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New Research Examines How, and Where, Birds Fly

10,000 Birds

It reports on research that attempted to uncover whether flight originally started as a running leap, or a misdirected fall. Birds seem to have an inborn gift for righting themselves while falling, as evidenced by the way fledgling Chukar Partridges react when dropped. (The The verdict?

Research 187
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Whooper Swans at Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido

10,000 Birds

They are ridiculously unafraid of people there – so the cynic in me suspects that swan meat is not regarded as tasty by the Japanese (another explanation, that the Japanese just like animals too much, can presumably be discarded given the country’s very principled approach in insisting on the right to kill whales).

China 226
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Birding Ruili, Yunnan

10,000 Birds

Ruili is a Chinese city right on the border to Myanmar, and a major border crossing. The proximity to the Myanmar border is reflected in the presence of Burmese Shrikes here – on the wrong side of the border, but it is well known that this species has never been particularly good at geography.

Myanmar 190
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Birding Tanjung Aru Beach, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

10,000 Birds

As the rice paddies near Kota Kinabalu described in an earlier post , Tanjung Aru beach is not really a major birding spot in its own right. Even better, just a few meters away from the food vendors, it is not too crowded, and the palm trees attract a number of birds, including two species of parrots. Or US$ 8 for the pair below.

Malaysia 254
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A Guide to Some Possible Bird Species Splits in Costa Rica

10,000 Birds

These and several other species might end up being armchair ticks if and when we take a closer look at their evolutionary history. Taxa that could end up being split into one species occurring north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and one south of the isthmus. (2). Two subspecies of the same species that differ within Costa Rica. (4).

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Spotting My Florida Birds on their Maine Breeding Grounds

10,000 Birds

Surrounded by native plants and at the edge of the woods, her feeders were always hotspots for interesting migratory and wintering species. On this particular day, I wanted to see one species and one species only: the Purple Finch. I never expected another opportunity to see a Purple Finch in 2021.

Florida 264
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Birding Shanghai in March 2024

10,000 Birds

Any place that used to be good for an interesting species last year is likely to have been turned into another construction site this year. I don’t think many other bird species are named after Japanese citizens. Also, there are quite some variations within each species – for details, see here. One, a Ryukyu Minivet.

Chicago 149