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What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

Jennifer Ackerman points out in the introduction to What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds , that we don’t know much, but that very soon we may know a lot more. What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds is a joyous, fascinating read.

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The Eurasian Woodcock

10,000 Birds

While there are 8 species of woodcocks worldwide, only two – the American and the Eurasian ones – are widespread. Shanghai is just at the Northern edge of the species’ wintering range, so the birds shown here may stay for the winter or move further south. Eurasian Woodcock with unhappy earthworms.

Italy 173
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Adventures of a Louisiana Birder: One Year, Two Wings, Three Hundred Species–A Book Review

10,000 Birds

Chapter Two is a potpourri of stories about nemesis birds, birding by ear, birding for science, under the rubric of birding ‘for the love of it.’ Adventures of a Louisiana Birder: One Year, Two Wings, Three Hundred Species. ’ What was left to write about? ’ “Is this going to be a collection of essays?”

Louisiana 264
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Bird Science and Evolution: 2013 Year In Review

10,000 Birds

Many, many things happened in the area of bird science this year, so this review can not be comprehensive. But I’ve compiled a sampling of this year’s news and events for your edification. 08–20 Many bird species are in trouble, but the Hooded Grebe is really really in trouble. But there was this one in Australia.

Science 190
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Birding Shanghai in December 2023

10,000 Birds

Personally, I wish the species the best of luck in this endeavor. (Of However, the fact that there are 30 subspecies seems to indicate that the species has a slightly overblown estimation of its own importance. This species has a relatively large number of calls – 12, to be specific, compared to the average of 7.6

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Birding Kota Kinabalu, Borneo: Rice Paddies

10,000 Birds

As a bird mainly feeding on seeds, it is regarded as a threat to crops (in fact, the Latin species name of oryzivora combines the words for rice, “oryza”, and eating, “vorus”). eBird calls the White-breasted Woodswallow a “chunky” bird – members of the species might find this slightly offensive.

Zebras 206
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Emerald Ash Borers vs. Woodpeckers (and Nuthatches)

10,000 Birds

If there is one silver lining to all of this gloomy news, it’s that the efforts of birders truly make a difference in helping to advance science. “Given the increasing prominence of such phenomena, citizen science projects such as FeederWatch and eBird are likely to play an even greater role in the future! .