10,000 Birds

JULY 31, 2020

Sure, they’re always a dependable, can’t-miss tick whenever you need them to be there, whether it’s the first day of the year, or the first few minutes of a Big Day or Christmas Bird Count. But there’s no getting around the fact that the starling is likely the most detested bird on the continent – as far as birders are concerned, anyway.

Farming 193

Farming New York Breeding Unwanted 193

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

When you are a New York City-based birder that is pretty pleased with the amount of boxes ticked off on your New York State checklist you would normally want a rarity that you have not seen in the state to show up within an hour drive of your home.

New York 165

New York New York City Kazakhstan New Jersey 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2011

Melanerpes lewis is, to put it simply, a really cool bird. Second of all, Lewis’s Woodpeckers are birds of the west and they rarely stray to New York State. In fact, the bird is the fifth recorded in the history of the state,* and the first spotted in the Empire State since 2001. What a bird!

New York 200

New York Woodpeckers Jordan 2011 200

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2013

A breeding bird atlas is a special kind of book. For birders, it’s the extremely large book, shelved in a place where it can’t crush the field guides, used to research the history of a bird in their area. Corey did just this in this 2011 posting about Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus in New York State.

Pennsylvania 236

Pennsylvania Breeding Birds Sparrows 236

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2017

The Peterson Field Guide to Bird Sounds of Eastern North America by Nathan Pieplow is innovative, fascinating, and challenging. The guide covers 520 species of birds regularly found in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, including, interestingly, a number of exotic species. But, first the basics.

North America 175

North America America Birds New York 175

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

It was when I searched for migrant birds on gorgeous days of September, usually near the Niagara Gorge, sometimes while fishing for salmon in the powerful green waters. It became one of wet weather, one where the vegetation was always green and leafy, where few obvious signs could be associated with the movements of millions of birds.

Costa Rica 327

Costa Rica West Virginia New York South America 327

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2020

Our featured spirit this week is Neversink Spirits Gin, the flagship product of Neversink Spirits , a craft distillery in Port Chester, New York. It’s not our first encounter with juniper at Birds and Booze, but this is our first gin, surprisingly. Good birding and happy drinking! Neversink Spirits: Neversink Spirits Gin.

New York 165

New York Connecticut Mississippi North America 165

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2017

Seriously, cardinals are both gorgeous and interesting , but their familiarity across most of North America breeds indifference if not contempt. Corey’s Best Bird of the Weekend was an easy one to choose. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

New York City 141

New York City 2017 North America New York 141

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2020

One of the highlights of autumn for many birders in eastern North America is the annual release of the Winter Finch Forecast. Some winters may see spectacular incursions of species that breed as far away as the high Arctic into the Lower 48. But, more often than not, the birds stay put if they can get away with it.

2017 277

2017 Oregon North America United States 277

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2023

The second thing to note is that this is an excellent and courageous book that tackles a group of birds whose field identification has stumped the most skilled birders. ” This builds and expands on a classic series of articles by Bret Whitney and Kenn Kaufman that appeared Birding magazine between 1985 and 1987.* known-identity).”**

Los Angeles 220

Los Angeles North America America Species 220

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2021

His second book on migration is a tale of many birds and many research studies all connected by the theme of migration and by his thoughtful narrative voice. Many of these stories will be known to avid readers of environmental news items and social media. This is big, global-level stuff with amazing findings but worrisome data.

Cyprus 257

Cyprus Slaughter Slaughtered Research 257

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2011

Seth Ausubel is one of the best birders in Queens, New York, and Corey is ever-so-thankful that Seth does not use eBird because that way Corey can pretend that he is the top lister in the borough. One of the least known stories of New York birding is the tale of the wild Mitred Parakeets. Are they breeding?

New York City 222

New York City New York Los Angeles South America 222

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2017

When I was a kid, and couldn’t travel, I thought patch birding sounded dreadfully boring. Because the European Goldfinches presently found in New York are believed to all be escaped cage birds or, at best, a handful of their first-generation descendants. New York is no more immune to such stunts than other cities.

