10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Long before I moved in New Zealand, or visited or even knew much about the wildlife here, way back then I knew about the Poor Knights. The Poor Knights certainly lived up to their reputation, and to my mind are arguably an essential stop on a visit to New Zealand, even if you only came looking for wildlife of the feathered kind.

New Zealand 185

New Zealand Belize Vanuatu Fiji 185

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) Five species of frigatebird ply the planet’s tropical skies and seas. Ringer Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) Cormorants are more speciose than other families in the order; 30-40 species range widely on every continent and many islands. Though it is certainly bad news that the U.S.

2011 155

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea California 155

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 21, 2013

I often like to poke fun at how dangerous the wildlife of Australia is, as ever since the giant man-eating Haast’s Eagle went extinct the land life on New Zealand has been mostly harmless. Exactly which species came from that original break up is the subject of considerable debate.

New Zealand 169

New Zealand Vanuatu Hawaii Australia 169