10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 28, 2013
'Wake up buzz at 5.30 am, breakfast at 6 (toast – who can eat at that ungodly hour?) and at 6.30 we’re already in an open 4×4 heading for the salt pans of the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, India. With 5000 square kilometres, that “little” is far from small – it should be taken more as a “lesser”, compared to the Great Rann of Kutch. Winter mornings are pretty cold, even without the wind-chill effect of an open Maruti Gypsy.
4 The Love Of Animals
NOVEMBER 21, 2013
'Have you ever wondered if an NFL player could out run a cheetah? Get your tailgating gear together, place your bets, and tune in to Big Cat Week on Nat Geo WILD to find out the answer to that question! During the 4th annual Big Cat Week viewers will be delighted and amazed by nature’s Biggest and Baddest Cats! There are also specials with entertainment’s Biggest names including NFL Superstars, the Best Big Cat Filmmakers in the World … oh, and there might also be a little bit of Betty White too
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Animal Ethics
NOVEMBER 28, 2013
'I began this blog 10 years ago today. The time has gone fast. Although I rarely post anything substantive, I did so for many years, so the blog still serves a useful purpose. Here are the posts from November 2003. On the first day of each month, from now on, I will link to the posts for that month 10 years earlier. I hope you enjoy the flashback.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 14, 2013
'Grey Hypocolius is a Holy Grail of Middle Eastern birding. Not because it is rare – it isn’t, just widely scattered and ill-numbered. Or because it is endangered – it isn’t. Part of its attraction lies in it being a monotypic bird in the family Hypocoliidae – there are no other bird species in its genus and family. The other part of its attractiveness may be coming from the fact that it breeds in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan – countries seldom visited by foreign birders.
Speaker: Steve Romanco
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 6, 2013
'How does that sound for a headline? This is totally doable! After all, California Audubon’s site states that “This is a conservation award. We’re particularly interested in recognizing bird species that were of significant conservation interest in 2013, but that also had a compelling story and rallied the public around it.” The Western Burrowing Owl ( Athene cunicularia ) has had a compelling story and rallied the public around it for at least the last fifteen years as i
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 25, 2013
'Around about the middle of last week there were various and sundry birders from the great state of New York spending a seemingly inordinate amount of time paying attention to the weekend weather forecasts, particularly those that pertained to the marine forecast. You see, Saturday, 23 November, was the day chosen by Paul Guris of Sea Life Paulagics for a pelagic trip out of New York.
Animal Rights Zone brings together the best content for animal advocates and activists from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 7, 2013
'Let’s address, up front, the funny name. We get it. If those 16th Century Spanish sailors knew the kind of grief with which they’d be saddling this remarkable group of birds for all time, perhaps they would have had something resembling empathy for those who will be forced to live with the ramifications of their irreverence. But sailors are notoriously unconcerned with decorum no matter what era from which they come.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 5, 2013
'Author Sherrida Woodley thinks deeply about dearly departed birds. She’s contemplated California Condors here before, but Passenger Pigeons seem to resonate most with her. The extinct American pigeon plays a pivotal role in her award-winning bio-thriller, Quick Fall of Light and occupies Sherri still, as you can see… . Every now and then I let myself fantasize about the wildest thought of all—about Passenger Pigeons.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 5, 2013
'There were three profound questions my birding group discussed while we birded Trinidad and Tobago, back in December 2012: (1) How many Bananaquits could fit on a banana? (2) Which hummingbird was more beautiful—Tufted Coquette or Ruby-topaz Hummingbird? (3) What was the best guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago? The first two questions were never definitely answered.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 15, 2013
'In case you were wondering, it’s difficult to type when your hands are clenched in the shape of a man’s neck. Check out the beautiful white Red-tailed Hawk in the photo above. If she an albino or leucistic? True albinos are unable to produce the skin pigment melanin, although they can produce other skin pigments which can give feathers or skin a pale yellow color.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 19, 2013
'Migration Shift Cause Better Understood. Birds have been migrating earlier. The mechanism by which this is happening in at least some species of birds is very interesting. If you know a lot about birds, this might be entirely expected. I’d love to know if you think this is surprising. First, climate change is the ultimate cause. The breeding season is longer, starts earlier.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 1, 2013
'This story comes from Melissa Gillmer, a zookeeper and wildlife rehabilitator at the Bear Mountain Zoo. The zoo is part of Bear Mountain State Park , a glorious expanse of mountainous land on the west side of the Hudson River in New York. When Melissa’s sister Danielle wanted to do some volunteer work at the zoo, Melissa decided to put her to work cleaning out the Black Bear den.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
'Welcome to day six of the “ Crossley Britain and Ireland Blog Tour ,” otherwise known as the American stop. You can check out the previous stop on the tour at The Biggest Twitch or you can check out the next stop on the tour at Mark Avery. There is another fantastic book in the line-up of Crossley ID Guides – and you can win a copy here on 10,000 Birds !
