10,000 Birds

JULY 8, 2015

The house , along with being my home for all that time, was as fine a place to enjoy urban wildlife as any I have ever seen. I had the pleasure of having four yard birds that are globally threatened or near-threatened; the Kaka , Stitchbird , Saddlback and New Zealand Falcon.

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Sanctuary Falcons Wildlife 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2014

It is also known for the 500 exotic species of animals and plants that now call the Sunshine State home. Exotic species are animals that did not historically occur in Florida. One such species is the familiar mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The New Zealand Grey Duck is nearly extinct as species.

Florida 215

Florida Ducks New Zealand Feral 215

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

Just a quick post today to appreciate one of New Zealand’s most attractive birds, the Paradise Shelduck. This is brought about by a visit to Karori Wildlife Sanctuary/Zealandia, where I was able to catch up with the ducklings that I first saw back in the spring. Both, howveer, are attractive birds. The female.

New Zealand 158

New Zealand Sanctuary Suffering Ducks 158

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2011

This makes it a particularly exciting time in New Zealand as the Rugby World Cup begins in two days, and the competition is being held right here in New Zealand (I would imagine they might be more excited if they hadn’t just lost two matches to Australia and South Africa, their big rivals in the Tri-Nations).

New Zealand 157

New Zealand Penguins Sanctuary Birds 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Petrel Paradise Petrel Paradise By Duncan • March 2, 2011 • 4 comments Tweet Share I’ve mentioned before that New Zealand is a great place for enjoying petrels.

New Zealand 176

New Zealand Albatross 2011 Cooking 176

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2018

We were able to find a very nice RV park, just a couple of miles from one of my all time favourite birding hotspots, Billy Frank Jr, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. You might remember, or maybe not, that the last spot I birded, prior to boarding a plane for New Zealand, was Nisqually NWR, in a snow storm, and -5 ° F.

New Zealand 117

New Zealand Seattle Qatar South Africa 117

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

Even people with no other interest in wildlife, who couldn’t tell a sparrow from an ostrich (or even a dolphin from a fish) love dolphins. If you love the idea of swimming with dolphins, New Zealand is a great place to do it. Birding dolphins marine mammals New Zealand endemic' Akaroa Harbour.

Dolphins 157

Dolphins Sharks New Zealand Albatross 157

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2012

I live in New Zealand, and while we have some spectacular birds, we don’t have very many. And I don’t know how or where I might get out of New Zealand this year, so it seemed realistic not to expect to beat anyone. On the same walk I got to thinking about birding in New Zealand in general.

2012 167

2012 New Zealand Birds Albatross 167

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Stalking a Kiwi Icon Stalking a Kiwi Icon By Duncan • March 16, 2011 • 1 comment Tweet Share Most people, if asked, would confidently name what they thought the National Bird of New Zealand was.

New Zealand 149

New Zealand 2011 Deer New York 149

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Long before I moved in New Zealand, or visited or even knew much about the wildlife here, way back then I knew about the Poor Knights. In New Zealand I’d even dived the astonishing Milford Sound in Fiordlands National Park, but I didn’t make it to New Zealand’s most famous dive site until January of 2009.

New Zealand 186

New Zealand Belize Vanuatu Fish 186

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2011

I’m not sure what the collective noun for a group of petrels is, but the vets and wildlife carers of New Zealand might be forgiven for thinking that it might be a wreck after this week. This is the largest species of prion and perhaps the one that best suits the alternative name whalebird.

New Zealand 191

New Zealand Vet Collecting Geese 191

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2014

Not forever mind, I’ll still be living here in New Zealand and carrying on as its beat writer here (I may even write about New Zealand again some time). 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.

Uganda 162

Uganda Sharks Africa New Zealand 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

This refuge came up as #4 on a recent list of the top 25 National Wildlife Refuges that were featured in a great story here by 10000 Birds own Jason Crotty. While most major estuaries in Washington state have been filled, dredged, or developed, Nisqually River’s has been set aside for wildlife.

