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The return of the Old Man

10,000 Birds

According to Storks, Ibises and Spoonbills of the World , a handsome volume written by James Hancock, James Kushan and Philip Kohl and published by Academic Press in 1992, Geronticus eremita “once nested in the mountains of central Europe, across northern Africa and into the Middle East. But this range is now much reduced.

Morocco 239
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The Hidden Qualities of House Sparrows

10,000 Birds

The genus Passer has several well-recognized and recognizable species in Europe, and still holds several enigmas. The Italian Sparrow is not entirely confined to Italy but – not surprisingly – also occurs in neighbouring areas of Austria and Switzerland.

Sparrows 232
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Finding Dippers in Berlin

10,000 Birds

I know for a fact that a certain birder from the US only joined an esteemed bird blog and blogged like a madman just so he would eventually be invited by makers of fine optics to Austria where he would have a chance at seeing his lifer white-throated dippers. Crazy, I know. And you know what?

Germany 100
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Old World waterfowl… and other waterfowl in the Old World

10,000 Birds

As I mentioned last week, my wife, son, and daughter-in-law spent much of the month of October in Europe. Visiting the continent after the end of most of the autumn migration meant that the number of bird species I could see in northern France, Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria was much reduced. Boy, was I glad I got photos!

Austria 131
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Africa’s endangered species

10,000 Birds

This species prefers wetlands and its numbers have been decimated due to a combination of habitat destruction caused by human population growth and illegal removal of birds and eggs from the wild for the pet and zoo trade. This strange but beautifully plumaged bird was widely known throughout Europe as the Waldrapp (meaning “Forest Crow”).