10,000 Birds

JUNE 30, 2022

In addition, it has over 450 bird species and more than 30 in-country endemics, of which it is possible to see every single species! Those large international agencies use reputable local ground agents, and in my experience this creates a safety cocoon around the travellers. Where to look for the birds?

Sri Lanka 147

Sri Lanka Ghana Uganda Eagles 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Myers, a professional birding guide in “real life,” summarizes the etymology and history of all common bird names (of bird families and groups, not all 10,000-plus species). The guide covers 265 of Maine’s 461 bird species: common nesting species, common migrants, and wintering birds.

Sri Lanka 240

Sri Lanka Malaysia Birds Suriname 240

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 used to live in Botswana, where there are about 450 bird species in an area a few dozen miles from the capital; then somewhat naively moved back to Serbia with mere 250 species around the capital.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

My third trip was six months spend working on a monkey project in the jungles of Uganda. This time I’ll be working with Wildlife ACT in Zululand, helping that NGO monitor wildlife in a range of reserves and parks in the east of South Africa. Volunteering provides a very different experience to tourism though.

Uganda 162

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 162

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2013

So, this one’s for free, if you have ever wanted to see an African Finfoot, go to Lake Mburu in Uganda. This species was common as muck at Mweya, a safari lodge in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park. There is a lot of wildlife around the lodge. Birding Uganda Weaver Birds Weavers' Local common.

Uganda 150

Uganda Congo Birds Africa 150

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2011

Approximately 2,300 bird species inhabit Africa, however as impressive as that sounds, much smaller South America boasts nearly 1,000 species more. Madagascar’s mammals are equally remarkable; over 100 species of endearing lemurs and bizarre carnivores amongst them!

Papua New Guinea 231

Papua New Guinea Madagascar Africa Equatorial Guinea 231

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Thankfully the days of visiting Africa purely for slaughtering its wildlife have mostly come to a merciful end, and safari operators have adopted the Big Five term to market tours that offer sightings of the fortunate remanants of Africa’s once teeming great herds.

Buffalo 213

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 213

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

But a a package, if I had to rate the best places I’ve ever been birding, the only place I can think that comes close is Mweya, in Uganda, or maybe Tikal, in Guatemala. That’s a threatened habitat, and one much sought after by wildlife enthusiasts. I’ll admit that, on the first day, the birds didn’t impress.

Lemurs 159

Lemurs Family Rhinoceros Fish 159

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

Like Kapiti the island is an offshore refuge for many species extinct on the mainland, with a lot of the work being done by the voluntary Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi. One species I really hoped to find on the trip was the Kokako. Fish & Wildlife comes in response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity.

New Zealand 149

New Zealand 2011 Deer Cats 149