10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2012

Typically these birds hunt at night and are very shy. So my first sighting of Pel’s Fishing Owl was highly appreciated. Our trip to Botswana produced some great owl species besides the reclusive phantom, including some of the smallest and some of the largest owls in Africa. Consider their name for a moment.

Owls 247

Owls Fish Botswana Barn Owls 247

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2023

Lynford also boasts an arboretum, with 200 different species of trees. Today, in southern England, we rarely have the luxury of trying to tell the two species apart, as Willow T**s have declined so severely that they are now virtually extinct in East Anglia.

Barn Owls 213

Barn Owls Japan Rats Owls 213

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

It’s a small education Northern White-faced Owl that completely changes shape as zoo keepers bring by other types of owls that would be a predator for that species. For the only slightly larger Barn Owl the bird puffs itself up to look fierce and like a foe to be avoided.

Owls 263

Owls Barn Owls Agenda Zoos 263

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 212

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 212

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2021

With that logic those trees, if left to grow, should produce something of use to at least one or two species of birds. It’s been some years since I’ve seen any Short-tailed Hawks as the entire valley is now overrun with concrete – but I’m trying my best to create some sort of oasis for any species.

Opossums 264

Opossums Barn Owls Hunting Reptiles 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 29, 2023

My British total was a mere 172 species – not bad, but not very good. Every one of my 171 species was a bird that I found myself. It keeps a monthly record of sightings, so I can tell you that it was in February that I recorded my highest monthly species total (106), while my lowest total was in August (39).

Estonia 226

Estonia Portugal Greece Barn Owls 226

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

American Kestrels, Cooper Hawks , and Northern Harriers also found the hunting here to their liking. I spooked three Barn Owls out of a dense scrub row, just as the sun was setting. This did open up the area to a few new species, like this Wilson’s Warbler. US species – 234. eBird.org submissions – 307.

Albuquerque 122

Albuquerque New Mexico Mexico Sparrows 122

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2018

It was almost a month ago that I wondered how many species of ducks, geese, and swans could be found in my home borough of Queens in a single day this winter if I really put forth the effort. If I could just find all three scoters, an eider, and a couple good geese I could make it to twenty-nine species! Gadwall at Baisley Pond Park.

Geese 100

Geese Jamaica Ducks Barn Owls 100

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. We soon located two nests of Eastern Barn Owls , but were unable to find the Sooty Owls that make the site a drawn for many birders.

Possums 171

Possums Guinea Marsupials Rats 171

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2015

What kind of miscreant kicks a Barn Owl in mid-flight? Someone better tell that flamingo not to stay put and avoid Malta, where voters narrowly rejected a ban on hunting migratory birds. Help them rack up 4,000 species in 24 hours on eBird!). And last but not least, get your owl snark on.

Malta 183

Malta Barn Owls Cyprus Fowl 183