10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2022

Ndumo Game Reserve lies in the Easternmost part of South Africa, close to the border of Mozambique and Eswatini. It is not particularly big but has a reported 430 bird species including migrants, though during my short stay it seems I missed most of the key attractions among them. Pel’s Fishing Owl, where were you?

South Africa 147

South Africa Africa Birds Research 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

This is Liz’s first contribution to 10,000 Birds. The rise in drone popularity over the past few years has been meteoric — and in our typical human arrogance, we’ve once again ignored the fact that for the past 150 million years, the sky has belonged to the birds.

Birds 180

Birds Protection Idaho Bears 180

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2023

A characteristic of most but not all Paradise Flycatchers is the long tail of the male bird (tail length is thought to be a criterion by which females select their partners – please insert your own pornographic joke here). Fear not, science has an answer: about 1.16 How to distinguish the two species, as they look somewhat similar?

Japan 130

Japan China Guinea Germany 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2022

The American Birding Association has declared that 2022 is the year of the Burrowing Owl, but if Rosemary Mosco has her way, it will also be the year of the Rock Pigeon. Mosco’s birds (and other creatures in her comics) carry an air of insouciance. Rosemary Mosco’s work is hopefully familiar to many of you.

2018 206

2018 New York City Birds Abandon 206

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2014

Sometimes bird rehabbers who end up with tiny, semi-feathered little mystery birds end up playing a game called “Name That Bird.”. Hence: Name That Bird. Aha, Georgia, so it’s too small for a Carolina Wren and there aren’t any House Wren s in your area during breeding season.”. Eastern Kingbird ?

Wildlife Rehabilitation 215

Wildlife Rehabilitation Birds Georgia Kentucky 215

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 14, 2021

This is the second post in the Birding crème de la crème series (the first, focused on southern Asia, is here ). The bird-richest region of Africa is its equatorial East: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi (unlike the rest, the last one, Burundi, is politically unstable and not recommendable). 2 Phinda GR 447 sp. Lake Nakuru.

Africa 190

Africa Kenya Uganda Tanzania 190

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 186

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 186

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

The Mourning Dove ( Zenaida macroura) is among the most abundant and widespread terrestrial birds endemic to North and Middle America. This gentle bird frequents bird feeders and readily nests almost anywhere. A seemingly rather peaceful bird, it gets its name from its easily identifiable mournful call. v=44fNo6B5gUI.

Hunters 173

Hunters Hunting North America Game 173

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge : Open to migratory bird hunting (youth only). The Refuge is now home to nearly 200 species of birds, over 50 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, and a wide variety of insects, fish and plants. Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge : Expand big game hunting.

Fish 142

Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 142

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2016

Many states choose their representative bird based on common, native birds spending part or all of the year within the states’ borders. South Dakota went a different way, designating the Ring-necked Pheasant as the state bird in 1943. Ring-necked Pheasants are native to Asia, brought over in the 1880’s.

South Dakota 100

South Dakota Hawaii United States North America 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2012

Alvaro Jaramillo, brilliant bird guide and proprietor of Alvaro’s Adventures , just tackled this thorny topic on the ABA Facebook page. The rules of the game, and what you can and cannot count, are the domain of the ABA. They should be treated more like banded and released birds at a banding station, NOT LIKE INTRODUCTIONS.

California Condor 150

California Condor Rescue Game California 150

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2013

Are you sometimes astounded when you are out with another birder who manages to hear and identify many more birds than you? Be prepared for spring migration by giving your ears a real workout and blow your birding buddies away with your amazing abilities come April and May! One of those songs plays and you guess which bird it is.

Game 180

Game Rights Groups Breeding 180

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

The recently released 2014 State of the Birds Report lists the Bank Swallow as one of the common birds in steep decline. These birds have lost more than half their global population, and the 33 species combined have lost hundreds of millions of breeding individuals in just the past 40 years. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkp-BYEMSJg.

