10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2014

There’s a new proposal before the American Ornithologists’ Union’s North American Classification Committee to split Painted Bunting into two species (yay! — maybe, more later) and to name the new species “Eastern Painted Bunting” and “Western Painted Bunting” (no!).

Mississippi 273

Mississippi Mexico Alabama North Carolina 273

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 29, 2012

Seeing as birds are extremely adaptable creatures as a whole, I have always found it interesting to see which bird species manage to make a living or even thrive among all the concrete, cars, and noise. In fact, several species in Miami-Dade are found exclusively in such habitats.

Miami 124

Miami Fast Food Florida Birds 124

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2013

How far is the closest human settlement? Does the word define a species within country terms, regional terms etc? Is the term defined at the sub-species or full species level in terms of classification? The species must be restricted to an internationally recognized country, island or island group.

Birds 211

Birds South Africa South America Feral Cats 211

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2014

There is one thing however that makes the Sunda Teal a rather highly desired species, and the name is a bit of a give-away: the species’ magic is in its range. This may make it very popular amongst European birders who can relate, but it doesn’t make it much of a deal within such an illustrous group as the dabbling ducks.

New York City 165

New York City Los Angeles Timor Indonesia 165

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2012

Birding the Dry Tortugas in late April has always been high on my bucket-list of the best birding experiences in North America. And last week I got to celebrate my coming of (young) age by crossing one off the old list, courtesy of my mate Adrian Binns and Wes Biggs of Florida Nature Tours. That means I used to be very young.

Florida 247

Florida Kentucky France North America 247

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2015

The vast majority of you reading this accept it is happening, and for the time being it is caused by humans. That said, there are many species we should be extremely concerned about. Here’s a peek at what our avifauna, here in North America, may be in for… Yes, I am aware this isn’t a bird…but hear me out.

North America 222

North America Birds San Francisco Suffering 222

10,000 Birds

APRIL 18, 2017

Though they weight less than two ounces, Least Terns migrate from South America to the West, East, and Gulf Coast to breed on dunes or flat gravel roofs (there are also populations in the middle of the United States). In Florida, the Least Tern is a state-designated threatened species; the interior populations are federally endangered.

South America 103

South America United States Protection Pelicans 103

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

How to Know the Birds talks about 200 commonly found birds in North America (including one extinct bird, the Passenger Pigeon) in 200 brief essays, each exactly one page long. I’m not sure if “the Ugly” refers to the cormorant itself or human reaction (catfish farmers are officially allowed to shoot the birds).

Birds 115

Birds North America Breeding America 115

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

Rightly or wrongly, there’s an hierarchy of extinct birds in North America, in the United States in particular. It’s not known for sure whether the entirety of the population of the species always wintered on the island of Cuba but by the time people cared enough to find out that’s where they were going.

South Carolina 180

South Carolina Cuba Missouri Mississippi 180

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2013

It’s clear that ibis have been part of human civilization for as long as there has been civilization of which to be part. The group has a worldwide distribution; 28 species living and two additional extinct. It draws a more or less firm line between those species in the Old World and those in the New, however.

Birds 219

Birds North America Charlotte New Jersey 219

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2019

More than 5,000 bird species in the world make some kind of seasonal movement. In the spring (when they look like they do — the males, that is — in the photo on the left, above) they fly more than six thousand miles from the Amazon Basin to the Arctic, via Florida and Ohio.

Ohio 200

Ohio Bats Legislature Ducks 200

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2019

Whooping Crane, Florida. There is a small resident population in Polk County, Florida, in the middle of the peninsula, mostly on protected land, and once in a while they show up in a place where they can be easily observed. In September, Abigail Ruth, a small human, was born and I became a grandmother. ” [[link].

2018 163

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 163

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

The Crossley ID Guide: Waterfowl covers every residential, migrating, vagrant, exotic, and introduced swan, goose, dabbling and diving duck in North America (Canada and the United States): 62 Species Accounts on four swan species and one vagrant subspecies; 15 goose species; 46 duck species; plus accounts for hybrid geese, ducks and exotics.

Ducks 122

Ducks North America Geese Hunters 122

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2014

We assembled at nine in the morning in a small parking lot outside the naval base in Key West, Florida. The weeks leading up to spring break had been a whirlwind, and the days before the trip mostly spent driving and exploring Florida. Dry Tortugas National Park: Bird Banding Sooty Terns. That was mostly my fault.

Birds 182

Birds Florida Groups Breeding 182

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

Larry starts us off right with an owl that makes birders drool: I was able to see and photograph many great birds in 2014 but my Best Bird of the Year would have to be the Great Gray Owl , the largest Strix in North America. The experience, the place, and the bird combine to make this my BBOTY. Carlos’s BBOTY – the Nicobar Pigeon.

2014 194

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 194

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 21, 2010

It has entertaining stories, includes animals people care about because they like them (and also addresses that concept), and it describes how the numbers of various species decreased to the point of being classified as "endangered" or worse. Consider this: Every month, it takes $12 billion to fund America's involvement in the Iraq War.

Polar Bears 100

Polar Bears California Condor Bald Eagle Lions 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 12, 2013

Nearly 70 species of parrots have been recorded flying free at some stage or another in Miami, including Hyacinth Macaws. Dozens of other introduced bird species, largely escapees from pet owners, now call Miami home. But I couldn’t help but get more excited about the countable species as opposed to the uncountable ones.

Miami 138

Miami Parrots Research Birds 138

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2015

During my previous five trips to Indonesia, I only heard but never caught a glimpse of three species. Now my tally stands at four species seen and a fifth heard-only. However, all that changed when I saw a species that was both a long-awaited lifer and a very rare vagrant for Costa Rica. A country-first?

2015 187

2015 Costa Rica Birds Sparrows 187