10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

Birds are supposed to have feathers and birds without feathers look incomplete, like they left home with shaving cream on their ear and toothpaste spots on their shirt. The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. T urkey Vulture, photo by Dawn Puliafico.

California Condor 180

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 180

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Thus, the cattle we raise for meat and dairy are sometimes called Bos taurus while the extinct wild form is always called Bos primigenius. 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.

Turkey 202

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 202

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2021

Have you ever birded a place so young that birds still have no names ? … – part 2 – Once I finish this writing, with a strange mix of emotions I will put the Lynx field guide Birds of Colombia to the bookshelf for the first time, more than half a year after I received it. Later, we would be seeing dolphins every day.

Dolphins 260

Dolphins Colombia Otters Birds 260

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

In responding to Suzie’s post defending wildlife rehabilitation I began to think again about the areas in which animal rights and animal welfare overlap with the field of conservation, and the ways in which they don’t. Animal rights is concerned with preventing the suffering or even use of animals by humans.

Animal Rights 262

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 262

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

Must be a joke, right? Instead of going on about zip lines and other modern, adventure tourism attractions, the birding crowd talks about taking photos of Resplendent Quetzals , seeing dozens of hummingbird species, and the seemingly odd absence of raptors in Costa Rica but nope, we don’t really talk about extinction.

Costa Rica 217

Costa Rica Species Panama Birds 217

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2022

This will change over time of course and once it rains again you would need to consider if you had the right vehicle to access the area. This whole area floods during the wet season and water remains throughout the year most years and attracts a lot of bird-life. Dragonflies photobombing on the right as we approach.

Geese 196

Geese Ducks Breeding 2015 196

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2016

On my recent short family vacation to Miami, I was granted a single day to get out and really bird like a madman. The reason the location is remaining undisclosed is that reliable Mangrove Cuckoos are difficult to find in the American Birding Association area and are a very sought after species. Come on, Carlos!

Florida 118

Florida Miami Birds Owls 118

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, experts have determined that the current rate of bird extinction is somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000 times the background rate. Globally, 1,313 bird species of a total of count of 10,064 are threatened, a frightening 13% of the total.

Endangered Species 189

Endangered Species Species South Africa Morocco 189

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2013

My post last week where I defended game hunting as a conservation tool has, unaccountably, encountered a certain amount of push back. Who would have thought that a post defending hunting game in general would have not been universally acclaimed? I will address two of them in the new year, namely, “Is hunting moral at all?”

Tigers 172

Tigers Hunting Game Protection 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

Between these succulents, bulbs and daisies, more than 3,000 species of flowering plants compete for pollination rights, resulting the world’s greatest wildflower show. Image by Adam Riley A Cattle Egret hunts grasshoppers and other insects in a field of wildflowers in West Coast National Park.

South Africa 231

South Africa Africa New Zealand Asia 231

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2017

These temperatures make for perfect birding/camping weather and because that is one of our favourite pastimes we decided it was time to go and explore a bit more of northern Australia during July. Flock Bronzewings were in the hundreds through this area and Nankeen Kestrels hunted small prey through the grass. Australian Bustard.

Australia 100

Australia Kangaroos Cattle Reptiles 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2013

Thankfully it did not last long and then brought some surprising birding opportunities that we normally only experience in our Wet Season. You could not leave the road due to the flooded land, but there was sufficient room to pull right over and observe the birdlife. Birding Australia Broome' Brown Falcon. Australian Hobby.

Falcons 157

Falcons Ducks Raised Cattle 157