10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2022

They can’t provide the same ecosystem value as natural forest and woodland but in places intensely modifed by people, hedges are vital sanctuaries for birds and other wildlife. In keeping with the depauperate biodiversity of open fields, such scraggly hedgerows host very few birds. Hoffmann’s Woodpecker.

Costa Rica 251

Costa Rica Birds Sparrows Woodpeckers 251

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2023

Lake Kerkini National Park in the north of Greece is the very best birding area in the Balkan Peninsula and definitely among the top ten hotspots of Europe. Some 320 species have been recorded here, and in springtime it is possible to observe more than 150 bird species in a week. The lake lies at a mere 35 m / 115 ft a.s.l.

Greece 221

Greece Pelicans Birds Stray Dog 221

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2013

A breeding bird atlas is a special kind of book. For birders, it’s the extremely large book, shelved in a place where it can’t crush the field guides, used to research the history of a bird in their area. Corey did just this in this 2011 posting about Vesper Sparrow Pooecetes gramineus in New York State.

Pennsylvania 220

Pennsylvania Breeding Birds Sparrows 220

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 2, 2011

Any day of birding in New York State that includes a sighting of a Vesper Sparrow is a better-then-average day. The precipitous plunge of Vesper Sparrow populations has been largely because of changing land use practices. What has caused the decline? They really stick out when you see them with other little brown jobs.

Sparrows 165

Sparrows North Dakota United States Downers 165

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 16, 2013

At first glance you might not recognize this bird as a Golden-crowned Sparrow ( Zonotrichia atricapilla ). It is an immature bird with an indistinct yellowish forecrown with dark stripes on its crown (click on photos for full sized images). This adult Golden-crowned Sparrow is more easily identified in its winter plumage.

Sparrows 160

Sparrows Alabama North America New Jersey 160

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2020

I am so recently arrived that I still have my Canadian (breeding) plumage. Many of our larger shorebirds connect me to breeding grounds farther south. Many of the birds from Canada and the eastern United States travel over the Caribbean, or around the Gulf of Mexico, to winter in Central and South America. I’m Black.

North America 234

North America United States America Mexico 234

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Counting the Birds I was in my teens when I undertook my first bird-survey: it was field work for the British Trust for Ornithology’s The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. The breeding and wintering birds of Britain and Ireland. A few years ago I helped with the BTO’s Turtle Dove Survey.

Ireland 208

Ireland Turtles Geese Farming 208

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

They took blood samples from the birds in order to extract DNA. “By examining the genetics, we have shown conclusively that the Italian sparrow is of mixed origin – it is a hybrid of the house sparrow and the Spanish sparrow,&# Dr Saetre told BBC Nature. Hey, science people (scientists?)

Sparrows 154

Sparrows Science Breeding Species 154

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2021

Once upon a time, bird field guides included nests. Decades later, Richard Pough’s Audubon Bird Guide, Eastern Land Birds (I happily own the 1948 edition) included nest and egg descriptions for each species as well. There are many reasons to inquire about bird nests (and eggs) and how to identify them. Harrison. (A

Eggs 220

Eggs Birds United States Sparrows 220

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

In Belgrade, Serbia, winter months offer surprisingly good birding possibilities. And that harsher, mountainous climate attracts some northern guests to overwinter, as well as birds that come down from Serbian mountains to spend the winter in somewhat lower and more hospitable areas, such as Avala. Photo Miroslav Mares.

Serbia 292

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Ducks 292

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2023

It is home to four diverse forest ecosystems (deciduous, mixed, boreal, and lowlands), experiences seasonal weather systems ranging from cold dry Arctic winters to humid, thunder-storm filled summers, and, according to the latest official checklist, hosts four professional sports teams with bird names.* state and Canadian provinces.

North America 200

North America Birds Owls Canada 200

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2022

With longer and warmer days, we feel the urge to bird in the country, away from our local city patches. So, if you were coming into my neck of the woods – Belgrade, where would I suggest you go birding? Above them, on limestone cliffs, Alpine Swift and Crag Martin breed. Forest covers 70% of the area (hornbeam, beech and oak).

Serbia 256

Serbia Woodpeckers Owls Eagles 256

10,000 Birds

APRIL 17, 2012

April, while not as exciting a migratory month as May is in the northeastern United States, is still a great time of year to see migrating birds. In the New York City area the number and variety of sparrows a birder can see in mid-April is astounding. They can be found virtually anywhere the ground resembles, well, a swamp.

Sparrows 145

Sparrows New York City New York Fox 145

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2022

So, the next blog post on Shanghai birds may turn out to be a lot more interesting, though of course with regard to bird migration, May is more interesting than June … As I am unlikely to see a live gannet any time soon, I might as well point you to the song “Nigel the gannet” by The Burning Hell now.

Birds 147

Birds Sparrows China Abandon 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2023

Having come back to the blog in whatever form and persistency, the overarching subject of language in birding seemed to be a suitable and deserving theme since bird names were part of my original beat. How have birds infiltrated our everyday language, even of non-birders? No birds required.

Germany 172

Germany Birds Hunters Owls 172

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2014

On Saturday I awakened at 3:30 AM, tiptoed out of the house as quietly as I could, and headed north and west to Sullivan County, the first of three counties I planned to visit in a series of surgical birding strikes to see (or hear) the birds I had thus far missed this year as they migrated through New York City.

Breeding 152

Breeding New York Breeders Downers 152

10,000 Birds

MARCH 27, 2011

I never would have thought that a film that focused entirely on North American sparrows could be so delightful. After all, there is only so much sparrow that non-birders can take and this film is chock full of sparrows! How exactly are the birds presented? As such, it is neither for the faint of heart nor the non-birder.

