10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

But, sometimes an appreciation of birds and birding requires more than a reference book with images of birds and facts about their identifying field marks. There are large avian handbooks and small ‘how-to bird’ guides, and quite a few excellent books of both types have been published.

Birds 115

Birds North America Breeding America 115

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2014

These birds may be the North American ash tree’s last line of defense against the EAB invasion. A study in the journal Biological Invasions used Project FeederWatch information to determine that populations of the above-named birds increased (although the Hairies and Downies initially decreased) in areas of heavy EAB infestation.

Woodpeckers 273

Woodpeckers Illinois Science Chicago 273

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 19, 2014

There is a fantastic paper just out in Science : “Sustained miniaturization and anatomoical innovation in the dinosaurian anceestors of birds” by Michael Lee, Andrea Cau, Darren Naishe and Gareth Dyke. But birds are dinosaurs. Birds have a number of features that distinguish them from, say, camels. As Lee Et.Al

Camels 199

Camels Whales Whaling Apes 199

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2021

Louisiana is a magical place to bird. At the same time I was ogling Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and Upland Sandpipers, Marybeth Lima was also birding Louisiana. 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.’

Louisiana 264

Louisiana Species Mississippi Alabama 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2015

This is a key feature of birds. Not all birds fly, but all birds have flight related anatomy and at least descend from those that did. Birds evolved from bipedal terrestrial animals to flying creatures over a roughly similar time range (roughly… meaning, tens of millions of years). And there would be a lot to eat.

Rodents 187

Rodents Primates Bats Science 187

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2019

It’s never too late or too early to buy a children’s book about birds. It’s been a few years since my last roundup of children’s bird books, and children’s book writers, illustrators and publishers continue to produce picture books that feature avian protagonists. First, the board books.

New York City 149

New York City Pelicans Birds New York 149

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

One of these days, Jeopardy will feature a category called “Field Guides” and the first clue will be: “This landlocked South American country finally got its own bird field guide in 2016, but it wasn’t available in the United State until 2019.” Bolivia doesn’t come up much in discussions of birding travel.

Bolivia 173

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 173

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2014

Hugh Powell is a science editor at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Hugh, who years ago helped me find my first Pauraque in the Rio Grande Valley , visited Peru as part of the 2014 World Birding Rally, where he stopped thinking of himself as an experienced birder. This is his first contribution to 10,000 Birds.

Peru 254

Peru Birds South America Owls 254

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2013

Follow his adventures at Greg and Birds. I’m not at all sure what his goal is other than seeing lots of birds but Canada is a big country so I bet he succeeds! Greg Cantrell is doing a New Jersey Big Year, hoping for 300 species, and raising funds for the New Jersey Audubon Citizen Science program.

2013 198

2013 New Jersey Los Angeles North Carolina 198

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2014

So, the other day I was looking at my Twitter feed and noted a story about African Tigerfish eating birds. People who live among the African Tigerfish have been known to claim that they will leap out of the water and take down a bird in flight, but this is one of those things you hear from the locals but maybe don’t fully believe.

South Africa 207

South Africa Botswana Africa Fish 207

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2013

European Starlings count as much as any other bird on a big year. Now seems like a good time to look in on the birding big years happening in 2013 to see how folks are doing as they tear around their county or region or state or province or country trying to see as many birds as possible before 1 January 2014.

2013 186

2013 New Jersey North Carolina Canada 186

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2014

When the proprietors of Costa Rica’s Finca Luna Nueva Lodge graciously invited Corey and me to visit, we were both thrilled at the prospect of awesome Costa Rican birds at an amazing ecolodge. Anyone attuned to Neotropical birding knows well that the Arenal area is famous for phenomenal birding, perhaps among the best in the world.

2014 206

2014 Costa Rica Birds Groups 206

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

The magnificent history and diversity of birds on Earth came into sharper focus this month with the publication of 28 new scientific papers in Science and other journals. One of the central papers, Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds (Jarvis et al. Open Jarvis et al.’s

Family 279

Family Parrots Birds 2014 279

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2020

I Love Birds!: 52 Ways to Wonder, Wander, and Explore Birds with Kids. Her children’s books–which include the charming Mama Build a Little Nest , other picture books, and chapter books–evince an easy familiarity with birds, their science and birding ethics. How many birds do you see?

Los Angeles 264

Los Angeles 2019 Birds 2014 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

Three books will have been published about the Passenger Pigeon by the end of 2014: A Feathered River Across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon’s Flight to Extinction by Joel Greenberg, The Passenger Pigeon by Errol Fuller, and A Message From Martha: The Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon and Its Relevance Today by Mark Avery.

