ones, would not, possibly, have survived, he says. FYI, the occasionally-reliable www says that the term was invented because the goose-bumps on withdrawing addicts’ flesh resembles that on the necks of turkeys.)

Bald Eagle 141

Bald Eagle Montenegro Zambia Zimbabwe 141

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 12, 2020

And while this poisonous species is usually red and spotted, older examples can lose their spots and take on an orange hue. My Laurelito trip was topped off by my discovery, when I walked back to my car, that it had been turned into a turkey perch. So I’m glad I didn’t taste my first examples.

Turkey 250

Turkey Birds Elephants Eggs 250

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2023

Since I have limited experience with eastern Mexico, and even less experience with tropical species, I enthusiastically accepted. By week’s end I had 30 new species on my life list. And the final species, seen in the neighborhood in which I was housed, gave me my 500th species in Mexico. Good choice! Go figure!

Mexico 130

Mexico Tigers Cows Birds 130

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2022

Both Trinidad and Tobago share over a hundred species but within the mix are many that are found on one island and not the other. The disparity in species could be stark, for example if one were to bird on different sides of the planet. I don’t keep lists but one of my guests did and the final tally was 166 species.

Trinidad 236

Trinidad Turkey Squirrels Cows 236

10,000 Birds

APRIL 11, 2023

The bike path (listed as Ruta de Bicicleta a Playa Linda on eBird’s hotspot map) begins by a very artificial water-storage pond, but even so, I managed to see several hoped-for species there. It used to be considered a single species with the Broad-billed Hummingbirds that visit my garden in Morelia every day.

Mexico 222

Mexico Birds Turkey Sparrows 222

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2019

I recently despaired of ending this calendar year without seeing a single Wild Turkey when that species used to be so reliable in my part of New York. Luckily, we spied a large flock of turkeys from the highway between Syracuse and Binghamton.

2019 135

2019 Nevada Turkey New York 135

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Still, the outing did not produce any new species for the year, or enough good photos for a post here. Instead, I have chosen to write about an idea I’ve had percolating for a while: to tell you what the most common species are down here. I’ll take the most common native species in taxonomic order.

Woodpeckers 308

Woodpeckers Mexico Cattle Turkey 308

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2023

First, we had our five-week trip to Spain, Turkey and Jordan in September and October. This meant I saw some truly domesticated species there, like these Graylag and African (domesticated Swan ) Geese : Fortunately, all the other birds I saw there were truly wild. To summarize, I managed to see 42 species with a quick two-hour visit.

Jordan 181

Jordan Mexico Ohio Spain 181

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2024

According to my list, which somehow ended up being the official group list, we saw 41 species in about four hours. To my shock, I had also never included a Wild Turkey on an eBird list before Tuesday. Two other species also warmed my California-boy heart. 11 were new for my California lifelist. Both were welcome additions.

San Francisco 185

San Francisco California Woodpeckers Turkey 185

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2022

As I write this, on March 8th, my 2022 year list includes 230 species. After ten major outings this year, I am still picking up 5-7 new species each week. (No What I did not manage was decent photos of either species. I never know quite what to think when Turkey Vultures show such a strong interest in me.

Turkey 179

Turkey Falcons Mexico Sparrows 179

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2021

When you see a photo of a Snowcap, it’s easy to see why this species is a perennial top target for birding trips to Costa Rica. However, as with so many other bird species that must be seen to confirm their improbable existence, the Snowcap can be elusive. I’m sure several other species also occur.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica San Jose Birds Farming 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 2, 2013

In truly absurd, I am not making this up news, villagers in Turkey recently accused a bird of being an Israeli spy. There’s a joke in here somewhere stemming from the fact that the country’s name is Turkey. Interestingly, this wasn’t the first time a stray Israeli-banded bird has come under suspicion in Turkey.

Israel 171

Israel Turkey Austin Stray 171

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 235

Cyprus Saudi Arabia Europe Birds 235

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 248

Costa Rica Birds Cows Hunters 248

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2021

If we hadn’t we might be there still — stuck, perhaps, in Turkey or Jordan. The Indigo was even on its way to becoming my default species for any indescript female LBJ. But, until 2020, I almost never saw it, which is frustrating with such a loud species. But then things went crazy, and we cancelled the trip.

