10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2024

On my 21-day Kenyan safaris we reckoned to find around 600 species of birds and around 60 mammals, both impressive totals. In 2023 I attempted to keep a year list of mammal encounters: the list barely exceeded 20 species, while it became complicated by seeing bats and voles that I was unable to name specifically.

Fur 199

Fur Bulgaria Otters Estonia 199

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2015

Little by little, that woodpecker-like voice takes me ever further and yet, I see no bird. It is swimming with its body half-submerged (typical for the species and yet, so strange for songbirds) and often diving. This species is reasonably easy to find if you are in the right kind of habitat – but I am rarely in that type of habitat.

Bats 226

Bats Woodpeckers Squirrels Game 226

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 27, 2018

Each of the six species in Costa Rica sports beautiful plumage with green and blue hues highlighted with rufous tones, and several also have long, racket-tipped tails. It was tough to pick out just one tanager species, many are downright stunning. Bat Falcon. Dressed to kill, the deadly Bat Falcon eats more than bats.

Costa Rica 172

Costa Rica Bats Birds Falcons 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

These arid hills, cloaked in a mosaic of deciduous scrub and desert vegetation, form a northern outpost for several Neotropical species while also harboring several key endemics and southwestern Nearctic species. I really wanted to see Gray-crowned Woodpecker and Military Macaw , and I managed to succeed on both counts.

Mexico 201

Mexico Costa Rica Arizona Birds 201

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2020

If it was any indication of where my passion lay, instead of racing home like the proverbial bat out of hell, I stayed put to monitor this supposed nest. Although relatively common here they’re notoriously difficult to see well – a phenomenon clearly not unique to this species ! Bay-headed Tanagers. Turquoise Tanager.

Trinidad 232

Trinidad Battery Industry Bats 232

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2022

8 of them sent 153 lists, noting 645 species of bird across 7 countries (Mexico, UK, USA, Serbia, Australia, Costa Rica, Colombia). It has not resulted in extraordinary numbers of sightings personally, but the beats have been busy on their respective patches and have sent me their lists to collate. The year list finishes at 1628.

Sparrows 245

Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots Owls 245

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2017

Members of the genus Pachycereus , there are a couple of species which are quite prevalent here on the southern Baja. The Elephant Cactus , puts out a white tubular flower that open from late March, until early, June, and are visited by nectar feeding bats at night and many birds during the day. First the Gila Woodpecker.

Elephants 108

Elephants Woodpeckers Squirrels Shelters 108

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

They birded 7 countries during August and recorded 542 species. The year list remains sluggish at 1489 , but the life list received a boost from the eBird taxonomy reshuffle and now includes 4076 species. Stay vigilant and safe. 10 of the beats have submitted 124 checklists which are collated below for your perusal.

Woodpeckers 213

Woodpeckers Sparrows Blackbirds California 213

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2021

11 beats have been out this month and have submitted 136 checklists from 7 countries ticking 634 species. 8 Lineated Woodpecker – Dryocopus lineatus. 76 Red-headed Woodpecker – Melanerpes erythrocephalus. 115 Eurasian Green Woodpecker – Picus viridis. 207 Rufous-winged Woodpecker – Piculus simplex.

Woodpeckers 218

Woodpeckers Sparrows Parrots Blackbirds 218

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2018

Today, with assistance from the Tucson Audubon Society, this world-famous destination is “The Place” to go for not only rare hummingbirds, but dozens of other species as well. By the time we left there four hours later, I checked off, seven total hummingbird species. 1 Gila Woodpecker. 5 Ladder-backed Woodpeckers.

Tucson 113

Tucson Costa Rica Arizona Woodpeckers 113

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2021

The year list ends on a provisional 1803 species from 1608 checklists submitted by 12 beats from 16 countries. Most species-prolific was Patrick in Costa Rica, followed by Paul from Mexico. December’s beats found 609 birds after submitting 116 checklists from 8 countries (USA, UK, Costa Rica, China, Mexico, Serbia and Australia).

2020 237

2020 Sparrows Woodpeckers Parrots 237

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2020

The prospect of identifying a certain number of species in a given amount of time pushes us to pay more attention to birds no matter what the circumstances (although I suggest keeping the exclamations about species identifications to yourself during such solemn situations as funerals, graduations, and watching episodes of The Sopranos).

