10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2022

The one bird I did not see here, however, was the Bateleur Eagle … One highlight in the area is the Saddle-billed Stork , likely to be the tallest species in the stork family. This bird is represented in an ancient Egyptian hieroglyph. Can’t say that it is a particularly obvious name from seeing the bird.

Ostriches 147

Ostriches Parrots Birds Eggs 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 16, 2013

I come from a large family: five sisters, two brothers and almost everyone has kids. Most of my family lives in Indiana, but thanks to social media we can easily keep in touch. Case in point: some of my family members have become active with feral cat colony organizations. If one bird is gone, there’s always another.

Feral Cats 187

Feral Cats Feral Cats Family 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2024

I don’t remember where I first learned about Elizabeth Gould–possibly when I was birding Doi Angkhang, Thailand and saw a stunning little bird named Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird–but I have been fascinated by her story and her art for the past five years. And I’m so happy I did. Twelve years!

Australia 197

Australia Birds Europe Collecting 197

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

Pafuri lies in the northernmost part of the Kruger National Park and is described as “some of the most potentially productive birding territory in South Africa” on the SANParks website. Jameson’s Firefinch is a beautiful small bird named for what was probably a very bad person, James Sligo Jameson. ” (HBW).

Elephants 147

Elephants Birds Congo Africa 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

The main attraction for birders here are the hornbills – I have written about them before , so this post will be more on the other birds I saw there in 2017. Anyway, it is a very cute-looking bird if you are big enough not to be among its prey of (mostly) insects. I have written about the hornbills of this area before.

Birds 147

Birds Myanmar China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2023

Christian Cooper comes on screen about two-and-a-half minutes into The Central Park Effect , appreciating a Prothonotary Warbler at ‘the Point’ while telephoning a friend with the news (this is pre-text group), a nice hint of the collegial networks that underlie Central Park birding. It was the same day George Floyd was killed.

Emotional 227

Emotional Birds Minneapolis Nepal 227

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2024

Memorable encounters with Mammals: Part I Most birdwatchers enjoy seeing mammals, but the trouble with mammals is that they tend to be much more challenging to see than birds. I remember the guide on my first Kenyan birding safari remarking that “birding groups always see far more mammals than those who come just to see animals.

Fur 194

Fur Bulgaria Otters Estonia 194

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2021

As sad as I am to say it, I must: 2021 was one of my worst years for birding since I started looking at feathered creatures with intent in 2006. COVID kept me from traveling internationally, and my only major domestic trip of the year was to California where I have birded quite a bit already. All that said, 2021 was not a total loss.

New York 260

New York Birds California Owls 260

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

(In which the author, rather than jumping out of his 13th-floor window out of his frustration over his long lockdown, describes a final 15 Australian birds, whether or not anyone is interested). This photo of a pair of Little Corellas looks like it could easily be on the cover of a romance novel published specifically for a bird audience.

Birds 191

Birds Pelicans Falcons Parrots 191

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

They may be about bird eggs ( The Most Perfect Thing: The Inside (and Outside) of a Bird’s Egg , 2016), or a 17th-century ornithologist ( Virtuoso by Nature: The Scientific Worlds of Francis Willughby, 2016), or How Bullfinches learn songs from humans ( The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology.

Dissection 229

Dissection Birds Research Europe 229

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2023

The Collared Finchbill is not a rare bird, and it is not endangered, but it is a particular favorite of mine. So, in order to show a few more photos of the bird than the usual two or three had I included this bird in a post of birds seen around Wolongshan, Sichuan), here is one dedicated to the species.

Vegan 186

Vegan Cats Animal Friendly Eggs 186

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

I’ve been fortunate to encounter many owls in my birding life, sometimes because I’m looking for them, sometimes happily by happenstance. It’s also about human-owl interaction on an individual level and a wider sociocultural level, and ultimately how we can use all this for habitat and bird conservation.

Owls 220

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 220

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2023

May is a busy month for birds migrating through Shanghai – and of course, last May was completely missed due to the lockdown. So, I spent a lot of time birding this month, and to keep this post at a manageable length, it mostly only covers the first half of May. The video is notable for the bird basically refusing to move at all.