Fox 134

Fox Washington Geese Sparrows 134

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 28, 2015

While it makes a passing attempt to say not all scientists are like these monstrous fiends (or truly arrogant, as she dubs them) it mostly focuses on these monstrous fiends simply to prove that scientists in wildlife conservation can be monstrous fiends, particularly compared to the environment-loving oil industry of Alaska. Best guess?

Collecting 165

Collecting Papua New Guinea Science Birds 165

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2014

As New Zealand’s beat writer I think I’ve done an okay job of discussing the birding of an entirely different island for most of the year, so it’s only fair that I keep that winning streak going by talking about my target for the trip. It’s a species that has bedeviled and bewitched me over the years.

Sharks 177

Sharks Leopards Whales Whaling 177

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2016

So close to the pole only a handful of bird species can survive, and even so, death toll is very high, hence their populations must be huge (millions). There are 11 species of birds that breed in the Ross Sea region. Finally – the Seabirds. As a consequence, the Ross Sea has one of the highest concentrations of seabirds in the world.

Russia 181

Russia Penguins Whales Whaling 181

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2019

When we returned to Tucson, from the Bahamas, I was approaching a milestone number, 1300 bird species, and drove myself hard, climbing, hiking, searching, and driving all over the state of Arizona looking for those last eight birds. So below is what the year looked, by the numbers: Total Number of Little Big Year Species: 1302.

Costa Rica 138

Costa Rica Tucson South Africa Bahamas 138

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2013

While all the posts I see in the blog (when I can bring myself to read it and let’s face it, that isn’t often at the best of times) are about spring and migrants and birds that are so gauche they actually dress in pink, here in New Zealand we are experiencing the start of winter. Don’t mind me.

New Zealand 160

New Zealand Sanctuary Australia Wildlife 160

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2018

After nearly 8 weeks here in New Zealand, the sun is setting on our visit. The local New Zealand people, across the board have been the most hospitable, welcoming folks I have ever met. Hundreds of thousands of native plants were re-planted, and native and endemic species have been reestablished. 93 New Lifers.

New Zealand 116

New Zealand 2018 Groups Australia 116

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2016

My first ever story for 10,000 Birds was about the wonderful city reserve of Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, here in Wellington, a city that has been my home for 9 years this week. The species has taken over Germany so I imagine it is only a matter of time before it is ubiquitous in England too.

Geese 100

Geese New Zealand Germany Ducks 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2020

December’s numbers looked like this; 10 beats visited 11 countries (Bahrain, New Zealand, USA, UK, Costa Rica, China, Mexico, Australia Nigeria, Uganda and Serbia) during December. They contributed 150 lists accounting for 1032 species and more than 36,000 individual birds. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge–East Pond.

2019 179

2019 Chile Texas Sanctuary 179

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

I’ve been fortunate to see two Penguin species in the wild (African and Galapagos) and have dreamed of seeing more–maybe even all!–especially –especially when reviewing books like A Field Guide to the Wildlife of South Georgia or Far from Land: The Mysterious Lives of Seabirds.

Penguins 278

Penguins Georgia New Zealand Albatross 278

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2012

What I don’t understand is why animal rights organizations almost completely ignore wildlife. Habitat destruction and degradation is far and away the number one reason why wildlife populations are extirpated or go extinct. What’s even more frustrating is when animal rights people learn of plans to cull nonnative species.

Animal Rights Movement 218

Animal Rights Movement Animal Rights Rights Wildlife 218

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

In responding to Suzie’s post defending wildlife rehabilitation I began to think again about the areas in which animal rights and animal welfare overlap with the field of conservation, and the ways in which they don’t. People would often express surprise that I, someone that cared about wildlife conservation, would eat meat.