New York 105

New York New York City Illinois Wisconsin 105

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Birding in Mexico is not like birding in the United States… especially when it comes to interpreting unusual sightings. Howell does not place the White-tailed Hawk anywhere near Morelia, but I have seen it in every cuadrant of the city, and know for a fact that it breeds near the church I pastor.

Mexico 299

Mexico Science Breeders United States 299

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2012

Queens, New York, May 2009 May is the month of migration in North America. Just take a look at some of the pictures I digiscoped in the first two days of May to get an idea of how great a month May is in the Borough of Queens, New York City.

New York City 157

New York City New York 2009 Litter 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2013

I’ve seen Yellow Warblers in the low shrubs of Western New York pastures, the river valleys of Missoula, and the trees of abandoned industrial sites in New York City. In North America, that is. Birds Mangrove Warbler names Yellow Warbler' As you travel south, everything gets all higgledy-piggledy.

Connecticut 180

Connecticut Baltimore North America New York City 180

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2013

All four major flyways in North America — the aerial migration routes traveled by billions of birds each year — converge in one spot in Canada’s boreal forest, the Peace-Athabasca Delta in northeastern Alberta. About three billion birds fly north to the Boreal Forest each spring to build nests and lay eggs. Water withdrawals.

Obama 252

Obama 2008 United States Industry 252

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Otherwise known as the Northern Harrier (in the Americas) or the Hen Harrier (in the English-speaking Old World), Circus cyaneus brings terror to voles and other small mammals as it courses low over open country, ready to plunge, talons-first, at the first sign of movement. Northern Harrier coming in for a landing. Northern Harrier.

Sparrows 246

Sparrows New York Mammals Owls 246

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2014

It’s etched into my audio memory, which is quite a feat considering the problems I have recognizing even the most common bird cries. I look up and see three large green birds, the bright green contrasting with dark blue underwings, whitish-grayish foreheads and breasts shining in the winter sun, flying overhead. “We

Chicago 206

Chicago New York City New York Illinois 206

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2013

One of the nice things about living in New Zealand and being the beat writer for that place is that I can pretty much make sure Corey feels jealous of my year list year in year out, regardless of how few birds I have seen and how many he has seen. Even I’ve managed to see them there, and I am a hopeless birder.

Albatross 157

Albatross Hawaii North America California 157

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

The Mourning Dove ( Zenaida macroura) is among the most abundant and widespread terrestrial birds endemic to North and Middle America. This gentle bird frequents bird feeders and readily nests almost anywhere. A seemingly rather peaceful bird, it gets its name from its easily identifiable mournful call.

Hunters 179

Hunters Hunting North America Game 179

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2011

Any hummingbird in December in stoney Manhattan is a remarkable sight — after all, hummingbirds are such tropical-looking birds… Wait. And might these turned-around individuals become equally confused about their appropriate breeding range? Might these hummingbirds someday look like New York, and New York like hummingbirds?

South America 157

South America New York Alaska America 157

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2018

Happy Second Day of the New Year, 10,000 Birds friends! I came late to bird feeding. Jim Carpenter is the founder of Wild Birds Unlimited, the popular bird feeder and seed franchise. There is a lot of information out there about feeding birds—web pages, pamphlets from bird feed retail stores and Audubon centers.

Birds 179

Birds New York City Squirrels New York 179

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2015

The Western Kingbird is one of eight species of tyrant flycatchers that breed in North America. I was able to photograph this bird recently at Modoc National Wildlife Refuge as it began to rain. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior. New York, NY: Alfred A. References: 1 Sibley, D.A.

2001 169

2001 North America New York America 169

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2021

This book is essentially about those birds that breed on the continent south of the Sahara, a topic few birders are familiar with. A few years ago, in the American Birding Association FB group I posted a question: Where would you go if funds weren’t a problem? Some are incredibly rare and hard to find.