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 29, 2013
'Rough-legged Hawks (or Buzzards ) don’t seem to generate much excitement here in northern North America. I suppose I know the reasons why — they’re common enough, and show up every year instead of in spectacular irruptions, and most birders probably associate them with wind-burn and frostbite and long, frustrating stares across snow-covered fields.
Advertisement
Navigated 360° tours, like YourVRTours, advance pipelines by engaging clients further along the sales funnel. These immersive experiences provide comprehensive property insights, increasing buyer intent and readiness. By embracing navigated tours, agents can optimize property exposure, better qualify leads, and streamline the sales process. Stay ahead in the ever-evolving real estate landscape with innovative technology that elevates buyer journeys and progresses pipelines more effectively.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 24, 2013
'Photo of a Golden Eagle at a Wyoming wind farm by Dina Cappiello/Associated Press. In what is apparently the first case of its kind, a U.S. wind-energy company has admitted that its farms have killed birds, and has settled with prosecutors. The case involved the deaths of more than 150 birds, including 14 eagles, at two plants in Wyoming between 2009 and 2013.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 11, 2013
'It is extremely unusual that we birders can still walk the East Pond of Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in November. By now water levels should be high and the pond should be full as ducks, both dabbling and diving, are making their way south from cooler climes. But this autumn has been seriously lacking in the precipitation department, which means that water levels have not risen much from the summer months, when the water level is lowered to provide edge habitat for shorebirds and the birders tha
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 20, 2013
'Panoramic view of Alto Nieva Reserve. Woah! They got it on a feeder!!! That was my reaction when I saw a photo of a male Royal Sunangel on a bird feeder. This is really rewarding news for Carlos Calle and Ciro Joel Alegria, who started “Fundo Alto Nieva”, a small reserve in the core of Abra Patricia; one of loveliest parts of the Peruvian Andes. Abra Patricia is one of Birdlife International’s Important Bird Areas for many reasons.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 23, 2013
'Sorting through flocks of fall sparrows is fun and can be rewarding. You never know what might be hiding amid the hordes of White-throated Sparrows , Dark-eyed Juncos , and Song Sparrows. Here in the eastern United States you might find a “good” sparrow, like a White-crowned Sparrow or a Vesper Sparrow , a “rare-but-regular” like a Clay-colored Sparrow or a Lark Sparrow , or, if you are extremely lucky, a real rarity like a Brewer’s Sparrow or a Harris’s Spar
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 22, 2013
'I forgot to set my TiVo! I have to admit that I feel like Duck Dynasty is a tremendous missed opportunity. Oh, not in terms of the characters or storylines — my opinions about those are not entirely germane to this site. In terms of the title. With Dallas and Dark Shadows getting reboots, and whatever this is existing, why shouldn’t one of our seemingly infinite cable channels take a flyer on a soapy show featuring the lives and loves of the Anatidae?