Costa Rica 263

Costa Rica 2020 Morals Farming 263

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 16, 2021

We have nearly 930 species on the official list and with some effort, 700 in a year is a feasible goal. Hoffmann’s Woodpecker – Melanerpes hoffmannii; San Joaquin de Heredia, 1-Jan. Black-cheeked Woodpecker – Melanerpes pucherani; Tirimbina, 9-Jan. Hairy Woodpecker – Dryobates villosus; Varablanca, 9-Jan.

Costa Rica 166

Costa Rica Birds Parrots Woodpeckers 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2021

9 beats from 8 countries (Australia, USA, UK, Serbia, Costa Rica, China, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico), shared 138 checklists for 703 species. The year list to date is 1015 species and 7 have been added to the life list ( 4059 ) from Costa Rica, China and Trinidad and Tobago. 273 Acorn Woodpecker – Melanerpes formicivorus.

Woodpeckers 193

Woodpeckers Sparrows Ducks Parrots 193

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2016

Since all sorts of rare species are possible at this remote lowland rainforest site, I was looking forward to this trip for a while. Since that block still hosts Harpy Eagle and every other possible species, it’s not out of the question for those rare birds to also show at Laguna and vicinity.

Costa Rica 136

Costa Rica Nicaragua Eagles Parrots 136

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2019

In an unhurried half-day of birding, we racked up over 90 species, including killers like Denham’s Bustard , Northern Carmine-throated Bee-eater , and Shelley’s Rufous Sparrow. Plus, the food, service, and accommodations meet the highest standards. How is birding in Murchison Falls, you ask? Mind boggling, I answer!

Uganda 201

Uganda Senegal Africa Game 201

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2017

Birds with white on them are much more likely to take the form of goodies like the Snowy Cotinga , or two species of tityras. The Caribbean slope of Costa Rica also differs from the islands in having a lot more bird species. The Bat Falcon that joined us for breakfast. . I recommend staying there but what about the birds?

Costa Rica 100

Costa Rica San Jose Birds Bats 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2021

Our brave beats have been putting themselves at risk for your vicarious listing pleasure and 10 of them submitted 151 checklists for 692 species, 2 of which made it onto the life list. Please be careful, Corvid is still out there. Marsh Grassbird and Rufous-faced Warbler come to you all the way from China and bring the life list to 4061.

Sparrows 160

Sparrows Woodpeckers Blackbirds Ducks 160

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

The majority are clearly Mallards , followed by Garganeys , with one and possibly more Green-winged Teals , also Ferruginous Ducks … Surprises among them are one Common Shelduck , a species that most likely breeds some 15 mi from here (and my first shelduck of the year) and an even greater surprise: two Eurasian Wigeons.

Serbia 177

Serbia Protection Eagles Ducks 177

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

Many Nearctic species and families reach their southern terminus in the Northern Central American Highlands, such as Common Raven , Red Crossbill , Steller’s Jay , and even Brown Creeper. Alex also masterfully worked another tricky species into view for us during that first afternoon, Ruddy Crake (a close relative of the Black Rail ).

Honduras 226

Honduras Costa Rica El Salvador Arizona 226

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2017

If not, I hope the following tips will convince you to come on down to this easy birding paradise: 100s of bird species are closer than you think. I know, there are literally hundreds of birds in the ABA region and the Western Palearctic too and recent major Big Years have nabbed well over 700 species in the ABA. Yes, hundreds.

Costa Rica 120

Costa Rica 2017 Birds West Virginia 120

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2015

You may not have heard about the Florida Bonneted Bat (Eumops floridanus) , and that is fine, not many know this bat even existed. This bat is rare and range-restricted in South Florida, which are some of the reasons it was recently listed as an endangered under the Endangered Species Act. ounces, a body length of 6.5

Bats 167

Bats Florida Endangered Species Cuba 167

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2018

The pressure is on if you can only get certain species during the first month of the year but if you just want to add any old birds to the year list, everything is fresh! Since I’m in no big hurry to reach any number of species in 2018, my year birding is going to be a fresh one hopefully touched with a good dose of Zen.

Costa Rica 167

Costa Rica Birds Parrots Woodpeckers 167

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2019

To surpass a challenging number of species, the planning, the conniving for major birding should have begun back in the past, in 2018. Every day counts and to seriously maximize the species total, a birder needs to maximize time in the field at the most productive places during the most productive times and then some.

