10,000 Birds

APRIL 28, 2021

Only a month ago, a good morning spent gazing at my garden could yield 20 species; but now, suddenly, my goal is 10. And in another month, when the rainy season makes my birdbath less attractive, that number will drop to around 5 species.). So how did the winter of 2020-2021 shape up down here? Same basic spot, different herons.

Mexico 247

Mexico Trafficking Sparrows Virginia 247

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

That’s pretty amazing–Bolivia has more bird species than India! The source of this ranking, BirdLife International, lists Bolivia as currently having 1,439 bird species, including 18 breeding endemics. The guide covers 1,433 species, the number of birds documented at the end of 2014, the cutoff point for the book.

Bolivia 166

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 166

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2021

In 2012, I reviewed The Jewel Hunter , an absorbing narrative in which author Chris Goodie travelled throughout Asia, Africa, and Australasia to observe and photograph every Pitta species in the world. Hummingbird species, on the other hand, number in the hundreds. Jonas D’Abronzo.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Brazil Ecuador Bolivia 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2020

Press, 2020, 304p. The bird names have changed some, the essay format has broadened, the authors are more diverse, but the ecstasy in writing about the intersection of human and bird remains intact. When Birds Are Near: Dispatches from Contemporary Writers , edited by Susan Fox Rogers. Comstock Publishing/Cornell Univ.

New York City 177

New York City Birds Owls Fox 177

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2020

The simple answer is monetary gain, there is a global black market for these items, regardless of the species’ vulnerability for extinction. He interviews breeders about rumors of raptor trafficking and egg smuggling, activities that have supposedly been stopped. Simon & Schuster, February 2020, 336 pages.

Falcons 195

Falcons United Kingdom Zimbabwe Eggs 195