North America 186

North America 2014 California Birds 186

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2017

So, when Carnival season gets here, the entire waterfront becomes a glut of food booths, silly carnival games, nightly Mardi Gras style parades, and nearly two miles of vendors hawking a large variety of wares for sale. Now, at this point you are probably asking your self, what does this have to do with birds.

Birds 104

Birds Mexico Game California 104

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Walking along a dirt track next to a prairie, my friend and I were on the look-out for different sparrow species when a large bird suddenly darted into the clearing. In fact, they are central to many Mexican and Native American spiritual beliefs, and have been named the state bird of New Mexico.

New Mexico 101

New Mexico Mexico Coyotes Rattlesnake 101

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2023

Flight Paths is a splendid but risky title for a book about bird migration. It could easily be mistaken for a book about aviation or space navigation or even a flight simulator game if you don’t read the long, adjective-filled subtitle: How a Passionate and Quirky Group of Pioneering Scientists Solved the Mystery of Bird Migration.

Science 181

Science Illinois Investigation Research 181

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2020

The April arrival of the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, Second Edition was a supremely happy moment in a very difficult, sad month. A companion regional guide, Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Western North America was published in 1941; its fifth edition will be coming out in early September.

North America 199

North America America Hawaii Birds 199

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2020

Juniper is a decidely wintery spice, and its piquant, piney flavor is generally used to season game, offal, and charcuterie, steaming heaps of sauerkraut, warming cordials, and other hearty fare best enjoyed during the shorter, darker days of the year. Good birding and happy drinking! Neversink Spirits: Neversink Spirits Gin.

New York 159

New York Connecticut Mississippi North America 159

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2013

She contributes regularly to Ontario Nature , reviews books for Birding, and also blogs about her misadventures in bird identification while offering trenchant analysis of avian coiffures on her own blog Birds and Words. This is Julia’s first contribution to 10,000 Birds. Happy puffins. Common Murres on Gull island.

Puffins 179

Puffins Whales Whaling Bald Eagle 179

10,000 Birds

JUNE 29, 2016

But this breeding and social arrangement has its risks. female birds for every male. female birds for every male. Having a harem sounds like a pretty sweet deal. After all, variety is the spice of life, no? For humans, you have the drama of sister wives.

Game 100

Game Europe Groups Breeding 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2018

I am preparing for the new census of one of the rarest birds of Serbia, the globally threatened Great Bustard , taking place two days from now. Together with African Kori Bustard (which I observed on a camping trip in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve), this is the heaviest flying bird in the world. m–8 ft 10 in). Lots of it.

Serbia 103

Serbia Romania Hungary Hunting 103

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2013

The ABA currently lumps the Mangrove Warbler and Golden Warbler with the Yellow Warbler (the IOC lumps Mangrove and Golden Warbler together but splits them from the Yellow Warbler that breeds in North America.) Chuk makes his quip about the Black-winged Yellow Bird; my friend Molly insists that everything is a duck, a pigeon, or an owl.

Connecticut 169

Connecticut Baltimore North America New York City 169

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2014

My Dark-eyed Juncos are trilling in preparation to retreat to quieter breeding grounds, the Black-Capped Chickadees sing their two notes, and the Song Sparrows absolutely will not shut up. Snow Geese overgrazing their breeding grounds, displacing other Arctic-breeding species and setting themselves up for a fall. The result?

Geese 176

Geese Montana Breeding Pelicans 176

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2017

Ka’ena Point is also a breeding ground for the Federally protected Laysan albatross, where 45 nests were being carefully monitored by the non-profit Pacific Rim Conservation. The young men had severed the birds’ legs in order to remove the tags. “He was there when this happened but he did not injure any birds.