Costa Rica 113

Costa Rica 2019 Parrots Woodpeckers 113

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2017

Along that stretch, we enjoyed Fork-tailed Flycatchers and other species in the open fields and marshes including Harriss’s Hawk , the local Nicaraguan Seed-Finch , and, best of all, a pair of normally sneaky and secretive Yellow-breasted Crakes walking in the open through a grassy marsh!

Costa Rica 128

Costa Rica San Jose Birds Farming 128

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2014

It’s almost a bucolic place; sea turtles nest on the beaches, Humpback Whales and bat rays frolic just offshore, and you can buy the freshest fish from the panga fisherman at Punta Lobos every afternoon. Judging by the number of people I know who have been there at one time or another, you might find yourself there some day.

California 231

California San Jose Birds Mexico 231

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2022

There aren’t many places in the world where one can observe rainforest-dependent species against the stunning blue backdrop of the ocean. It is almost as if the island is filled to the brim with these exotic species, and they are overflowing onto the Caribbean Sea! Crimson-crested Woodpecker. Collared Trogon.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Woodpeckers Bats Venezuela 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2015

Its great diversity of habitats hosts an incredible bird count of over 900 species, including Africa’s 2nd highest list of endemics and near-endemics (after South Africa). Other quality birds seen in the park that morning included the endemic Wattled Ibis, Banded Snake Eagle , migrant Pallid Harriers, Nubian Woodpecker and Brown Babbler.

Ethiopia 249

Ethiopia Sudan Leopards Birds 249

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2023

When you have birded a single area as much and for as long as I have birded Michoacán, it becomes progressively harder to find first-time species (“lifers”) there. I had seen several species turn up in new and unexpected places there, but none of them were birds that I had never seen before. … or Green Herons.

Bats 130

Bats Mexico ALA 2020 130

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

This was a wonderful re-introduction to the desert species I was seeking. A Ladder-backed Woodpecker and then Lesser Goldfinches flew onto the tree next to me as I observed the Roadrunner feeding in an empty lot and a Cactus Wren called from the other side of the lot. A Roadrunner crossed in front of me. I was in birder heaven.

Arizona 103

Arizona Lovebirds Phoenix New Jersey 103

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2020

They contributed 150 lists accounting for 1032 species and more than 36,000 individual birds. Thus 100 species were missed by the time he woke up and noticed that eBird had reset the counters at midnight(do you guys have nothing better to do?). Bat Hawk – Macheiramphus alcinus. Downy Woodpecker – Dryobates pubescens.

2019 179

2019 Chile Texas Sanctuary 179

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2019

beats have still managed to share 82 checklists and accounted for 737 species. Black-cheeked Woodpecker – Melanerpes pucherani. Red-bellied Woodpecker – Melanerpes carolinus. Acorn Woodpecker – Melanerpes formicivorus. Ladder-backed Woodpecker – Dryobates scalaris. Laguna Lagarto Lodge.

2019 122

2019 Jamaica Eggs Woodpeckers 122

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2018

He quickly starts pointing our different species that are all around us, with exceptional and obvious knowledge. It is not the smallest woodpecker in the world, that honor goes to the Barred Piculet , at 8CM, but this one is pretty darn close. Costa Rica species – 273. eBird submissions – 347.

Costa Rica 113

Costa Rica Falcons Mexico Groups 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2019

They accounted for 562 species at this sluggish time of year. Acorn Woodpecker – Melanerpes formicivorus. Golden-naped Woodpecker – Melanerpes chrysauchen. Golden-cheeked Woodpecker – Melanerpes chrysogenys. Hoffmann’s Woodpecker – Melanerpes hoffmannii. These are the numbers.

2019 121

2019 Sparrows Woodpeckers Idaho 121

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 2, 2019

172 lists were shared and 1004 species were seen, both records for October, so well done beats! Bearded Woodpecker – Chloropicus namaquus. Chestnut-colored Woodpecker – Celeus castaneus. Golden-tailed Woodpecker – Campethera abingoni. Golden-naped Woodpecker – Melanerpes chrysauchen.

2019 120

2019 China Battery Jamaica 120

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Our methods have changed over time — Linneaus, for example, chose not to classify bats among birds — but now, detailed molecular analyses can confound even the most comprehensive and rigorous morphology-based hypotheses, not to mention “obvious&# groupings. RECENT POSTS More Habitat for Snowy Plover?

2011 155

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 155

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