10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2024

Tucked away at the extreme eastern end of the Mediterranean, Cyprus is regarded politically as part of Europe, but when it comes to birds it’s very much Middle Eastern in flavour, with a number of species that are hard or even impossible to find in Europe, plus a trio of endemics. It was strange to hear it here in Cyprus.

Cyprus 230

Cyprus Breeders Falcons Hunters 230

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

The Collins Bird Guide covers Europe, North Atlantic islands, much of North Africa and the Middle East. There was one odd reprint in 2018, when the Subalpine Warbler was split into the Eastern and Western species, but the changes in the guide weren’t sufficient to call it a 3rd edition, so it remained the updated reprint of the 2nd edition.

Europe 261

Europe Birds Woodpeckers Ireland 261

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2016

I want to alert you to a recent study (from April) that looks at the plight of bird populations under conditions of climate change in Europe and North America. The study looked at common birds, and used data divided by either state (in the US) or country (in Europe). Stephens et al. Let’s look at that first.

North America 122

North America Europe America United States 122

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2015

Furthermore, another redpoll species found in Europe—the Lesser Redpoll—also had extremely similar DNA sequences. In nature, one of the key differentiators among distinct species is assortative mating , that is, members of a group breeding with each other more often than they breed with members of another group.

Species 223

Species Switzerland Groups Europe 223

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2023

The voices are different however and one can distinguish between the two species through their vocalisations. Very occasionally though, one might stray down the eastern seaboard of the USA, but for the most part, those that breed in arctic Canada migrate towards Europe and swell numbers there during the winter.

Iceland 228

Iceland Stray Breeders Canada 228

10,000 Birds

MAY 18, 2024

I finally managed to obtain some acceptable photos of this species, which I did not manage on my last visit. The favourite part of this species for me (apart from its song) is the neat white “V” on the back of the head when the bird looks away from you (only slightly visible on the photo below).

Birds 199

Birds Germany Parrots Europe 199

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

With more than 312 so far recorded bird species, Lake Kerkini National Park offers great birding year-round. In spring, a huge heronry of 10 species (including Spoonbill , Glossy Ibis , Squacco , Purple , and Night Heron , Pygmy Cormorant , etc.) Kerkini is one of the most important wintering areas throughout Europe.

Greece 264

Greece Wildlife Boars Otters 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2023

Lake Kerkini National Park in the north of Greece is the very best birding area in the Balkan Peninsula and definitely among the top ten hotspots of Europe. Some 320 species have been recorded here, and in springtime it is possible to observe more than 150 bird species in a week. The lake lies at a mere 35 m / 115 ft a.s.l.

Greece 239

Greece Pelicans Birds Stray Dog 239

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2024

Given how far Hokkaido is from Europe, it seems a bit surprising how many bird species wintering on this Japanese island have a name starting with “Eurasian” Or how many of these species I have also seen in my parents’ garden in Germany. It seems extra-pair paternity is very frequent in this species.

Research 187

Research Germany Iran Humane 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2024

Black-tailed godwits winter in large numbers on the estuaries of both Norfolk and Suffolk, and we know that nearly all these birds breed in Iceland. They are of the race islandica , a sub species of the nominate race, limosa. In breeding plumage islandica godwits develop a deeper red plumage than their limosa cousins.

Lithuania 130

Lithuania Iceland Morocco Ireland 130

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2023

Last year, in November, I notched up a dozen species of butterflies, an impressive total anywhere in Europe so late in the year. The Dalmatian Pelicans have a special relationship with Kerkini’s fishermen Dalmatian Pelican reflections Kerkini’s Dalmatian Pelicans lure photographers from all over Europe.

Greece 224

Greece Pelicans Geese Buffalo 224

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

With 500 pages, this guide is a bit on the heavy side, but still not too much, having in mind that half of the region falls into the tropics and the edition is dealing with almost a thousand species (989 to be exact). Distribution maps show the relative abundance of a species in the region and also indicate resident or visiting status.

