10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2022

While I am still not so sure about China’s sense of humor – though admittedly, the issue is mostly a mismatch between what I think is funny and what the average Chinese thinks is funny, an issue that I have had in other countries as well – the country sure has its fair share of Laughingthrushes. This post shows some of them.

San Diego 205

San Diego Malaysia China Zoos 205

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

I saw two Pitta species at Hongbenghe, both among the slightly less glamourous among the pitta family: The Blue-naped Pitta … … and the closely related Rusty-naped Pitta. While it is listed as Least Concern, it is rare in China – the range map in the HBW barely touches Chinese territory.

Birds 147

Birds Myanmar China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2018

It divides countries into categories, where the next category has 200 more species. In some cases the data are outdated, e.g. Costa Rica has 900 and not 800 species, but I made no corrections, remaining faithful to the original map data. Shown as a list, it looks like this: Less than 200 bird species: Antarctica; oceanic islands.

Equatorial Guinea 195

Equatorial Guinea Costa Rica Guyana Central African Republic 195

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2022

The new Guide to the Birds of China (John MacKinnon) has been published. This is partly due to hunting in China, where about 90% of the species winter (HBW). I guess it would be wise for Shanghai not to make this species its city bird, as it may not be around for much longer. And it does not even live in reeds.

Raccoons 213

Raccoons Birds Oregon China 213