10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

I’m sure many of you have had similar experiences. Jennifer Ackerman points out in the introduction to What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds , that we don’t know much, but that very soon we may know a lot more. But what do we know beyond these commonly seen and heard behaviors?

Owls 220

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 220

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2011

Rufous Hummingbirds have a well-earned reputation for getting lost — they breed along the west coast but turn up in New York in fall and winter pretty regularly — and an equally well-earned reputation for hardiness, as they breed farther north than any other hummingbird species, into Alaska.

South America 157

South America New York Alaska America 157

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2012

Though birds sing because it is a biological imperative I find it hard to believe that they don’t get some basic enjoyment out of the experience as well. For example, the Brown Thrasher at right is one of several singing from the bushes and trees around the West Pond at Jamica Bay Wildlife Refuge. I know I do!

New York City 180

New York City Birds New York Experience 180

10,000 Birds

JULY 1, 2011

The first time I saw a Western Tanager , it was in New York. Moreover, at the time I had no inkling that I’d be moving to Montana in two and a half years – in fact, it would be nearly a year before I decided to go to grad school and entertained the notion of leaving New York at all.

New York 168

New York Montana Breeding Fish 168

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

This cruel, cruel fate we endure in western New York torments man and beast alike. Corey encountered a bunch of winners, but 24 Common Redpolls at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, in almost the exact same spot he saw them a couple of years ago, feeding on birch inflorescence by the East Pond, were easily his best birds of the weekend.

2011 155

2011 New York Deer Birds 155

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2011

What events transpire miles away that make a certain destination attractive to birds and wildlife in one way or another? This is an endemic breeding bird in North America and much is now being done by various federal and non-profit groups to ensure and foster its conservation. Wicked, right? Hat-tip to Stella.

Florida 196

Florida South Africa 2011 Africa 196

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2018

New York City apartments don’t allow feeders to be hung from fire escapes (though I know certain birders that skirt that rule), and it wasn’t until I had already been birding for four-and-a-half years that I obtained a small yard in central New Jersey in which I could place a feeder or two or three. I came late to bird feeding.

Birds 179

Birds New York City Squirrels New York 179

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2011

As part of the Wildlife Conservation Society Birds of Brazil giveaway we asked readers of 10,000 Birds to name the bird in Brazil that they would like to see more than any other species. Not to mention, its brilliantly bulbous crimson throat, bloated during breeding season must be a sight! Get yours today!

Brazil 212

Brazil 2011 Birds Wildlife 212

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2013

The story of the cahow, a “Lazurus species” that was thought to be extinct for over 300 years and then discovered to be breeding on a tiny remote island in Bermuda, is part of modern birding legend. But, it’s a new story to me, one that reads like a fairy tale. These are magical experiences.

Birds 170

Birds Rats Breeding 2012 170

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

I got to see a beautiful female and owlet on a trip to a secret nest location near Howard Prairie Lake (human-made nest structures have enhanced local breeding for these huge owls whose nest success is boosted to 83% on artificial platforms vs. 66% at natural sites). The experience, the place, and the bird combine to make this my BBOTY.

2014 194

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 194

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Brown Pelicans , and the northernmost Brown Booby breeding colony on this side of the Pacific. Ringer Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae) Black-and-white gannets breed on the cold, rocky coasts of the northern and southern oceans. Though it is certainly bad news that the U.S. Corey Mar 12th, 2011 at 8:29 pm Now wait just one second.

2011 154

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

Informed literature bears out my experience that most birds are seen singly or in pairs. Outside of the breeding season a few birds may join together in a loose flock if the feeding is good. Though it is certainly bad news that the U.S. The former British colony’s Z.c. RECENT POSTS More Habitat for Snowy Plover?

2011 188

2011 Deer India New York 188