Mexico 159

Mexico 2020 2019 Turkey 159

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 25, 2022

In the end, it gave me 44 lifers: 10 from Turkey and 8 from Jordan, which I had not visited before, and 26 from Spain, which I had visited previously, but in which we spent much more time. This peak lines up with the arrival of multiple migratory hummingbird species. Most reach peak bloom as the rains end, in September or October.

Spain 147

Spain Jordan Turkey Species 147

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 25, 2021

There is also a short description of each bird species (which may be quite detailed where necessary) covering the size, structure and shape, colouration, flight (the flight manner of individual birds), flock (the structure and behaviour of flocks), transliterations of flight calls followed by sonograms, and with QR code to 131 online recordings.

Europe 222

Europe Asia Cyprus Turkey 222

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2019

The tropical habitats of Costa Rica are home to a surprising number of raptor species. Although the country is around the same size as West Virginia, 39 species of diurnal raptors are on the list. As is often the case for tropical ecosystems, there may be hundreds of species of birds at a site, but many of them are naturally rare.

Costa Rica 166

Costa Rica Eagles West Virginia Opossums 166

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. Maybe it’s important to note that Turkey Vultures , in particular, were well-loved by , and even inspirational to , the people that lived here before Europeans arrived. Vultures famously feed on carrion. Dead things.

California Condor 171

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 171

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2016

With wild populations in the Middle East estimated in the mere hundreds, any and every threat can have devastating results to the species’ long-term survival. A breeding program in Turkey has been successful, but civil war in neighboring Syria seems to have posed a significant hazard.

Syria 100

Syria Turkey Hunting Breeding 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2019

In a check of the eBird hotspot list for Santa Rita Lodge, it shows a life list there of 170 species, and approaching 13,000 check lists submitted. The resident Wild Turkey population is always ready for an easy meal at the feeders. This Varied Bunting was trying to glean something from this well picked over feeder tray.

Arizona 130

Arizona Turkey Woodpeckers Sparrows 130

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2022

So, the basic idea is to show 15 species of Australian birds in each post and give you the usual trivia about them. This species has also eliminated the need for childcare – the chicks emerge from this pile on their own and never even get to see their parents. Similarly, the Grey Shrikethrush is neither a shrike nor a thrush.

Australia 174

Australia Koalas Parrots Birds 174

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2020

First, 800 km of driving from Belgrade through Bulgaria to very NE corner of Greece and the Dadia Forest National Park with its 36 species of diurnal raptors, out of Europe’s 38. From there to the nearby Evros River Delta, at the very border with Turkey, with more easterly species such as the Spur-winged Plover.

Greece 218

Greece Bulgaria Serbia 2000 218

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. There was a point when Clay and I noticed a bunch Turkey Vultures gathering along the road ahead of us at Viera Wetlands (aka Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands). Birding otters Turkey Vultures'

Otters 164

Otters Turkey Minnesota Florida 164

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2021

Endless notifications about 3% of intact forest remaining here, another species falling into the endangered species category – it all can get overwhelming sometimes. Bananaquits and Golden-headed Manakins twittered and whirred constantly but any visual confirmation was only achieved with the former species.

Litter 261

Litter ALA Endangered Species Elephants 261

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2020

When our local government called for Michoacán’s residents to stay at home, I said goodbye to some 250 regional species, and shut myself in at home with the other 30 that regularly visit my neighborhood. And on this particular trip, I could see all these species on a single kind of tree. And what species!

Squirrels 162

Squirrels Sparrows South America Mexico 162

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2019

Based on how naturally parrots and leafbirds (the real ones in Asia, not the figments that plague birders in every country) blend into foliage, I’d imagine that most arboreal avian species would want the same advantages. The first Turkey Vulture of the year is definitely the best one! How about you?

2019 114

2019 Asia Turkey Parrots 114

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2021

If the avian realm had self-conscious, talking ambassadors, “spokebirds”, which species would partake in birding conferences? Without careful attention paid to the needs of the shyer birds, such conventions would run the risk of being overrun with the bolder species, the birds that love the spotlight. Ditto for the Kea.

Costa Rica 215

Costa Rica Belize Guatemala Protest 215

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2021

For birders who have visited T&T in the past, the livestock station has always been a staple site for several key species that would be fairly difficult elsewhere. Safe to say no species was left behind! By now we had already crossed 80 species, but there were a few holes in our list.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Livestock Groups Eagles 264