Africa 264

Africa South Africa Swaziland Lesotho 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2019

The toughest thing for me, as a local birder, was to choose the most attractive birds because those that attract my attention are generally all too common in the northwest of Europe, from where most visiting birders are coming. Cranes breed in very small numbers in UK but are always impressive en masse. Hence, I asked my friend B.C.,

Serbia 250

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Breeding 250

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

It was also great to finally travel overseas again, meet a lot of people I did not know (and some I did), to be in a new country… and not just the new country, but its best birding area, where almost all local hotspots are yellow (150+ species) and several are ochre (200+ sp.), impressive for Central Europe.

Austria 298

Austria Factory Asia Battery 298

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2020

And I am in the southeast of Europe. This is an uncommon species here – only about a dozen birds overwinter in the country annually. published in the US as “Birds of Europe”), shows only a male in breeding plumage. Oh, who’d go back home now? My favourite poplar tree. mi2 of the Danube backwaters in Belgrade, Serbia.

Serbia 282

Serbia Birds Ducks Cyprus 282

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

As soon as I looked at it more closely it was quite clear that it wasn’t a scaup of any species, despite its resemblance to a North American Lesser Scaup. I hadn’t considered the possible parentage more than the two probable species involved, but intriguingly a Pochard drake x Tufted duck looks quite different.

Geese 203

Geese Ducks Falcons Latvia 203

10,000 Birds

MAY 21, 2020

It can still be an entirely opposite end of a continent, but – if you are residing in Europe – the flight can be as short as one (from Germany) to two hours (from UK). I am talking of the very heart of the Balkans and the final birding frontier of Europe: Serbia. Serbia – the big picture. Birding overview. Top-5 hotspots.

Serbia 317

Serbia Sanctuary Birds Bosnia 317

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

There are not, as far as I know, any plans to re-name the Montagu’s Harrier, a bird that’s now a real rarity in the UK that only occasionally breeds here. North America has far more birds named after people than we do in Europe, where’s there is only around 50, and most of those are scarce or restricted in range.

Falcons 234

Falcons Collecting 2003 Wounded 234

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2023

Such programs are somewhat inefficient anyway – in one study , the breeding success of wild male pheasants was 2-5 times higher than for hand-reared and released ones while for females, hand-reared birds were 3 times as vulnerable to predation as the wild ones. Apparently, there is a website just showing stamps depicting bird species.

Birds 212

Birds Blackbirds Indonesia Bhutan 212

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2020

Black-bellied Plover: Known as Grey Plover in Europe and Asia. Eurasian Oystercatcher: Not all of them are breeding at Claire`s beach in Australia. Grey-tailed Tattler: I already made fun of this poor species in my last post. Cuckoo species (Common?): Point for American birders, I am afraid. Proof that there is no god?

China 287

China Birds Fish Asia 287

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2015

Add more than 350 pairs of White Pelicans to that picture, numerous herons and up to 700 pairs of Pygmy Cormorants breeding in the same reedbeds (cover photo)… It must be bursting with activity in spring, but I was there in mid-September. In all that swirling of swallows, I am not certain was there a third species, so I keep watching.

Greece 252

Greece Pelicans Geese Breeding 252

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Presuming that you live somewhere in Europe and plan a car trip to Greece, let me suggest a couple of routes that will increase your tour list. Other species of interest include the southernmost breeding population of Greylag Goose in Europe, Goosander (at bigger and deeper Megali Prespa), Hazel Grouse (at Mt.

Greece 178

Greece Albania Macedonia Europe 178

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2019

And here in Europe, they are the real deal, an indigenous species and not domesticated animals gone wild. These handsome finches breed in the far north of Europe and come here for the winter only. Annex II of the Bern Convention lists 45 of Beljarica’s bird species, with a further 91 species in Annex III.

Serbia 246

Serbia Otters Boars Eagles 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2020

Chamois is an agile goat-antelope with short hooked horns, found in mountainous areas of Europe from Spain to the Caucasus. There are more than 1100 plant species, the most valuable being the 76 endemics. Other species include Roe Deer (also spotted), Wildcat , European Pine Marten and Otter.

