10,000 Birds

MAY 26, 2019

Spotting Blackpoll Warblers around here breaks bittersweet; obviously, anyone would enjoy spotting one of these monochromatic songbirds, but with this late migrant comes the promise of months of little more than resident breeders. Though he’s seen some decor birds he hasn’t been actively birding very much. How about you?

2019 113

2019 Pelicans Breeders Virginia 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

At the end of 2022, let us celebrate the local field guide, a sub-genre that many of us feared would die, the victim of technology, development, and globalization, but which still shines bright, fewer in number but brilliant in quality, thanks to birders and birding organizations that believe in knowing your patch and your state.

Los Angeles 194

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 194

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2014

His song, “C hanges in latitude, changes in birding attitude” really rings true when you’re on the road. Traveling really rejuvenates the passion when local breeders become banal. Most people don’t expect birding wisdom from Buffet, but he is, after all, the Chief Parrothead! Birding best bird weekend'

New York City 164

New York City 2014 Breeders Virginia 164

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2016

Mid-June has so much to offer in the temperate zones, with breeders in one half of the world and migrants in the other. Those of you in the tropical zones can enjoy your resident birds in peace for once. What was your best bird of the weekend? And to those of you in the polar zones, just why ? How about you?

2016 100

2016 Breeders Birds Hunting 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2011

Now how about those birds… Corey has really beaten the summertime birding blues by focusing on the best of what the season of resident breeders has to offer: baby birds! What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed.

2011 157

2011 Breeders Suffering Birds 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2022

Hannah Buschert was first exposed to birds and birding during a required ornithology course at Oregon State University and she quickly caught the birding bug. This is Hannah’s first contribution to 10,000 Birds. Hannah and Erik ready to see some birds! I love to go on cruises.

South Africa 263

South Africa Mice Albatross Africa 263

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2014

It is also a good description of the birding in southernmost Florida. However, few realize how unique and how good the birding can be here. A cool climate on one side and wide expanses of water on the others creates isolation as many temperate land bird species seem unable to colonize areas south of Lake Okeechobee.

Florida 171

Florida Miami United States Stray 171

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2013

Joseph Chiera is a Masters student in Animal Behavior and Conservation at Hunter College in NYC and a “somewhat newbie” to birding. After taking an ornithology course last year, he was hooked and spends most of his free time birding or reading birding blogs. Of course, birding was on the itinerary!

Iceland 187

Iceland Puffins Europe Birds 187

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2011

Up to that point, I’d offered Great Reasons to Become A Bird Watcher in an effort to encourage the uninitiated to try bird watching. Bird watching sounds simple, but for the beginner it’s anything but. Here are three simple steps to starting bird watching the right way: 1.

Birds 199

Birds United States 2006 Breeders 199

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2014

Among birds the Egyptian Vulture uses rocks to crack Ostrich eggs, the New Caledonian Crow and Woodpecker Finch (one of several Darwin Finches of the Galapagos Islands), uses sticks to extract grubs from inside a branch. This is similar to the fact that all birds, even first time breeders within a species build identical nests.

Fish 163

Fish Woodpeckers Ostriches Eggs 163

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2011

It is this season we experience vast musical repertoires, green canopies, hot air, and bustling energy. Now, here in Colorado this is the season for the high-country birds. The grasslands have been popping off with breeders for well over a month, but the snow is just now giving way to lush alpine meadows and rocky tundras.

Colorado 169

Colorado Breeders Wyoming Breeding 169

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2022

It stops those thousands of migrating birds flying across the Gulf of Mexico and directs them right onto the trees, fields, sanctuaries, beaches along the Bolivar Peninsula, where they hopefully find food and fresh water. And us, the birders who travel here from March to May to worship the birds as they seek to survive.

Houston 209

Houston Texas Sanctuary Sparrows 209

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

I haven’t yet been birding in Europe but whenever I occasionally skim a field guide about the birds on the other side of the Atlantic, I’m always encouraged to find that I’m already familiar with many species found over there, even though most of my birding experience has been limited to eastern North America.

2017 117

2017 Portugal Rabbits Europe 117

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2012

I sort of feel it’s sort of my duty, as the 10,000 Birds beat writer covering the southern tier of the continent, to be the bellwether of goodies to come, the sherpa of spring, if you will (please don’t). Last weekend seemed to be their peak, as the more northern parulas booked out leaving behind our resident breeders.

North Carolina 153

North Carolina Breeders Rights Experience 153

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

My initial reaction was, “Really, dude, of all the birds that you’re allowed to have in Wisconsin, you choose the bird that is going to make birders who don’t understand falconry angry?” They’re not known to be the easiest birds to work with , especially when the temperatures are high. Go home now!”

Wisconsin 241

Wisconsin Falcons Owls Hunting 241

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Furthermore we have another very special stork-like bird, the regal Shoebill , previously known as the Whale-headed Stork but now placed in its own family. Further to the east, Asian Openbill displays the same special feature but is mostly a white plumaged bird.

Africa 239

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 239

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2024

Lesser Kestrels are one of those birds that have a special fascination for British birdwatchers. They are very rare birds in Britain, but have been recorded from Scilly in the south to Fair Isle in the north. Lesser Kestrel really is an appropriate name, for they are a lesser bird than the familiar Common Kestrel.

Falcons 194

Falcons Spain Europe 2012 194

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 28, 2022

In retrospect, this weekend at Wuyuan was not exactly my finest hour as a bird photographer – hopefully, I could do better now, and perhaps one day I will, should normal traveling ever be possible again in China. I’d rather see yellow birds than yellow plants. Such a cute bird deserves a better representation.

China 147

China Birds Breeders Species 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

Well, they mainly feed on birds, which may explain their low popularity. For the White-throated Rock Thrush , Wikipedia gives the slightly puzzling statement “The bird’s population is unknown, but is not increasing or declining.” Even if they look as charming as this Northern Boobook. Unfortunately, it is true though.

Birds 196

Birds China Eggs Owls 196

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

The lawn seems bare of birds, except for a single female Flicker. Or was I, like so many birders, doomed to eternal restlessness, always investing somewhere else with the glamor of new birds and new experiences? Birding autumn migration sparrows warblers' Dawn is getting later and later. Could I ever readjust to land?

San Diego 172

San Diego Sparrows Breeders 2009 172

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2016

In the realm of birding, it might also be the season for Big Days. With all of those birds singing and showing off their breeding colors, it’s no surprise that we see major bird races like Champions of the Flyway and The World Series of Birding , along with other main birding events like the Global Big Day.

Costa Rica 100

Costa Rica Birds Species 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2020

In this post, we’ll share the most positive of the positives, at least for those who write for 10,000 Birds who decided to share. Of all the birds that make the list for a given year one of those birds must be the Best Bird of the Year. We are always content bird-watching around Broome anyway!

2020 230

2020 Birds Germany Costa Rica 230

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2024

I was thinking of inventing a background story about a Chinese poet mentioning starlings (and other bird species) in one of his poems, and a rich Chinese fan of these poems pursuing the ambition of introducing all bird species mentioned therein to China, explaining the occasional occurrence of the starling in Shanghai.

Birds 188

Birds Research Science Europe 188

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2019

Falconry Month at Birds and Booze: I’ve decided to dedicate this month of March 2019 to wines and beers related to the history of falconry – or hawking – for no other reason than that I’ve recently acquired several bottles adorned with mostly medieval European iconography relating to this “sport of kings”.

2015 113

2015 Italy Falcons Europe 113