Birds 130

Birds Raised Cattle Mammals 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2022

An avian butcher at work: Red-backed Shrike ( Lanius collurio ) depicted by Dutch bird illustrator J.G. Keulemans (1842 – 1912) in Onze vogels in huis en tuin (“Our Birds in Home and Garden”). Good birding and happy drinking! Castellare di Castellina: Chianti Classico (2019).

2019 229

2019 Butcher Livestock 2006 229

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2019

This last year of the twenty-teens was a monumental birding year for me. I saw 863 species of birds, bringing my life list to 1,820. I birded Uganda, which was my first time on the continent of Africa. Such travel brings a lot of birds and the 863 species I saw this year is the most species I have ever seen.

2019 141

2019 Barbados Uganda Costa Rica 141

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Forget lions, tigers, and bears – if Internet listicles are to be believed, all of Oz is full of crocodiles, sharks, jellyfish, snakes, spiders – even magpies – that are dead set on killing, maiming, or injuring any humans they encounter. Good birding and happy drinking! Teal Lake Shiraz (2019). Three out of five feathers (Good).

2019 233

2019 Australia Ducks Fowl 233

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2018

Our calendar– the birding calendar –has just shifted into overdrive. In fact, some might argue that, on an international level, this weekend represents one of the zeniths of birding activity and engagement. Last year’s Global Big Day accounted for at least 65% of all the bird species on the planet.

2018 100

2018 Birds Collecting Killing 100

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2014

This week in birding news has it all covered. To wit: As if beach-nesting birds don’t have enough problems , along comes a new scourge: nudists. Disregard what Mary Poppins advises ; in Swansea, UK, feeding the birds will cost you (and a whole lot more than tuppence). Birding in the Bronx? Er, sort of.

San Francisco 182

San Francisco Wisconsin Sanctuary Birds 182

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2013

On a day most seem happy to kill turkeys, few consider whether we should also be killing lions. I’m headed down to NYC for the holidays, while heads upstate and then much further upstate for family and birds. Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding? Birding November weekend'

2013 159

2013 Lions Killing Turkey 159

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

It is near a river, attracting some birds that like to eat wet food. As the national bird of Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the African Fish Eagle is usually very busy whenever it stays in these countries, giving speeches, opening shopping centers, etc. The birds I asked about this pretended not to be related to anyone though.

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Birds South Africa Benin 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2012

After a brutal colonization that included genocidal campaigns against the Herero (80% killed) and Nama (50% killed) tribes, the Germans lost control when South Africa invaded soon after the declaration of the First World War. This family group is performing their loud croaking territorial calls.

Namibia 257

Namibia Angola Lovebirds South Africa 257

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2016

Years ago, I became a wildlife volunteer and advocate because of a cat who caught a bird. Back then, I didn’t know enough about birds, but I knew a lot about cats. I surprised her and she dropped the bird before vaporizing again. They simply helped me with my bird. That was my first trip to California Wildlife Center.

Cats 216

Cats Stray Cat Stray Wildlife Rehabilitation 216

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2022

Another paper on Taiwanese birds found that “the urban Crested Goshawk bred 34 days earlier on average than the rural population with significantly higher nesting success”, concluding that “the urban Crested Goshawk population benefits from high food supply and low predation risk.”

Birds 147

Birds China Eggs Breeding 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2020

I should add that the Big Owls taking over NYC social and even hard print media, dominating conversations with my nonbirder friends and family, are not the only owls in the five boroughs, but like a musical, the closer you are to Broadway, the closer you are to fame and fortune (and maybe even a higher quality rodent for dinner, who knows?).

New York City 194

New York City Birds Owls Fox 194

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

Within 140 ac / 60 ha of Rancho Naturalista’s Reserve, there are 500 bird species – or 55% of the nation’s total! While I already visited Costa Rica once, I do not feel overly-confident with its birds. And Verbena attracts another specialty bird and a regional endemic (from Honduras to Panama), the Snowcap.

