10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2023

One paper describes them living in the cemeteries of Yogyakarta in Indonesia. Ironically (and personally, given that I am not particularly fond of the human race, also deservedly) this may help the spread of diseases carried by birds, such as avian influenza ( source ).

Birds 222

Birds Blackbirds Indonesia Bhutan 222

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2023

I visited Tengchong in late 2020 and wrote about it – but I also went there earlier, in 2017, and this post shows some photos I took during that trip, along with the usual comments that seem to be much more about ridiculing my fellow humans (especially ornithologists and the like) than providing useful information on birds.

China 203

China 2017 Birds Indonesia 203

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

The archipelago consists of 17,000 islands stretching out over 2500 miles along the Equator with a varied history of avian research and study, most on the under- or not-studied side. So–the book covers islands that belong to the Republic of Indonesia and to Malaysia. So, this is no ordinary bird guide. Does it make a difference?

Indonesia 142

Indonesia Brunei Birds Malaysia 142

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2022

The falcon breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China but winters in Southern and East Africa. Apparently, soloensis stands for “Discovered in or native to the Solo River valley” (Wikipedia; the Solo river is a river in Indonesia). Still as impressed as before?

Falcons 259

Falcons Japan China South Africa 259

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2023

The Grey-backed Shrike apparently prefers locations close to human settlements – not because humans are particularly nice (we are not), but “because these habitats offer a better foraging substrate and places safe from large predators” ( source ). I think I pointed out in previous posts that mammals are kind of evil.

Hamburgers 232

Hamburgers Birds Science China 232

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2023

While the conclusion seems fairly established now, the paper still puts it in the usual wordy and careful statement: “The shorter minimum stopover duration of both species in spring may indicate a faster migration than in autumn, suggesting a time-minimizing strategy in spring to reach the breeding grounds as fast as possible.”

Monkeys 147

Monkeys Birds South Korea Owls 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2022

Given the complexity of the research, the result feels like a bit of a letdown – “northern populations start migration earlier than southern populations, especially in autumn” The species name of the Chestnut-eared Bunting is fucata , from the Latin “fucare”, to paint red. No wonder no species are named after me.

Birds 233

Birds Eggs Bangladesh China 233