10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Storks are typically viewed as wetland species and whilst some storks are restricted to aquatic habitats, others are not. Like the Adjutants in Asia and Jabiru of the Americas, the Marabou is our bare-headed scavenging stork.

Africa 250

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 250

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2014

From a birder’s perspective however, this is both a shame and a blessing, as I will show below based on my observations of the species on the island of Java in November. The prinias are a group of around 25 Old World warbler species found in Africa and Asia. The Brown Prinia is an Asian species with a very peculiar range.

Burma 168

Burma Laos Birds Indonesia 168

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

There are the endemics, which are odd in their own way, and then there introduced species, which are so varied in their type and origin that you get the feeling you’ve arrived at the aftermath of a small zoo that escaped. What is surprising is quite how many species did end up here, and how economically unimportant they were.

New Zealand 164

New Zealand Possums Rabbits Ferrets 164

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2011

When skimmers are hunting even the most jaded birder has to watch them and the vast majority of the time a smile will be on that birder’s face. Black Skimmers are one of three species of skimmer in the world, all in the genus Rynchops. flavirostris and South Asia has R. flavirostris and South Asia has R.

Niger 179

Niger New York Asia Fish 179

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2013

There are some seven birds among the 100 most endangered species on the planet on the list of fauna and flora listed as the rarest by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Zoological Society of London – and this morning, I am after one of those! You know the secret of how African park rangers find animals for tourists?

India 252

India Gazelles Endangered Species Pakistan 252

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

Did I dare dip my toe into this catalog of tantalizing species? Kinabalu (at 13,455 feet the highest peak in southeast Asia), and human development that has resulted in freshwater rice fields, secondary forest, and oil palm plantations, this means that Borneo offers an incredibly high degree of biodiversity. Now, I’m not so sure.

Brunei 195

Brunei Birds Asia China 195

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. Below are our Best Birds of the Year. What was yours? Let us know in the comments…see you there!

2014 222

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 222

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. In any case, our hang-ups with vultures clearly stem from our own issues rather than any inherently bizarre trait of the species themselves. Vultures famously feed on carrion. Dead things. New World Vultures.

California Condor 215

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 215

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. They may have also had hunting dogs with them as well. This is where they got their name.

Turkey 234

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 234

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2023

Which made the rest of the trip a bit of a waiting period for contracting covid … Apparently, the Large Niltava is Asia’s largest flycatcher. Even in China’s slightly more remote provinces, one is never far away from species with treacherously pornographic names such as Japanese Tit. End of side note). End of side note).

China 147

China Hunting Birds illegal 147

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago covers 1,417 species, 601 endemics, 98 vagrants, 8 introduced and 18 undescribed species. Only one bird species has become extinct (Javan Lapwing), but many others are endangered, with some considered close to extinction (not surprising in an area with species restricted to one or two small islands).

Indonesia 159

Indonesia Brunei Birds Malaysia 159

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2012

The wonderful family Meropidae contains 27 dazzling species, of which Africa is endowed with no less than 20 species, the balance occurring across Asia and with one as far afield as Australia. We have both resident and migratory species, and this post will briefly discuss each of the 20 species of African bee-eaters.

Africa 266

Africa South Africa Gabon Uganda 266

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

Another example of its staggering wealth is the fact that the 22,000 hectare Table Mountain National Park situated within the city of Cape Town has more plant species than the whole of the British Isles or New Zealand! An indication of its floral wealth is that this region covers a mere 0.5%

South Africa 262

South Africa Africa New Zealand Asia 262

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

My best bird of the year is based on the sighting rather than the species. Oriental Pied Hornbills are common enough and probably the most likely hornbill to be seen in many parts of SE Asia, but seeing them at such close quarters and seemingly so relaxed is unusual. Black-browed Albatross by Duncan Wright (Click it to make it big.).

2013 169

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 169

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2012

More importantly, it is a fantastic area to watch birds in its own right. The third species I saw was an Atherton endemic (of which there are a few knocking about) Macleay’s Honeyeater , a striking spotted honeyeater that was easy to watch on the bird baths near the dining area.

Possums 180

Possums Guinea Marsupials Rats 180

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2012

The Purple Swamp-hen ( Porphyrio porphyrio ) I turned south, walking past large groups of picnickers which were being patrolled by Australian White Ibis , one of the species of ibis also known as the Sacred Ibis. Pairs of these a are common sight on open grassy areas in Australia.

New Zealand 180

New Zealand Ducks Australia Japan 180

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 30, 2023

The Ashy Tailorbird is a good example of the different perspectives of describing a bird – while the English name focuses on the body of the bird, the Latin species name ruficeps refers to the rufous head. The split makes the bird one of the six species endemic to Sabah, Borneo ( source ), four of which I saw during my week at Sepilok.

Woodpeckers 243

Woodpeckers Birds Eggs India 243

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 145

Ducks North America Geese Hunters 145