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 6, 2013
'A friend of mine, who is preparing for a birding trip to the Amazon Rainforest, called me to tell me he is about to give up on the Ovenbirds; particularly the foliage gleaners. Almost shouting, he exclaimed: “Talk about brown jobs. They actually come in 50 shades of brown – get it? – and their names don’t help! What separates a Rufous-tailed Foliage-gleaner from a Rufous-rumped ?
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 26, 2013
'William L. Dawson was an unparalleled wordsmith when it came to birds. Many have sung songs of adulation and worship for him…I say we are right to do so. If I had the power, I would see him rise from the dead to go birding with me all the time, simply for company and to give a running narration of the birds we see. It would be a deeply enriching experience.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 10, 2013
'Oh to be in Texas admiring the celebrity bird du jour , an incredibly unexpected Amazon Kingfisher ! Amazing encounters occur when amazing birders visit amazing places, but serendipitous sightings increase exponentially when so many amazing birders gather for an amazing birding festival. Congratulations to our buddy Jeff Bouton for bringing unexpected joy and a new ABA tick to so many happy birders and congrats as well to our friends at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival , one of the most e
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 4, 2013
'While at Jones Beach State Park on Saturday, co-leading the digiscoping field trip (with Clay Taylor from Swarovski Optik ), I had a couple of experiences that made me wonder exactly how it is that birders find birds. Why, when a group of birders stare through a scope at the same flock of birds, does one birder find the different bird before the other birders?
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 19, 2013
'If this Red-tailed Hawk was wearing a T-shirt, it might say, “I’d rather be hunting nuisance birds.” Garrulous gulls and stealing starlings, beware: the falcons are coming. (No, not those Falcons from Atlanta. They’re pretty harmless this year.). To rid themselves of birds that are often perceived as nuisances, some landfills, vineyards, and other operations have begun to turn to raptors.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 27, 2013
'A European Starling in New Zealand made the news this week. This particular species is not native to New Zealand (similar to its status in North America). The woman in the video found it as a chick at a few days old and hand reared it. The bird is now bonded to humans and an ambassador to her class and the bird has quite the vocabular y. In areas where starlings are introduced, the laws for keeping them as pets are relaxed.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 12, 2013
'A birder’s patch is an extension of themselves. It says something about who they want to be, what they want to see regularly, how seriously they take this birding hobby. For a birder, finding a patch is akin to finding a part of their soul. It is the closest thing many of us get to accomplishing the true hero’s journey. It is the most important thing you can possible do while carrying binoculars.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 20, 2013
'Kathi Borgmann and Josh Beck are living the dream of many a North American birder. They packed up in June of 2013 and headed south from San Diego with the southern tip of South America as their destination. Like so many trips this one is more about the journey than the destination which brings us to why they have a guest post (hopefully the first of several) on 10,000 Birds.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 30, 2013
'Long-tailed Duck is one of my favorite birds that we see on the Christmas Bird Count. For some reason, probably related to my having been exhausted after spending the entire day birding for the Queens County Christmas Bird Count, last year, after our compilation dinner, I agreed to be the compiler for the count starting this year. Participating in a Christmas Bird Count is tiring but essentially simple.
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 14, 2013
'Imagine waking up to this sunrise and then encountering a megararity… that’s how Sharon rolls in the Rio Grande Valley. When frost is on the vine and days grow short, some of us dream of sun-kissed beaches, sultry rainforests, and exotic avifauna. The rest of you can have winter finches and intermediate gulls: give me trogons, toucans, and turacos (but not all at once!
10,000 Birds
NOVEMBER 13, 2013
'I’ve stated in the past that I thought that the Pukeko, or Purple Swamphen, is New Zealand’s most iconic bird after the kiwi. On further reflection, there is perhaps another contender, the Tui. Tui are large members of the honeyeater family, one of two species found in New Zealand. They are interesting for a number of reasons, like their range, which stretches from the sub-tropical Kermadec Islands to the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands, along with pretty much every place in New Zea
Expert insights. Personalized for you.
236 
Let's personalize your content