Congo 264

Congo Africa South Africa Madagascar 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

There are 35 raptor species that have a presence in the United States and Canada, 56 (more or less) if you count by subspecies, and they are all covered in admirable, exhausting, unbelievable detail in B irds of Prey of the East: A Field Guide and Birds of Prey of the West: A Field Guide by Brian K. Structure & Organization.

North America 196

North America Birds Mississippi Bald Eagle 196

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 18, 2012

Cloud, Florida, Doug, with whom I had been birding all day long, found a Yellow-throated Warbler foraging behind us. And while Snail Kites are awesome, especially when you are adding them to your ABA list , a close and confiding Yellow-throated Warbler is almost irresistible, especially for a New Yorker.

Florida 175

Florida New York City Dominica United States 175

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 25, 2017

Because while birds have returned to the landscape of my mother’s childhood, one of ‘my’ birds is missing. Of course, Bobolinks are grassland birds and like many grassland birds they’ve suffered a long dangerous decline as the grasslands of the U.S. are developed or otherwise lost.

Bald Eagle 100

Bald Eagle New York Eagles North America 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2011

Its population actually fluctuates in response to the availability of Spruce Budworm and though it nests on the ground it is entirely inseparable from the forests of the north during breeding season. When the Inga is in bloom, Tennessee warblers can be the most abundant bird found in coffee habitats. … a. … a.

Tennessee 200

Tennessee South America Ecuador United States 200

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

2014 has been a good year for us at 10,000 Birds. We’ve traveled to lots of places, seen lots of great birds, and met lots of great birders. So, as we’ve done for the last several years we thought we would share our Best Birds of the Year with you. Below are our Best Birds of the Year. What was yours?

2014 194

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 194

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2014

Earlier this month I had stopped at Forest Park for a quick, late-morning, visit as we birders in Queens tend to do, especially in May, and was impressed by the diversity and number of birds singing. One bird in particular caught my eye – a brilliant Cape May Warbler singing and foraging from ground level up to about ten feet.

New York City 168

New York City Tigers New York Canada 168

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2011

On a recent visit to Cape May Point State Park in search of an elusive Purple Gallinule I did not find my quarry but I did find quite a few photogenic birds. Anas strepera is a common and widespread duck, breeding across northern Europe and Asia, as well as central North America. And Gadwall ducklings are CUTE! … a.

United States 162

United States North America Jamaica Asia 162

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2019

Happy New Year, 10,000 Birds readers and writers, listers and photographers, friends and fellow travelers near and far! Writing a post scheduled for January 1st for a birding blog is a big responsibility. On the first of the year, every bird is a new bird! Audubon, one with the Queens County Bird Club).

2018 163

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 163

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2014

One of the two sub-species of Red Knot occurring in North America, the Rufa subspecies breeds in the Canadian Artic Region and migrates along the east or Atlantic coast of the United States. The other sub-species, Calidris canutus roselaari , migrates along the Pacific Coast and breeds in Alaska and the Wrangel Island in Russia.

Endangered Species 160

Endangered Species Protection Delaware Species 160

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

East of Ontario cone crops are generally poor in the Atlantic Provinces, New York State, New Hampshire and other northern New England States. When Purple Finches leave Ontario in October and November, they return in mid-April to mid-May to breed. At bird feeders redpolls prefer nyger seeds in silo feeders.

2014 244

2014 2015 Alaska New Hampshire 244

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2015

I was birding one of my favorite places yesterday, Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Palm Beach County, Florida, and, as generally happens, people were asking me about the birds they were admiring. Small), it provides a friendly and authoritative way for people interested in the birds around them to learn more quickly and easily.

Colorado 243

Colorado Florida Birds New Jersey 243

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2012

In New York, as is the case across most of the area where the “eastern” wood-warblers migrate, there are four species that are almost always the first to appear. In fact, its population has increased over 78% in the last forty years in North America, a remarkable increase! ……… a.

New Jersey 185

New Jersey New York United States Louisiana 185