10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2020

Even the claim that Sri Lanka is the world’s best safari destination outside of Africa comes from him. No doubt, the big five of Sri Lanka include the biggest of the big ever – the Blue Whale , followed by Sperm Whale , Asian Elephant , Leopard and Sloth Bear. 465 species have been recorded and the list keeps growing.

Sri Lanka 208

Sri Lanka Whales Whaling Leopards 208

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2019

Reachable by direct flights from Portugal, the island country of Sao Tome and Principe lying in the Gulf of Guinea, in the armpit of Africa, has about 140 bird species and 28 endemics – more endemics per square mile than anywhere else on Earth. The main island of Sao Tome has about 100 species and 17 endemics among them.

Costa Rica 197

Costa Rica Sri Lanka Rwanda Papua New Guinea 197

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 3, 2014

I actually have many targets, in a way, a I want to see lots and lots, but there is one species that the reason that the trip is even happening, the animal that has been pretty much the top of my animal bucket list for well over a decade. It’s a species that has bedeviled and bewitched me over the years. A beaked whale.

Sharks 175

Sharks Leopards Whales Whaling 175

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2013

I grew up in one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Cape Town, South Africa. The birdlife in the Cape is nothing short of spectacular, with a healthy dose of charismatic endemic species. In fact, there is no other region in Africa that offers such a fantastic level of endemism in such an accessible location.

Penguins 222

Penguins South Africa Africa Sharks 222

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

I don’t think I’ve ever done a post on my home patch of Cape Town, South Africa. So much so that the two species are placed within their own family, Chaetopidae. The species is insectivorous and nests amongst the scree and boulders on the steep mountain slopes. So close to Cape Town and yet still so wild.

South Africa 248

South Africa Penguins Birds Africa 248