Serbia 264

Serbia Bears Birds Mammals 264

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 live in the southeast of Europe, for a while lived in the south of Africa and also have extensively birded western and central India. I am talking 600 or 700+ bird species.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

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 247

Greece Bulgaria Birds Serbia 247

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2015

You see, the Great (White) Heron/Egret is a polytypic species with four subspecies: alba in Europe, egretta in the Americas, melanorhynchos in Africa, and modesta in Asia and Oceania. The Intermediate Egret – by the way – now resides in isolation within its own genus Mesophoyx. Just so you know.

Asia 185

Asia Europe Germany Breeding 185

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 17, 2013

While it might fall within the autumn migration, if you are in the south of Europe, it isn’t in full swing. Barn Swallows and Sand and House Martins left us in September, together with most heron species. This timing suites Britain and Netherlands well, I suppose, but Europe is somewhat larger than that.). We met at 10.00

Serbia 235

Serbia Europe Netherlands Eagles 235

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2015

In its natural old-world range, the House Sparrow offers an interesting identification challenge and has vagrant potential since it is a polytypic species with a highly complex taxonomy. The genus Passer has several well-recognized and recognizable species in Europe, and still holds several enigmas.

Sparrows 228

Sparrows Italy Asia Austria 228

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

To prove that point, this short series here will bring you plenty of pictures of three species which were formerly thought to be just one, the Herring Gull , with its former members Steppe Gull and Yellow-legged Gull. I’ll start with the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis.

Europe 130

Europe Spain Italy Ireland 130

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2015

This is my first visit to this area, known as the Madz Brod, where two new breeding species for the country were discovered a decade ago. They are common winter visitors, but this is my first observation of them in the breeding season. Madz Brod by Slobodan Puzovic. Still, it’s a new bird for my country list. We wait again.

Europe 249

Europe Serbia Russia Breeding 249

10,000 Birds

JUNE 13, 2013

Serbia holds 13 per cent of the European breeding population of this “electrified” species which is not only Endangered in Europe but also listed as Globally Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Conservation Europe falcons Serbia' We were searching for the territories of Saker Falcons.

Falcons 235

Falcons Serbia 2007 Europe 235

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2022

Iron Gates, after the ancient Roman name for the gorge, Porta Ferrea) National Park lies in the north-eastern Serbia, where the Danube has incised the longest gorge of Europe, extending for over 100 kilometre (62 mi), stretching from the medieval Golubac Fortress to the Roman castrum Diana. Other species include Grey Wagtail and Marsh Tit.

Serbia 254

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Romania 254

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

He blogs at The Nightjar – The tales of an Upstate New York Birder and otherwise stays busy being an eBird reviewer, taking care of his kids, and, recently, planning a trip to Europe where he hopes to see lots of new birds. Other species have certainly expanded their ranges, but never in such a rapid and global scale.

Cattle 170

Cattle South Korea Suriname Seychelles 170

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2015

Birds included common species such as Black Drongos , Jungle Babblers and a Hoopoe. During the Pleistocene, Dholes were found across the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe and North America, sharing their space with sabre-toothed cats. These days, the species shares habitats with Tigers, Snow Leopard, Bears, etc.

Tigers 246

Tigers Dogs India Snow Leopard 246

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2014

Defining Belgrade bird specialties is the hard part – there is no defined criterion, beside attractiveness which often comes from how uncommon some species is. E.g., a few weeks ago I guided a British couple around Belgrade, visited about four major sites and found more than 60 species. Black Stork – spring/summer.

Serbia 185

Serbia Eagles Birds Sparrows 185

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2018

to the Rocky Mountains and beyond, Alaska, throughout the Caribbean, and in seven countries in Europe. Of the 300 hummingbird species across the globe, North America only sees fewer than two dozen of them. Then, I learned that over 400 species of birds have been identified in and around these islands.

Texas 188

Texas North America Alaska America 188