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. It seems that this is another species for which the standard phrase of scientists anywhere, “more research needed”, applies.

Birds 147

Birds Myanmar China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2016

Ring-necked Pheasants are native to Asia, brought over in the 1880’s. Since then their range has spread across the United States and southern Canada, and they remain a sought-after game species. Males are territorial, and may act aggressively towards other avian ground species. These males are striking.

South Dakota 100

South Dakota Hawaii United States North America 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2022

The Common Pochard is listed as Vulnerable – not because it is particularly rare, but because of the rapid decline in its numbers (a decline of 50% within 10 years means a species is listed as Vulnerable – and a 50% loss in 10 years sounds quite dramatic and frightening indeed). And it does not even live in reeds.

Raccoons 216

Raccoons Birds Oregon China 216

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Originally a hunting term, the Big Five were the most dangerous and prized targets of the great white hunters on safari. Elephant The big – two species of elephant are now recognized as occuring in Africa, the smaller and more secretive Forest Elephant and the larger, more familiar African or Bush Elephant.

Buffalo 204

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 204

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2013

The survival of songbirds depends in part upon eliminating illegal hunting. If you are a migratory bird in Europe and western Asia, this is your sweet spot. That means passing over the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East, where you’re liable to get shot, trapped, or otherwise hunted. Photo of the Nihoa Millerbird by S.

Cambodia 143

Cambodia Slaughter Slaughtered Cyprus 143

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2015

One – the Takahe is far too cool a species to lose. Two – there is so much distinctness amongst the different forms of the Purple Swamphen that lumping means we may as well lump all the world’s reed warblers into one huge species and be done with it. This is ridiculous for two reasons.

Spain 157

Spain Hunters Africa Hunting 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2012

It has recently been reclassified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List; this category is reserved for only the most threatened species in the world. If this bird did become extinct, it would be the first pheasant species to have been lost in the 400 years since proper records began.

Vietnam 155

Vietnam 2000 Germany Asia 155

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 241

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 241

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2015

It can’t have escaped your notice lately that the blog has been overrun with articles about North America’s pseudo-warblers (or wood warblers, as some people, apparently unaware the name is taken by a proper European species, call them), and, even worse, no small amount of poetry. And they are always a pleasure to see.

Africa 174

Africa Feral Ethiopia Tanzania 174

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 161

Burma Laos Birds Indonesia 161

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 161

New Zealand Possums Rabbits Ferrets 161

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

Its natural range in Europe was restricted the the surroundings of the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, and in Asia it ranged from Asia Minor to central China. Within its European range, it was heavily hunted until the late 19th century, and the Mute Swan was subsequently a very rare bird to encounter in the wild.

Feral 169

Feral Europe Asia North America 169

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 176

Niger New York Asia Fish 176

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2013

.” The Wels Catfish, Silurus glanis , is the second largest fish in its range, which covers much of Europe and parts of West Asia. It has also found its way to Japan where it is considered to be an invasive species. So, the modal catfish is a fish that hunts from below, can take large prey, and occasionally eats a bird.

Fish 204

Fish Birds Whales Whaling 204

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 242

India Gazelles Endangered Species Pakistan 242

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 175

Brunei Birds Asia China 175

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2013

The group has a worldwide distribution; 28 species living and two additional extinct. Both extinct species were island-dwelling and flightless, suggesting a propensity of the group to disperse over long distances , a characteristic that any birder in late summer is familiar with. Scarlet Ibis , photo by Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela.

Birds 213

Birds North America Charlotte New Jersey 213

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 182

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 182

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

Later, Harry Fuller, President of the Klamath Bird Observatory, led us to an open meadow where we saw a pair of Great Gray Owls hunting in a meadow. Finally, the Similan Islands are perhaps one of the most beautiful islands in the world and form a stunning backdrop to this species, one of the loveliest pigeons in the world.

2014 189

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 189

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 10, 2012

They diverged at approximately the same time as the rockjumpers (two quite unique bird species endemic to Southern Africa and now in their own family), and as a result for a while were even placed in the same family. They are also believed to be related to the Rail-Babbler of Tropical Asia.

Sierra Leone 268

Sierra Leone Ghana Cameroon Equatorial Guinea 268

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 203

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 203

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

That was a wild cat, a wild Wildcat, the cat that lives in the wild because that is where it is from and where it belongs, at the southern end of its pan-African range that extended at one time well into Europe and Asia. Also, feral Cats on islands seem to be a serious problem, causing the extirpation of some indigenous species.

Feral Cats 255

Feral Cats North America Feral Cats 255

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

JULY 4, 2023

” Writing about owls means writing about roughly 250 species (I counted 245 on the 2022 Clements spreadsheet, but I might have missed a few, and we all know that each classification system is different). These are behaviors that are most likely to vary across species and topics that make for compelling stories.

Owls 213

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 213

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 127

Indonesia Brunei Birds Malaysia 127

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 264

Africa Gabon South Africa Uganda 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2021

These characteristics (well, not the pagoda, I guess) make it an interesting location for birdwatching in Shanghai, with some species that are difficult to find elsewhere. Presumably, the species is not too proud of its crest (HBW: “short, pointed crest usually depressed and not visible”). I swear it wasn’t me.

China 161

China Hawaii Asia Hunting 161

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 16, 2018

Usually when we observe Peregrine Falcons they are hunting shorebirds around the Broome coastline and you don’t always get a chance to see all of their characteristics. The general consensus among birders is that this particular Peregrine Falcon is a different sub species and is most likely Falco peregrinus calidus.

Falcons 113

Falcons Australia 2016 Investigation 113

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 233

South Africa Africa New Zealand Asia 233

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 167

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 167

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2012

Bang Pra is a reservoir and no-hunting area to the south east of Bangkok. The flowerpecker, an attractive species, was actually responsible for Peter becoming a birder in the first place! Our next species was decidedly uncommon, a Black-headed Ibis circled overhead for a minute before flying off.

Thailand 154

Thailand New Zealand Terrapins Asia 154

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2012

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. Their name comes from their odd catlike call, but they more closely resemble one of the larger green barbets of Asia.

Possums 171

Possums Guinea Marsupials Rats 171

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 171

New Zealand Ducks Australia Japan 171

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2021

Nordmann’s Greenshank photographed hunting on the Cairns Esplanade [Ken Cross]. To underline the mystery of this species in 2019 a Nordmann nest was discovered; the first in 40 years! In south east Asia, the birds are tied to the estuarine habitat and are recognised as crab specialists.

Australia 264

Australia 2019 Thailand Russia 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2014

Contrast this in Asia to, say, Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok, all of which have great birding nearby but are destinations people go to for reasons other than wildlife. Between the 22 of December and the 31st I managed to see 171 species of bird, this had climbed to 219 by the time I had left of the 11th of January. And the birds?

Birds 184

Birds Bats Elephants Family 184

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 210

Woodpeckers Birds Eggs India 210

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2012

They occur in three biogeographic regions; the Neotropic, Afrotropic and Indo-Malaya ecozones, basically tropical South and Central America, Africa south of the Sahara and tropical Asia. They are generally cryptic species and despite frequent extended bouts of calling, their ventriloquial skills make them tricky to locate.

Ethiopia 232

Ethiopia Tanzania Africa Uganda 232