10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

Mute Swans are large, white, and decorative, and as such their natural range has been significantly altered by humans who generally enjoy having them around. Within its European range, it was heavily hunted until the late 19th century, and the Mute Swan was subsequently a very rare bird to encounter in the wild.

Feral 169

Feral Europe Asia North America 169

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2012

This is our thirteenth year of observing Pied Oystercatchers breed along the coast near Broome and it gets easier every year! They always nest from the end of June and they always nest in the same place or within a few metres if there is disturbance around the breeding territory. They are so predictable!

Eggs 176

Eggs Turtles Feral Cats Investigation 176

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 8, 2017

Isn’t it a Eurasian bird?… No, I’d remember that, I didn’t see that many birds in France. …maybe there’s a secret Corn Crake breeding farm out in Gilgo Beach. Our Target Bird . Had the bird moved to a different area? The bird was right there, they said, pointing vaguely north.

New York 155

New York North America France Feral Cats 155

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2011

Australia is a dry continent and as such all bird-life needs to take advantage of any fresh water that is available. During wet years the bird-life has the incredible adaptability to find fresh water lakes in the middle of the continent. Derby Poo Ponds give an alternative to bird-life from all the surrounding mud.

Feral Animals 172

Feral Animals Australia Ducks Feral 172

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

There were three profound questions my birding group discussed while we birded Trinidad and Tobago, back in December 2012: (1) How many Bananaquits could fit on a banana? (2) 3) What was the best guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago? The bird guide question was a conundrum.

Trinidad 194

Trinidad Birds South America Research 194

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Some time after the Spanish encounter with the Turkey, birds were brought back to Europe where they were raised and became an important source of food and fancy feathers. The one case that could have been an actual Turkey was a bird spotted in Honduras, where they may or may not have been, by our friend Christopher Columbus.

Turkey 201

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 201

4 The Love Of Animals

MAY 8, 2011

Half a decade ago, in a little mountain town about 60 miles northeast of San Diego, a feral kitten dragged his front left leg uselessly. Over the past six years, Henry has received almost 50,000 letters from humans and critters. The healing messages and challenges are for humans, the profits, above printing costs, go to help animals.

San Diego 100

San Diego Kittens Emotional Cats 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

Long-time readers of this blog probably also know Tai Haku, the scuba-diving, tree-planting, bird photographing nature blogger at Earth, Wind, and Water. For a successful relocation, check out Rare Birds: The Extraordinary Tale of the Bermuda Petrel and the Man who Brought it Back from Extinction.)

Puerto Rico 186

Puerto Rico Guam Virgin Islands Feral 186

10,000 Birds

MAY 29, 2015

Do much birding in the city, and your thoughts will turn again and again to feral pigeons. Human ingenuity has found a lot of uses for pigeons, though. Like everything else that humans choose to domesticate, though, fancy pigeons sometimes get loose into the environment and then matters take on a less cheerful air.

Lifestyle 160

Lifestyle Falcons Rats Breeders 160

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2018

A bit of background: Pink Pigeons are medium-sized, pink/gray/ brown birds found on the island of Mauritius, Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. Mauritius may sound familiar, it was also the home of one of our most famous extinct birds—the Dodo. Don’t these birds care about propagating their species?

Mauritius 101

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 101

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 17, 2012

When songbirds endeavor to head hundreds or thousands of miles south they are risking everything in order to find a place that they can winter and hopefully survive in order to head back north and breed. Migration is the single most dangerous thing that birds do and many don’t survive as Greg pointed out in his recent post.

Feral Cats 183

Feral Cats Cats Killing North America 183

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2018

More than 50 years ago, the Hawaiian Goose (Nene) was one of the first birds listed under the Endangered Species Act, part of the inaugural “ Class of 1967 ”. The program became more effective as managers learned the best ways to release the birds. predator control, habitat management for feral ungulates and nonnative plants).

Endangered Species 101

Endangered Species Species Hawaii 2018 101

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2012

It seems that my article last week on the dangers posed by birds struck a chord with the readers, many of whom posted their own stories of terror at the hand of this avian menace. One commenter actually said their were rooting for the birds, and, well, no offence but I’m not sure I want to go birding with you. Dum dum DUM!

New Zealand 150

New Zealand Birds Australia Kangaroos 150

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

Australia is a vast country with a very small human population, which mostly clings to the edge of the continent. The lack of people does not mean we have any less extinct or threatened bird species than other countries. Handbook to The Birds of Australia, 1865.

Species 174

Species Australia Birds Parrots 174

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2011

Of all the dangerous sports birders risk their necks in in the pursuit of birds, birding while driving is perhaps the most common threat to the life of a birder of all. So, inspired by a similar article on road birding in Thailand, I present road birding in New Zealand.

New Zealand 174

New Zealand Birds Thailand Falcons 174