Animal Rights 267

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 267

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2019

beats have still managed to share 82 checklists and accounted for 737 species. Our two newest contributors have shared from Mexico and China, bringing the countries birded this month (also including; Costa Rica, Greece, Serbia, USA, UK, India, UAE and New Zealand) to 10. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. 02 Jun 2019.

2019 122

2019 Jamaica Eggs Woodpeckers 122

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2011

Here they second only to the kiwi (which are a family as opposed to a single species), and that is because the people here decided for some reason to name themselves after these flightless blind and rather elusive ground birds. (I I guess New Zealanders really like flightless birds.) At any rate Kakapo matter.

New Zealand 189

New Zealand Parrots Sanctuary Family 189

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 21, 2013

I often like to poke fun at how dangerous the wildlife of Australia is, as ever since the giant man-eating Haast’s Eagle went extinct the land life on New Zealand has been mostly harmless. It’s been about 85 million years since New Zealand parted ways with Antarctica and Australia, give or take 20 million years.

New Zealand 170

New Zealand Vanuatu Australia Hawaii 170

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2011

But the sun woke me up early this morning and I took the opportunity to run down to Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (more correctly Zealandia, snerk!) to see how the nice in theory weather was treating the wildlife. Many plants are in flower, particularly the New Zealand flaxes (genus Phormium ).

New Zealand 184

New Zealand Sanctuary Ducks Wildlife 184

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2013

My Easter Weekend plans were up in the air until Tuesday evening, which is hardly the best way to do these things seeing as how Easter in New Zealand is still the tail end of summer (especially this year), and it can be hard to make plans so late. Not a species I have seen myself yet, but it is on my list.

Cooking 140

Cooking New Zealand Albatross Penguins 140

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. You start hearing and catching glimpses of birds as soon as you land, particularly the fast moving Tui.

New Zealand 149

New Zealand 2011 Deer Cats 149

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2020

This shows the top birders, by species or checklists submitted. 12 beats birded 10 countries (Costa Rica, USA, Brazil, China, India, Serbia, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico), submitting 187 lists and spotting 902 birds. Curu Wildlife Reserve. Curu Wildlife Reserve. Curu Wildlife Reserve. 17 Jan 2020.

2020 162

2020 Wildlife Reserve Tigers Wildlife 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2017

Last year they shared over 1200 checklists and managed to achieve a stunning total of 2647 species from 32 countries. Last year’s magnificent total of 2647 species is the target to beat, but other results could prove interesting. 1499 species were seen in the eastern hemisphere in 2016. The year stretches ahead.

2017 100

2017 Australia Sanctuary Woodpeckers 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2022

The latest edition of the Clements Checklist that I could find, last modified in August 2022, lists 965 species (a little more manageable!), including 355 endemics, 28 introduced species, 6 extinct species, and 77 globally threatened species. There are three to four species on each page, for the most part.

Australia 253

Australia Birds 2017 Groups 253

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2019

The engaged and generous beats ( 10 of them) have shared 188 checklists during January and have accounted for 859 species from 8 countries (USA, Australia, Costa Rica, Brazil, Argentina, UK, New Zealand and Serbia. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

2019 113

2019 Australia Jamaica Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2011

Many a birding trip starts with a longish drive from the airport to the first birding site with these common roadside birds being the first taste you get of a country’s wildlife, and I feel that many bird trip reports, interested mostly in mega-rarities, gloss over the amazing experience this first drive can give.

New Zealand 179

New Zealand Birds Thailand Falcons 179

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2019

978 species were tallied this month from 163 checklists. Only 123 species appear on both sides of the life list. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

2019 113

2019 Ghana Australia Woodpeckers 113

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2018

During March, 11 beats shared 122 checklists to accumulate 680 species from 8 countries; USA, Costa Rica, Serbia, India, Australia, New Zealand, UK and Japan. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus. Ulva Island, South Island New Zealand.

2018 100

2018 Australia Los Angeles Albatross 100