10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2014

Together, these birds compose the family Alcidae , and they share adaptations that we recognize as penguin-like: an upright stance on land, black-and-white plumage, and — most important — wings that propel them underwater in pursuit of prey ( see them in action here ). © David J. See Cairns et al.

Penguins 222

Penguins Puffins 2008 Sharks 222

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Even the names we give to some birds reflect their dependence on the cultivated landscape – we have Barn Owls ( Tyto alba ) and Barn Swallows ( Hirundo rustica ) over much of the world, and Orchard Orioles ( Icterus spurius ) in the Americas really do have a fondness for fruit groves.

Vermont 118

Vermont Belgium Farming Europe 118

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2012

And, I started daydreaming about encountering something a little different, maybe a Horned Frog, Ceratophrys cornuta, a large, squat green and brown frog of South America, with a wide mouth large enough to eat other frogs as well as reptiles. It is useful as a general introduction as well as for amphibian organization.

Reptiles 184

Reptiles Madagascar Family New York City 184

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2019

Members of the family Caprimulgidae don’t rank very high on any list of visually charismatic birds, so I was surprised to finally find one depicted on this week’s wine, the Bota Box Nighthawk Black Red Wine Blend. Bota Box takes its name from the bota , a Spanish leather wineskin traditionally lined with a goat bladder and sealed with resin.

Goats 120

Goats Seals 2003 South America 120

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 22, 2019

Ever the moral perfectionist, Franklin argued that the turkey was a much more honorable and determined fowl, and suggested the bird – as an “original Native of America” – would make a decidedly more fitting avian mascot for the United States (seemingly implying – incorrectly – that the Bald Eagle is not an indigenous New World species).

2017 151

2017 Bald Eagle United States Turkey 151