10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Which, naturally, got me to thinking about the newly erected order Suliformes, a development I mentioned in my December column, 2010′s Top 10 Developments in Bird Taxonomy and Systematics , but which I thought deserved further examination, for it’s one of those stories that defines the era in which we are living and birding.

2011 153

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 153

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2015

A mozzie bites me, so I take the “Expedition Plus Insect Repellent” from my rucksack (when I think about it now, any local brand would probably be equally efficient, but they lack the word “expedition” which immediately turns you into a proper explorer) and start spraying my hands and neck. Telia, copyright © Nitin Bhardwaj.

Tigers 246

Tigers India Killing 2012 246

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2019

Last year I reviewed The Feather Thief , an enjoyable tale centering on the use of feathers in the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying, and how that led to the theft of priceless bird skins by one obsessed young man. The late Victorian age was not a good time to be an egret!

Industry 119

Industry Virginia Portland Campaign 119

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 12, 2013

February 12 is Darwin Day , the birthday of the brilliant author of On The Origin of Species. 10,000 is the approximate number of bird species in the world but certainly not the actual number. 10,000 is the approximate number of bird species in the world but certainly not the actual number.

Groups 182

Groups Branding Species 2009 182

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2018

In addition to my monthly posts here, I have also written short pieces and feature articles that rely on bird-related scientific literature. Other papers are locked behind paywalls.) That research ultimately led to an article about the conservation efforts regarding the Laysan Duck in the June 2017 issue of Birding.

Transported 113

Transported 2011 Research 2012 113

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

It’s my fantasy and it’s yours: Quit the job, say good-bye to the family, and bird. British birder Chris Gooddie, my new birding hero, not only dreamed the fantasy, he lived it. This is the birding adventure book supreme. I get my own idea of the lunacy of Gooddie’s quest when I talk to a friend who has birded Asia and Africa.

Hunters 194

Hunters Sri Lanka Asia Solomon Islands 194

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2018

While some people never overcome this vestigial aversion to sour and bitter sensations, this innate prejudice can be overturned with experience, becoming acquired tastes we learn to enjoy just as much as the more dependable, uncomplicated pleasures of sweetness, salt, and fat. Good birding and happy drinking! Well, until now.

Collecting 100

Collecting St. Louis Dogs Sparrows 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 20, 2024

One night while camping in the Himalayas, the birding friend hears a Satyr Tragopan calling. He leaves the camp to look for the bird, and has never been seen again. Birders will ask: did he see the bird? Is birding a dangerous sport, an extreme sport even? She died in a car accident during a birding trip.

Mozambique 221

Mozambique Birds Ghana Namibia 221

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2024

I don’t remember where I first learned about Elizabeth Gould–possibly when I was birding Doi Angkhang, Thailand and saw a stunning little bird named Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird–but I have been fascinated by her story and her art for the past five years. And I’m so happy I did. Twelve years!

Australia 189

Australia Birds Europe Collecting 189

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2024

Personally, I wish the species the best of luck in this endeavor. (Of Then again, why would anyone name a bird after a botanist, let alone one I only just made up right now? However, the fact that there are 30 subspecies seems to indicate that the species has a slightly overblown estimation of its own importance.

Birds 192

Birds Research Science Europe 192

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2013

We can bird all over the world, and although we are not guaranteed a field guide to every single region and country in the world, there are a whole lot more of them than in the mid-1970’s, when world birders like Phoebe Snetsinger often had to put together their own checklists and guides. I couldn’t wait to give names to all my new species.

Ireland 173

Ireland France Breeding Eggs 173

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2011

Our first shopping trip when we arrived in Florida was to buy a field guide and that afternoon we thought we had a soft drink can sitting on a fence-you know the brand-no, it’s not that…it’s a cardinal! It has the common names of the birds in English, Afrikaans and Eastern Bantu and Native languages!

South Africa 158

South Africa United States Austin Alligators 158