10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2023

What a bountiful year it’s been for birding books! For more on best bird books of 2023, the ABA Podcast will have its annual discussion, including our own Donna Schulman, available for listening in early December. There are plenty more book reviews, as well, on the 10000 Birds blogsite.) Howell and Dale Dyer.

North America 257

North America Birds Europe America 257

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2024

So Eduardo set aside the afternoon to show me some of the city, and take me birding in two city parks. Being a westerner — raised in California, and now living in western Mexico — I was perhaps most excited about the migratory birds that breed in eastern North America. Two other birds, both residents, surprised us.

Mexico 210

Mexico Birds Raccoons Baltimore 210

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2021

Ranging in color from off-white to dingy black, with pastel to gelatinous shades of yellow, orange, purple, and brown in-between, found in moist crevasses, decaying trees, rain-soaked pastures, mushrooms lack the beauty of butterflies and wildflowers cannot equal the action of bats, or flying fish, and certainly lack the spiritual zest of birds.

North America 270

North America America Species 2018 270

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2023

On the slow crawl into the farm, the first sighting was a small group of Green Ibis – a new species for me. Endemic to the Guianan shield, this species has captivated me since I first laid eyes on a photograph of it. The Point-tailed Palmcreeper is a strange bird in all senses. But its piercing eyes were bright yellow!

Farming 232

Farming Guyana Birds South America 232

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2020

And while it was to be a work (ministry) trip, I had still managed to schedule it right during the migratory peak along these two major corridors. I was soooo excited about getting to know the Middle East, as well as some of its exotic species. This female Rose-throated Becard also gave me my best photo so far of its species.

Species 164

Species Mexico Jordan Turkey 164

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2016

Birds know habitat. They don’t read treaties or draw maps or build walls and, as far as we can tell (since we can’t talk to birds, yet), they have no concept of political boundaries. Robert Gallardo’s self-published Guide to the Birds of Honduras came out in 2015, and is the first bird field guide dedicated to that country.

El Salvador 234

El Salvador America Costa Rica Honduras 234

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 14, 2023

You might think that birds don’t change the world, birds are the world – but by his odd title, Ten Birds That Changed the World, author Stephen Moss means, he says, that birds have, in various ways, led to “paradigm shifts” in human history. Maybe Moss is right, and birds have changed history. CAN $38.00.

Bald Eagle 166

Bald Eagle Montenegro Campaign Turkey 166

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. Where did the Coney Island Gray-hooded Gull come from, Africa or South America?

North America 259

North America America Birds United States 259

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2023

One need not ponder whether Birds: Poetry in the Sky is more a bird book or an art book: it fits each category. The multi-award-winning photographer Christian Spencer, an Australian native, has lived in Brazil for many years; the birds of both countries are represented here. Birds: Poetry in the Sky.

Birds 220

Birds South America Brazil 2011 220

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2017

The point is, the field guide I grabbed without hesitation was the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, 7th Edition by Jon L. No other field guide to North American birds does rarities so comprehensively and so well. (To Bins, camera, Nat Geo—the three essential elements for a mega-rarity twitch.

North America 187

North America America 2017 Birds 187

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

The Collins Bird Guide covers Europe, North Atlantic islands, much of North Africa and the Middle East. The Collins Bird Guide 2nd edition from 2009 was a much hated taxonomical revolution/nightmare, changing just about everything. I am still annoyed that no birds are where they used to be. the Corn Bunting plate).

Europe 261

Europe Birds Woodpeckers Ireland 261

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2019

The idea was to see how many birds could be collectively identified by folks anywhere and everywhere. Go birding, eBird the results and see what happens! Whatever the reason for getting involved with this massive day of birding, every GBD has been a success where literally thousands of species are found by thousands of birders.

Costa Rica 221

Costa Rica Species West Virginia New York 221

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2016

I want to alert you to a recent study (from April) that looks at the plight of bird populations under conditions of climate change in Europe and North America. The study looked at common birds, and used data divided by either state (in the US) or country (in Europe). Stephens et al. Stephens, Philip, et al. 352:6281(84-87).

North America 122

North America Europe America United States 122

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 29, 2018

Maybe it’s because the American Coot ( Fulica americana ) is the most abundant and widely distributed species of rail in North America that it gets no respect? But I think the adult Coot is a cool bird in its own right. Just look at that cool red iris… and the very cool lobed green feet!

North America 113

North America America Ducks Industry 113

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2023

I recently asked ChatGPT some questions about the best birding locations in the United States and the results were decidedly mixed. Here are the queries and the ChatGPT responses are below: What is birding? What is a “nemesis bird” in birding? What is a “big year” in birding?

United States 147

United States North America Birds America 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2017

There are birders who watch hawks and there are hawk watchers who bird. Raptors of Mexico and Central America by William S. This is the first identification guide that I know of that covers Mexico (technically North America but rarely included in North American raptor guides) and Central America. Clark and N.

Mexico 174

Mexico America North America Falcons 174

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2020

There is a thing parents know very well – how important it is to choose the right name for a child. Presented in numbers, Bird Families of the World has 2417 field guide style paintings, plus 797 bird photos, followed by 252 distribution maps. But why am I even interested in bird families in the first place?

Family 297

Family Birds South America Breeding 297

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2021

I am a fan of all birding but I particularly like urban birding. Urban areas offer the bird watcher those species that have survived and thrived in artificial environments; often when they had no real right to. Urban birds are therefore bold, adaptable generalists. Rose-crowned Fruit-dove.