Sparrows 164

Sparrows North America United States America 164

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2023

Fortunately, there are a few more such breeding species than most Shanghainese are aware of. While the HBW states that it breeds at 300 – 2450 meters, in Shanghai – where such elevations are not available outside of the upper floors of a few highrises – it makes to with an altitude of about 0 meters as well.

Birds 130

Birds Eggs Breeders Breeding 130

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

The poster bird of this area is the near-threatened Black-necked Crane. The HBW even mentions the importance of Ruoergai for this species: “Key sites for migrants include the Ruoergai Plateau (China), which is also an important breeding area” Common Mergansers also seem to use these wetlands as breeding area.

China 168

China Mongolia Birds Russia 168

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2020

As the cold fronts begin to sweep through the northern states ushering in a wave of seasonal change and color, South Florida becomes a gathering place for migratory birds far and wide across the country. Every day that the weather persists, the birds gather in larger and larger numbers — a “back up.”

Florida 247

Florida Miami Birds Falcons 247

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2022

When you spot a brand new bird identification guide, especially for your home region – in this case, Europe – reaching for it comes naturally. A few months ago I birded Amazonia and carried another weighty tome with me, a 1.2 Yes, Europe’s Birds is a photographic guide. Regarding maps, they tend to be on a smallish side.

Europe 244

Europe Birds Colombia Branding 244

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

(Boring bureaucratic note to dissuade casual readers: This post covers birds seen in Shanghai in January 2023, except for those seen at Tianmashan – these are shown in a separate post. End of note) Probably the most interesting bird in Shanghai this month was a Barred Cuckoo-Dove choosing a small downtown park to feed on berries.

Birds 147

Birds Geese Fish Industry 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 16, 2012

There is no better way to see a life bird than by finding one yourself in one of your favorite local patches. Yesterday I was scouting for the Queens County Christmas Bird Count at Edgemere Preserve, a capped landfill out on the Rockaway Peninsula, and was having a grand old time. Did I have a Le Conte’s Sparrow ?

Sparrows 139

Sparrows Dogs Rights New York 139

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2022

To be precise, “Birding Shanghai from June 10 to June 30, 2022” – but that is even less of an exciting title than the one above. The reason for this post only covering the period from June 10 being that an earlier post, “Revenge Birding”, was about the first 9 days of June. You should try it too.

Birds 179

Birds Sparrows Protection Humane 179

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2022

The name is a puzzle though – even the HBW states that the bird has “small or no crest” These photos were taken on Sep 26, indicating that the birds passed Shanghai rather late (according to the HBW, “autumn migration from early to late Sept”). This is not really an option at Nanhui though. The female.

China 169

China Birds Ukraine Killing 169

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2022

One of those ornithologists is Jonathan Vargas, with whom I went birding on the first Monday of this month of May. Snowy Plovers also breed half an hour north of my home, so we have those in common. Jonathan also works as a birding guide up in Baja California, if anyone is interested.).

San Diego 242

San Diego Turtles Mexico Sparrows 242

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2022

I did not find much about this bird online except for a paper with the exciting title “A new quill mite Torotrogla emberizae sp. Hopefully, the winter time in Shanghai gives the Black-faced Buntings some time to relax from the challenges of the breeding season. Maybe there is some justice in this world after all.

Birds 197

Birds Eggs Bangladesh China 197

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 191

Birds China Eggs Owls 191

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

It is near a river, attracting some birds that like to eat wet food. As the national bird of Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the African Fish Eagle is usually very busy whenever it stays in these countries, giving speeches, opening shopping centers, etc. The birds I asked about this pretended not to be related to anyone though.

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Birds South Africa Benin 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

If you like birds on posts, if seeing “little brown jobs” posing nicely in the distance as you drive or walk along a dirt road only to have it fly away as you approach makes you deliriously happy, then North Dakota is the place for you. I wanted to see prairie birds and I wanted to experience a new state. Scott Barnes, N.J.

North Dakota 134

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 134

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2019

Now that the Mad Queen is dead, Brandon the Broken, First of His Name, is the King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm; and peace is restored in all the kingdoms, would you want to bird Westeros? How many birds have you spotted in 8 seasons? Illustration HBO. Partridges.

Chickens 161

Chickens Falcons Birds Geese 161

10,000 Birds

JULY 8, 2020

One of the ways I could describe the unique mix of birds I can see here in southwestern Mexico, would be to divide our species into five categories. These are birds that are more related with the far north, but that somehow have resident populations here in Michoacán, farther south than Puerto Vallarta or Cancun.

Mexico 185

Mexico Birds Honduras United States 185

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 201

Houston Texas Sanctuary Sparrows 201

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2019

Today`s post is a continuation of last week`s – an introduction to Shanghai`s 20 most commonly seen birds. Start with Eurasian Tree Sparrow , an unlikely high-ranked target for anybody watching birds in Shanghai. The Little Grebe is the default bird on Shanghai`s many ponds.

Latvia 121

Latvia Birds Sparrows Abandon 121

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2022

For some reason that I do not quite understand myself – given that I really rather dislike children and am not too positive about the rest of humanity either – I recently put up a little display of bird photos inside my Shanghai compound, which I share (as the only foreigner) with about 1700 Chinese. Some Birds of Shanghai.

Birds 162

Birds Fish Germany China 162

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2020

That still leaves 11 Warblers that breed in Michoacán. Like the Common Yellowthroat , the Yellow Warbler breeds no further south than the central Mexican highlands. I must admit that I had the idea the Grace’s Warbler , common in our pine forests, were also at the southern edge of their breeding range here.

Mexico 328

Mexico Honduras South America America 328

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