2014 160

2014 Killing Michigan Kentucky 160

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2018

A bit of background: Pink Pigeons are medium-sized, pink/gray/ brown birds found on the island of Mauritius, Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. Mauritius may sound familiar, it was also the home of one of our most famous extinct birds—the Dodo. Don’t these birds care about propagating their species?

Mauritius 102

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 102

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2018

In addition to my monthly posts here, I have also written short pieces and feature articles that rely on bird-related scientific literature. Other papers are locked behind paywalls.) That research ultimately led to an article about the conservation efforts regarding the Laysan Duck in the June 2017 issue of Birding.

Transported 113

Transported 2011 Research 2012 113

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

I had a few commitments at home, requiring me to wait a few days before I joined him to do what wives do and then go birding! I soon collected maps and off I went to wander the parks and look for birds. The white neck band indicated that the bird is female. It was a popular place for people and birds when I visited.

2006 163

2006 Research 2007 2014 163

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2015

In my runs through the dinosaur halls with Jake and Zach, I’m pretty sure I saw Deinonychus , the small fossil that inspired the velociraptors in Jurassic Park and, more importantly (in some minds), revived a 19th century theory that birds are descended directly from dinosaurs. Like birds. There is a lot of science here to explain.

Mongolia 183

Mongolia Science Reptiles Indiana 183

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 5, 2021

If you haven’t been to Costa Rica, or if you’ve birded Costa Rica but somehow missed their damselflies and dragonflies (not a problem! The post Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica: A Field Guide–A Book Review appeared first on 10,000 Birds. Paulson, William A. Haber, and Zona Tropical S.A.

Costa Rica 261

Costa Rica North America Family America 261

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2014

Any doubt I had about the need for a book about rare birds in the United States And Canada were wiped out on a Sunday evening in early February with two birding friends. My friends had many more years of birding on me and had many stories to tell. I kept wishing I had Rare Birds of North America , by Steve N.

North America 254

North America America Birds United States 254

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2018

It’s September and time for birds to start their southerly journeys. Please remember to give migrating birds the space that they need. Jason hoisted his colours in Kansas and claimed the state for 10,000 Birds. In an unusual turnaround during September, more birds were seen in USA than in Costa Rica. 23 May 2018.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

The two most prolific contributors, Pat and Tom, have been sharing their birding space in Costa Rica. The beats have now contributed more checklists than birds. During October, 7 countries (Costa Rica, Australia, USA, India, Hong Kong, UK, Serbia) were birded by 11 beats who shared 135 checklists and noted 697 species.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2019

Best wishes to you all for 2019, keep safe and keep birding. Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center and Estuary Trail. Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center and Estuary Trail. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. 23 May 2018.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2018

They birded 6 countries; USA, UK, Costa Rica, Serbia, Australia, and Mexico. Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center and Estuary Trail. Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center and Estuary Trail. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2018

The UK has been birded clean by Tom as he ends his Little Big Year (Part 1). 9 beats visited 8 countries, submitting 102 checklists along the way, accounting for 609 birds. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Malbup Creek Bird Hide. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve.

2018 101

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 101

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2014

In birding, we like to think that we don’t need much ‘stuff’. Another book, maybe a bird finding guide. Our ‘stuff’ allows us to bird more, better, further. It defines our birding lives when it’s not threatening to overwhelm our cars and homes. Maybe a spotting scope. And a long lens camera. You get the idea.

Mauritius 172

Mauritius Collecting Egypt Cyprus 172

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2014

I am also writing it on the tails of an excellent review by Corey who, although he termed his post a collection of “impressions,” really did nail down the great content of The Sibley Guide to Birds, Second Edition , by David Allen Sibley, as well as the minor items that need to be improved. I like this.

North America 239

North America Birds Species America 239

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

This is not your ordinary reference book, though it was cited as one of the best reference sources of 2014 by Library Journal. Science and Conservation , the second section, presents two-page summaries of the diverse research being done around the world about penguins. That’s a lot of books about a bird family that cannot fly.

Penguins 199

Penguins New Zealand South Africa Albatross 199

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2018

Is it wrong of me to go birding to get away from the kids now that they are at home all day? Happy birding if you suddenly find yourself single. 458 birds were seen by 7 beats in 8 countries. 458 birds were seen by 7 beats in 8 countries. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Malbup Creek Bird Hide.

2018 100

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 100