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The return of the Old Man

10,000 Birds

There’s something wonderfully primeval about the Northern Bald Ibis: it has the look of a bird that really ought to be extinct. The fact that it’s not is quite surprising, as this curious bird has come very close to the brink. Sadly, they no longer breed in Algeria, while in Turkey no free-flying birds remain.

Morocco 227
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Birding around Chaka, Qinghai, China

10,000 Birds

Fortunately, I share this preference with birds, which we found away from the lake, mostly in some semi-desert areas. “ Not the bird’s fault, I guess. Possibly my favorite bird on the whole Qinghai trip was this Mongolian Ground Jay – thanks a lot to Bella from Alpinebirding for finding it.

China 250
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What is Mexico’s National Bird?

10,000 Birds

One of the most impressive birds in North America is the Golden Eagle. In fact, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology , “The Golden Eagle is the most common official national animal in the world – it’s the emblem of Albania, Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Kazakhstan.” ” The bird is massive.

Albania 101
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The New Swarovski BTX, an Amazing Advancement in Spotting Scopes

10,000 Birds

A little over a month ago I was hiking up a mountain path outside of Innsbruck, Austria, with birders from around the world. Humans have evolved with binocular vision and it is unnatural and unfortunate that our spotting scopes have, with a few unimpressive exceptions, left us stuck with an inferior monocular view.

Austria 189
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The Hidden Qualities of House Sparrows

10,000 Birds

Bird blogging in May always gives me the creeps. This ridiculous focus of the Birding Internet on North American wood-warblers is boring on a quiet day and highly annoying during peak migration. It visits bird feeders, making it a worthy spark bird to new birders as they may see it closely. And do they ever try so hard.

Sparrows 218
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Finding Dippers in Berlin

10,000 Birds

This special place in a birder’s heart or on a list of best birds of the year certainly pertains not only to their extravagant lifestyle but also to the fact that most birders – particularly visiting birders – often struggle with finding them. Crazy, I know. And you know what? A silly name from a German prespective.

Germany 100
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The Incredulous New Caledonian Crows

10,000 Birds

We know that the human mind has capacities that are not common in other animals. For example, humans have “Theory of Mind” which is not a theory in the scientific sense, but rather, a capacity whereby we have an internal theory of what is going on in other people’s minds. But that’s another story. Here’s the idea. Just eat the food.

Abandon 230