Parrots 264

Parrots Birds Ducks Australia 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2015

Birders head to Costa Rica to see stunners like Resplendent Quetzal , Three-wattled Bellbird , Orange-collared Manakin , fancy hummingbirds , tanagers, and literally hundreds of other birds. These and several other species might end up being armchair ticks if and when we take a closer look at their evolutionary history.

Costa Rica 223

Costa Rica Species South America America 223

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 21, 2021

Give certain, special trees the right conditions and they also take root in the shallow mud of estuaries and other coastal situations. The trees that occur, that thrive in such places are various species of mangroves and as is typical of so many other tropical microhabitats, mangrove forests have their own suite of birds.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Birds Protection Panama 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2019

For many North American birders, wood warblers represent everything exciting, compelling, and immediate about birding. That fallacious family name seems to have encouraged all manner of knaves, dunderheads, and miscreants when time came to label species. Consider some examples: NAMED FOR OTHER BIRDS. NAMED FOR PEOPLE.

Rights 113

Rights Connecticut Tennessee Nashville 113

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2023

Everyone loves baby birds; 10,000 Birds even had a Baby Bird Week once upon a time! Baby birds are cuteness personified, possibly even more so than other baby animals, including human babies, and pose interesting questions of survival and development. Aren’t they usually in their nest with their parents?”

Wildlife Rehabilitation 270

Wildlife Rehabilitation Birds Family Collecting 270

10,000 Birds

JULY 8, 2020

One of the ways I could describe the unique mix of birds I can see here in southwestern Mexico, would be to divide our species into five categories. The invasive species are few, but, unfortunately, very numerous. But there is a final group of species here, about which I have not written very much.

Mexico 206

Mexico Birds Honduras United States 206

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2021

With travel restrictions still in place, going on a birding trip outside of China is still not a practical option. Fortunately, China itself has a large number of bird species and habitats. The first stop was Wolongshan, a place known more for its giant pandas than its birds. Bird photography for extremely lazy people.

China 264

China Pandas Birds Zoos 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022

After weeks of preparation (and not writing many 10,000 Bird posts), my wife and I are finally in Spain. Algeciras, Spain, to be specific — right around the bay from Gibraltar. And in between, you can stop at the Cazalla Soaring Bird Observatory ( Cazalla Observatorio de Aves Planeadoras ). And so did the soaring birds.

Spain 147

Spain Birds Mexico Eagles 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2022

To be precise, “Birding Shanghai from June 10 to June 30, 2022” – but that is even less of an exciting title than the one above. The reason for this post only covering the period from June 10 being that an earlier post, “Revenge Birding”, was about the first 9 days of June. You should try it too.

Birds 197

Birds Sparrows Protection Humane 197

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2014

The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume.

North America 178

North America America Birds Family 178

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

Faithful fans of 10,000 Bird will know that each Friday Mike invites us to comment where we plan to go birding that weekend. Would Las Mesas, the closest to Morelia of these sites, join their ranks as a prime birding spot? This species loves to sing while high up in pine trees. Not the most auspicious start to my day!

2020 280

2020 Birds South America Reptiles 280

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 178

North America America Birds New York 178

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2021

The adult males sport that look; a bird created with crayons and an imaginative mind. The female isn’t quite so unreal but is still a cool little bird in her own right. She also makes a mark with her small size, one of the smallest birds in Costa Rica. A Garden Planted for Birds.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica San Jose Birds Farming 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Last week, I received an email from an American couple that has recently moved to Morelia; they found me right here on 10,000 Birds. Although birding is not their first reason for moving here, they are enjoying meeting the lovely locals, such as the Broad-billed Hummingbird and Vermilion Flycatchers.

Mexico 232

Mexico Birds Costa Rica Alabama 232

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

The more data about bird migration we gather from professional and citizen science efforts, the more each one of us can learn about the comings and goings of our favorite species. Obviously, when Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology collaborate on a Bird Migration Forecast tool, the result is going to be pretty spectacular.

North America 167

North America America Science Birds 167

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2016

I started out my birding life sitting on Benches 2 and 7 at the Jamaica Bay NWR West Pond, my Peterson’s in my lap, studying Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, and the occasional Pintail. The publicity material says 84 species, but I counted and recounted, and I only see 83. (The Plate 37, Eurasian, Green-winged, and Baikal Teal.

North America 161

North America Asia Europe America 161

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2024

When a birder uses the word, we usually refer to a species that canbe mostly or exclusively found in a single country. Which means that the large country of Mexico boasts (according to one list) 127 endemic bird species, while the famous birders’ destination of Costa Rica has only 6. It doesn’t seem fair at all.

Costa Rica 201

Costa Rica Mexico North America Lions 201

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2022

No macws in Niagara Falls… On the birding side of the coin, August up north is the quiet before the big fall migration rush, a time when many birds quiet down and change feathers before they chase the summer south. Go birding in Costa Rica in August and you will find shorebirds. Harpy Eagle!

Costa Rica 202

Costa Rica Eagles West Virginia Albatross 202

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2021

Have you ever birded a place so young that birds still have no names ? … – part 2 – Once I finish this writing, with a strange mix of emotions I will put the Lynx field guide Birds of Colombia to the bookshelf for the first time, more than half a year after I received it. Later, we would be seeing dolphins every day.

Dolphins 263

Dolphins Colombia Otters Birds 263

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2018

Birders follow different patterns of bird migration and their local activities and travel accordingly. It illustrates the bird richness per country. And what does it tell us, other than the obvious “head for South America” or perhaps Indonesia? It divides countries into categories, where the next category has 200 more species.

Equatorial Guinea 207

Equatorial Guinea Costa Rica Guyana Central African Republic 207