10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2017

I asked Virginia Guhin, Education Programs Coordinator of the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve (ES NERR). We walked some of the trails at the reserve, and I had spotted a large bird hovering in mid-air, almost like a helicopter, just with more flapping. Life-bird for me! Historic buildings at Elkhorn Slough.

Research 101

Research Birds Virginia Protection 101

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2021

At more than 15 million acres, California is the only other state with more than 5 million acres of wilderness. There is also a research institute dedicated to wilderness: the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute is an interagency facility located at the University of Montana.

Puerto Rico 268

Puerto Rico Alaska Protection Research 268

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2021

If you’ve had an encounter with a wild animal – a bird stunned by hitting a window, a fox hit by a car, or a family of raccoons unexpectedly found residing in your attic – you know how hard it can be to find help. Bird rehabbers receive calls for injured turtles; veterinarians are contacted about skunks in basements.

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Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Raccoons 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2021

Audubon guides to birds have been around since 1946. The first guide bearing the National Audubon Society imprint was Audubon Bird Guide; Eastern Land Birds , written by Richard Hooper Pough, and illustrated by Don Eckelberry. Plate 28 from Audubon Bird Guide, Eastern Land Birds, by Richard H. Knopf, 1994/97.

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North America America Birds California Condor 279

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2021

The survey also sought to identify “the key attributes important to birding experiences” and learn more about “decisions to participate in birdwatching and level of identity as birdwatcher.”. For example, the survey (of eBirders) found: “Nearly all respondents (99%) indicated they participate in birdwatching or birding.”.

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Minnesota Research Pennsylvania Ohio 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2015

So what does climate change mean for birds? Though all birds will be somehow impacted by climate change, I think it is important to note that not all will suffer. As deserts expand, birds suited to arid climates may be just fine. That said, there are many species we should be extremely concerned about.

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North America Birds San Francisco Suffering 226

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2016

And with the bird’s oak scrub habitat rapidly disappearing , scientists are searching for ways to preserve the species. New research in Current Biology suggests that concentrating efforts on saving the remaining four large populations of the Florida Scrub-Jay isn’t all that’s needed. ”

Florida 177

Florida Research California Hunting 177

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2014

According to Wikipedia, birds (class Aves) are feathered, winged, two-legged, warm-blooded, egg-laying vertebrates. The fossil record indicates that birds emerged within the theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period, around 150 million years ago. Conservation Cavity nesting birds nestlings NestWatch'

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Fur Horses Birds Cows 189

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2015

I was going to have something for you this month about the dinosaur-bird thing, but I never got to it. The potpourri covers some interesting bird related science of the last few weeks, and the promise is this: I’ll get to that other stuff soon, I promise! One of the birds most affected by this is Cassin’s Auklets.

Science 152

Science Iraq Research Birds 152

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2016

Of the four species of gnatcatchers found in North America, two are regularly seen here on the Baja California Sur, and the other two make the rare occasional visit. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is with out doubt the most widely found of the species, but the California Gnatcatcher is the most recognized.

California 100

California North America Species Research 100

Reddit Animals

JULY 6, 2023

The research used data collected by coastal residents along beaches from central California to Alaska. The study showed that a warmer ocean, particularly during marine heatwaves or El Niño events, resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands to millions of marine birds within one to six months of the temperature increase.

Washington 40

Washington Alaska Wildlife 2014 40

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Instead, we’ve got other bird news to cheer us up (or at least take our minds off avian’s inexplicable inability to capture U.S. Project FeederWatch data prove that woodpeckers are at the top of the backyard bird feeder pecking order. sports championships ). And as a ferocious storm bears down on much of the northern U.S.,

Massachusetts 100

Massachusetts Eggs Falcons Rights 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2015

Heermann’s Gulls form large breeding colonies on arid islands in the Gulf of California, Mexico, from March through July. With the breeding colony concentrated on one small island this species is vulnerable to a catastrophic weather event. These factors have caused the IUCN to rate this bird as “Near Threatened” 2.

San Francisco 159

San Francisco North America Seals Sanctuary 159

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2015

Here are some things I’ve learned from the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean by Scott Weidensaul: The Burrowing Owl is the only North American owl species where the male is larger than the female, albeit, only slightly larger. And the term is ‘non-reversed size dimorphism.’).

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North America Owls America Dominican Republic 233

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 13, 2019

Owling on Christmas Bird Counts is a peculiar business. Some counters are unfailingly resolute in their dedication to this thankless graveyard shift of the birding world, marching headlong year after year into the bleak winter landscape in search of their heard-only, nocturnal quarry. There’s the whole role of chance in owling, too.

2017 141

2017 Owls Game California 141

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 31, 2013

In 2013 I birded in two countries, submitted eBird checklists for seven U.S. states and thirty-seven counties, and added a whopping ninety-two species to my life list. I would like to end 2013 with 303, 512, and 1,150 birds on those lists. But what were my top ten birding moments of 2013?

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2013 New York City New York Trinidad 179

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. Their habitats vary widely in both rural and urban landscapes; open habitats are preferred and the species generally shuns only extensively forested areas and wetlands 1. www.youtube.com/watch?v=44fNo6B5gUI.

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Hunters Hunting North America Game 180

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2015

(Photo by the California Forestry Association). For the past 25 years, you’ve been listed as a Threatened species. The Condor has just published research quantifying significant population declines in Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Well, now we’re getting a better idea of exactly how hard it is.

Owls 100

Owls Oregon Washington California 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2018

The photos above and below are an adult male Acorn Woodpecker hanging on a hummingbird feeder at the University of California Hopland Research and Extension Center where I attended a meeting back in February. It is dangerous to hummingbird health and can actually kill the birds. This is most likely black mold.

