10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2022

The Buff-necked Woodpecker (Taman Negara, Malaysia) is classified as Near Threatened, with the usual rationale of “habitat loss” (which sounds nicer than “evil humans destroying anything that does not immediately bring in money). The lack of a red forehead makes this a female Laced Woodpecker (Singapore).

Woodpeckers 224

Woodpeckers South Africa China Singapore 224

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Other birds with webbed feet, including ducks and geese, have only three webbed toes; the hallux (which in birds is usually the “hind toe&# and in humans, the “big toe&# ) is free. For all of recorded history, humans have classified other living things by their physical characteristics.

2011 151

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 151

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

I get my own idea of the lunacy of Gooddie’s quest when I talk to a friend who has birded Asia and Africa. Beer looms large in Gooddie’s daily routine, and much text is devoted to finding beer in the middle of rural Asia and evaluating its quality. The books work best when the birding is coupled with the human element.

Hunters 188

Hunters Sri Lanka Asia Solomon Islands 188