Albatross 214

Albatross Honolulu Hawaii Killing 214

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 261

South Africa Mice Albatross Africa 261

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2012

Several years ago, I was asked to visit my nephew’s preschool class and talk about birds. Jake lives in southern Florida, so he and his friends had to be interested in learning about these birds, which they saw everyday, right? How old were the baby birds? I chalk it up to the original baby bird book, P.D.

Birds 205

Birds Owls Switzerland Lions 205

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2012

Few experiences birding get me more excited than adding a new bird to my Queens list. My latest addition, a Parasitic Jaeger off the coast, finally got me to my 289th bird, well over a year since I got my 279th. The first time I did this I accidentally added twelve birds to my list before reviewing it. I must do better!

Connecticut 169

Connecticut 2011 2012 Jamaica 169

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

Eventually, the pigeons, as it were, may come home to roost and the waterfowl and other wildlife, as well as hunters and bird watchers, will be sitting ducks. The relationship between duck breeding populations and duck stamp sales changed between 1955–1994 (r 1?4 4 0.81) and 1995–2008 (r 1?

Ducks 205

Ducks Hunters Hunting Wildlife 205

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2023

After Jason recently asked ChatGPT for birding advice, the management consultant in me – constantly thriving for efficiency improvements – immediately thought of the next step. The Seasonal Spectacles: Shanghai’s birding scene comes alive during the spring and autumn migration seasons.

China 159

China Endangered Species Sanctuary Protection 159

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2015

We assume natural selection has shaped birds to avoid predators. Noticing predators, reacting to them perhaps with an alarm call, and escaping them, as well as other behaviors, keep the bird alive and thus allow it to reproduce. We would expect, then, that natural selection favors birds that are good at these things.

Birds 116

Birds Research Humane Pets 116

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2014

More than 99% of the population of Tricolored Blackbirds ( Agelaius tricolor ) live within the state of California and form the largest colonies of any North American passerine bird 1. Therefore the actual numbers of birds killed are grossly underestimated. The California population estimate derived from the Survey was 145,000 birds.

Blackbirds 185

Blackbirds California 2014 2013 185

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2014

2014 has been a good year for us at 10,000 Birds. We’ve traveled to lots of places, seen lots of great birds, and met lots of great birders. So, as we’ve done for the last several years we thought we would share our Best Birds of the Year with you. Below are our Best Birds of the Year. What was yours?

2014 183

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 183

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2011

A good freezeup can send Central flyway birds into the Eastern flyway, bloating apparent numbers by tens of thousands, only to have them all disappear the next winter. One was “Superdad,” one of the few successful breeding whooping cranes in the entire eastern population. Could Ohio lose its entire pioneer breeding population?

Kentucky 260

Kentucky Hunters Hunting Protest 260

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

I am watching from the main coastal road and do not see much – several Little Egrets and Grey Herons , one Common Kingfisher … is he going to be my best bird here? A quite uncommon bird – there are only about 6000 pairs on the planet and this is one of only a handful of my observations of this species. Of course you do!

Falcons 172

Falcons Greece Madagascar Game 172

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2019

Another friend recently commented that while she loved all forms of birds, owls were, well, just something special! I drove past, not wanting to spook them, and then tried to figure out where to park, to get the best use of the early light, back ground, and bird location. This is a look at the man-made burrow openings.

Owls 144

Owls Arizona Tucson South Africa 144

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2012

One of the really great things about living in the Arctic, and loving to watch and photograph birds, is that you can bird in the middle of the night if you so desire. I know you can bird in dark in New York and Newcastle, Weyburn and Walla Walla. I’m talking about full on, need sunglasses, no need for high ISO, birding.

Bald Eagle 170

Bald Eagle Breeding Raised Whales 170

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2012

I know it sounds strange, especially when the folks at Mission San Juan Capistrano are trying to coax them back by playing recordings of the bird’s mating calls. Because I am a local Audubon board member, I was recently contacted by a bird lover who witnessed Cliff Swallow nests being destroyed at the marina where they dock their boat.

San Diego 165

San Diego illegal California South America 165