Woodpeckers 103

Woodpeckers California Killing Research 103

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2019

I like observing them, reading about them, grappling with species and subspecies identification, and even—on a good day—talking about sparrow taxonomy. Peterson Reference Guide to Sparrows of North America covers 61 species of the New World sparrow family Passerellidae that breed in Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico.

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North America Sparrows America United States 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2020

After some hours of recording in northern California, and then, painstaking analysis and listening, he determined the number to be 37, at which point he, palpably exultant, announces to the reader: “a decades-long quest fulfilled.”. How long does the bird stay aloft, and how many dives does he do? Does he have favorite places to dive?

Virginia 254

Virginia Boston North America 2020 254

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2017

When I was just a wee’ lad, in my formative birding years, I was introduced to the plight of the Western Snowy Plover. A bird, which thru the years took on a mystical component. There is little doubt about the serious nature of the threat to this bird.

Oregon 103

Oregon Defenders Of Wildlife Endangered Species Mexico 103

10,000 Birds

MAY 30, 2019

Author Sherrida Woodley thinks deeply about dearly departed birds. such as California Condors and Passenger Pigeons. His parents moved where opportunity beckoned, taking him from San Angelo, Texas, to Columbus, New Mexico, then to Dallas, and finally on to California. It was there where the first glimpse of his future began.

Falcons 190

Falcons California Condor Alaska Texas 190

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2018

Two reactions on hearing that Steve Howell and Brian Sullivan have written a guide entitled Peterson Guide to Bird Identification–in 12 Steps : (1) What? In other words, you don’t even observe the bird closely until Step 7, and that is to observe behavior. Another identification guide?, (2) Howell and Brian L.

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Birds North America 2012 America 154

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 21, 2018

Major extinction events that are geologically instantaneous have been followed by periods of time with reduction of species or unstable habitats that last for hundreds of thousands or millions of years. Readers of 10,000 Birds know that diversity is one of the great hallmarks of modern day birds. More recently, Kelly J.

2018 101

2018 Science Humane Species 101

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 27, 2013

Sagebrush and Bell’s Sparrows are the birds to talk about. The last thing you want to do is ignore certain subspecies just because you’ve seen another one; in other words, skip looking for a Northern Fulmar off Maine just because you’ve seen them off California. borealis (the nominate Cory’s Shearwater).

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San Francisco Fox Sparrows California 181

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2016

That original installation (pictured above) was part of a series of 40 artificial burrows created at three separate locations, all made possible by a grant from Audubon California. This property is located in northern Butte County which is nearing the (dwindling) northern most historic range for this species in California.

Owls 101

Owls California 2010 Colorado 101

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

The Red-breasted Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus ruber ) and the Red-naped Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus nuchalis ) were considered different forms of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ( Sphyrapicus varius ) until 1983 when they were split into separate species. The bird shown above arrived at my house at the end of October, a new species for my yard list!

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North America Alaska Woodpeckers 2010 163

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2013

New World populations of the widely distributed Sandwich Tern ( Thalasseus sandvicensis ) are treated by some authorities (including the British Ornithologists’ Union) as a distinct species: Cabot’s Tern ( T. Proposal 2013-A-7 would split the Sage Sparrow ( Amphispiza belli ) into two species: Great Basin Sage Sparrow ( A.

2013 193

2013 Sparrows Owls Stray 193

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

Let me introduce my guest blogger, Lisa Owens Viani, co-founder of the California-based group RATS ( Raptors Are The Solution ), which educates people about the dangers of rat poisons. Syngenta’s product “Talon”—evidently inspired by the talons of the natural pest- controlling birds of prey—uses the active ingredient brodifacoum.

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Mountain Lions Rats Rodents Lions 266

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2016

The opportunity for new birds is a lure that is very seductive. There was little doubt in Jeanne’s mind what I thinking about, and so with her support we did a little research, and found just the place to visit. Within two minutes of getting out of the taxi, I spotted the first bird, a Lifer, a Blue Mockingbird.

Mexico 124

Mexico Medical California Research 124

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2013

And, you know what that means, time to talk seriously about field guides for birds, a topic guaranteed to get the members of our tribe articulating opinions with great gusto and certainty. Here are the ground rules for this review: This is not a contest about which is the best bird field guide. Now, on to the books.

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Birds North America Groups Falcons 168

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2014

Charles Harper’s Birds & Word s is the signature book of this bird and nature artist’s career. Charles Harper’s Birds & Word s is the signature book of this bird and nature artist’s career. White article on bird feeding stations. A tradition was born.

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Betty Crocker Birds 2008 2007 170

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. This is an Urban Refuge !

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Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 145

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2011

The California Quail ( Callipepla californica ) is the California state bird, inhabiting scrub, broken chaparral and woodland edges primarily in California, Oregon, Washington and Baja California. At this age, they are also able to make short flights, a highly desirable trait for game birds.

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California Eggs Gophers Rattlesnake 231

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

The birding world has been debating whether honorific common bird names ( e.g. , Clark’s Nutcracker or Baird’s Sandpiper ) should be changed. This once-niche issue moved into the broader birding world ( including 10,000 Birds ) with a petition to change the name of what was then called the McCown’s Longspur.

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Birds Laws 2020 Jordan 250

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Kooyman (co-author with Jim Mastro) spent decades studying Emperor Penguins and can be considered the world’s foremost expert on the species. Empire Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are the largest living penguin species, almost four feet tall (taller when they stretch), and the least likely to be seen on birding or nature trips.

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Penguins Seals Leopards Research 165