Costa Rica 254

Costa Rica Rats Parrots Raccoons 254

10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2016

I asked a group of wildlife rehabilitators: “What are some of the Worst Bird Myths? Had they been able to make the jawbone talk, no doubt its first words would be, “You can’t put a baby bird back in the nest, because the parents will smell your hands and abandon it.”. s and “Kill me now!”s. Feel free to vent!”. s, “Gaaahh!”s

Wildlife Rehabilitation 183

Wildlife Rehabilitation Porcupines Raccoons Birds 183

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2017

I’m on a family trip to Australia at the moment. It’s not a dedicated birding trip, but I’m picking up a few good ones. One surprising bird encounter was with one of Australia’s most iconic birds, the Laughing Kookaburra. My what a large bill for killing reptiles you have. Golf course bird.

Reptiles 101

Reptiles Australia Killing Family 101

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2016

And then, two canids appeared in my scope field of view… My plan was that the downpour should finally be over in the morning, so I could go birding. They are sitting in the wet grass at the edge of the water, observing the bird movements around them. I am thrilled: this is more than just birding, this is a full-scale safari!

Serbia 134

Serbia Sheep Birds Eagles 134

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2015

As for the pseudo-warblers, I’m not actually against them so much, they are after all a family that, while wanting for a name that is descriptive and not derived from a misapplication of European names, are easy to identify and pleasant enough on the eye (with a few exceptions). Baby’s First Bird, if you will.

Africa 175

Africa Feral Ethiopia Tanzania 175

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

It turns out that Australia has no official national bird (but we do have an official gemstone), and this is exactly the type of issue that can unite the fractured nation. Not that there is anything wrong with robins, they are fine birds, even if I prefer Pied Wagtails. This awesome bird actually tried to kill me.

Australia 181

Australia Chickens Birds Seals 181

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2017

The three young men returned to their friends, bragged about their exploits, and showed them trophies: metal banding tags, which members of the Pacific Rim Conservation had carefully placed on the albatrosses’ legs in order to keep track of individual birds. The young men had severed the birds’ legs in order to remove the tags.

Albatross 214

Albatross Honolulu Hawaii Killing 214

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2023

Either way, they are perhaps more central to our stories and lore than other birds, a familiar example, as Darlington reminds us, being Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In the human psyche, owls can be cuddly signs of good luck and benificence (as they are in Japan, and Harry Potter movies) and, at the same time, eerie and unsettling.

Barn Owls 113

Barn Owls Owls Serbia Finland 113

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2022

Not bad given that the 5 families in the inner circle of the laughingthrush family have a combined number of about 68 species. Presumably, in the early days of ornithology, some scientists spent most of their time transcribing bird calls. A beautiful bird though. This post shows some of them. It’s the eyes, I guess.

San Diego 214

San Diego Malaysia China Zoos 214

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Robert Gallardo is well-known to many readers of 10,000 Birds as an outstanding Neotropical nature guide, author, and manager of La Chorcha Lodge. We are talking about the flora and fauna and in particular the birds, whose sole beauty makes them an easy target for some people. And these are just the direct assaults against birds!

Honduras 189

Honduras illegal Parrots Birds 189

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2014

The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume. Karlson, and Brian E.

North America 178

North America America Birds Family 178

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 15, 2019

Or How a Serbian Suave Playboy Promoted Birding the Caribbean. Oh, the joys of slipping through the pages of a new book that has just arrived, the Birds of the West Indies by Kirwan, Levesque, Oberle and Sharpe. Having a tropical maritime climate, birding the West Indies comes with a lot of water, from sea spray to humid forests.

Saint Kitts and Nevis 166

Saint Kitts and Nevis Antigua and Barbuda Dominican Republic Cuba 166

10,000 Birds

APRIL 21, 2014

I spent this past weekend in Saugerties at my folks’ house in order to look for Easter eggs, let Desi enjoy time with his cousins, and generally have a good ol’ time with family. Should you ever find yourself in Saugerties with some time to kill you could do far worse than to visit the Great Vly. Conk-a-ree!!!

New York 175

New York Birds Ducks Blackbirds 175