10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2022

At this moment, Baihualing is the eBird hotspot in China which has by far the largest number of species – 486. With 398 species, Nanhui is trailing far behind despite being covered by a much larger number of checklists (2225 compared to 608). But that is science in hierarchical institutions).

Litter 221

Litter China Species Abandon 221

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

I tried to get a better idea of what exactly the definition of cuckoo-dove is but am still not very clear about it – Wikipedia only offers the rather formal definition “any of several species of bird in the genera Macropygia , Reinwardtoena, and Turacoena of the pigeon family.”

Birds 147

Birds Geese Fish Industry 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2022

Gisela Kaplan has written a book about the species, and how they seem unperturbed by humans: “It’s one of their most successful defense strategies. ” The Australasian Swamphen used to think of itself as a subspecies of the Purple Swamphen but then started a self-improvement program and ended up as a full species.

Birds 236

Birds Australia Ducks Mountain Goats 236

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2011

This has happened before, Archaeopteryx and the bird family tree have had an often tenuous relationship. But it is utterly bewildering to me to see news reports about this recent science that read “… An icon knocked from its perch&# or “Archaeopteryx no longer first bird.&# But they were definitely not birds.

Mammals 253

Mammals Europe Groups Family 253

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2011

Large areas of the islands are taken over as the breeding grounds of the Western Gull , a large bird that is without question the most ornery member of the family I have ever encountered. And it isn’t just on the ground or an occasional accidental hazard. well pretty much roll around in the stuff.

Breeding 184

Breeding Stray Seals Whales 184

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2011

Even if you don’t live in the summer range of a particular species, you may have opportunities to observe it while it passes through, especailly if you live in an active flyway, like I happen to. Itcher birds, migratory members of the tern family. The birds do the flying for you. Specifically, Itcher Tern. Image source.

Research 197

Research Humane Compassion New York 197

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2015

During my previous five trips to Indonesia, I only heard but never caught a glimpse of three species. Now my tally stands at four species seen and a fifth heard-only. The African or Angola Pitta is the holy grail of the Southern African birder and definitely the “most-wanted” bird in our region. This is so unfair.

2015 187

2015 Costa Rica Birds Sparrows 187

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2018

So many species that change eye color or leg color as they age. This encyclopedic identification guide covered 43 species in 608 pages, and was illustrated with both Hans Larsson’s exceptional artwork and color photographs by multiple photographers. Describing gull plumage is a combination of science, graphic art, and visual metaphor.

2004 156

2004 North America America Europe 156

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2022

With an obvious hint of disapproval, the HBW remarks that for this species, the “nest [is] a small or bulky but always untidy pad” I suspect the author of these lines lives with teenage children and uses the description of the magpie-robin to vent some frustration with them. But it is all for science, I hear them say.

Birds 147

Birds China Eggs Breeding 147