10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2015

I’ve never been one to be overly concerned about whether a bird “counts” People, and organisations, have complex and elaborate rules about whether a bird you saw or heard actually is a bird you saw or heard, which seems a very unnecessary way to add complexity to an already complex hobby. Red Lechwe.

Botswana 162

Botswana Birds Lesotho Elephants 162

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2015

Ethiopia, a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa, has firmly established itself as one of Africa’s top birding destinations. Its great diversity of habitats hosts an incredible bird count of over 900 species, including Africa’s 2nd highest list of endemics and near-endemics (after South Africa). Yellow-billed Stork.

Ethiopia 237

Ethiopia Sudan Leopards Game 237

10,000 Birds

MAY 29, 2012

At least, thought I, Florida would produce some superior birds. So I packed my binoculars thinking that, even if the trip wouldn’t be as bird-rich as my last trip to the Sunshine State (for the mighty, mighty Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival ), at least a few crackers would wing my way. Not Sea World.

Florida 170

Florida Birds Alligators Turtles 170

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2013

But, from the existing data, the authors have drawn a different conclusion – there is no proof that the breeding population ever existed, that the south of Africa was beyond the species range and that that all observations were of vagrant individuals. During my lifetime, this species was rare in my native Serbia, too.

Sudan 220

Sudan Macedonia Botswana Serbia 220

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. Griffon Vulture , photo by Alan Tilmouth.

California Condor 177

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 177

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2011

One of the most majestic macaws is the Hyacinth Macaw ( Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus ), a brilliant blue South American bird that weighs in as the largest flying parrot in the world. The Hyacinth Macaw is more than just another pretty face; these birds are social with strong family values.

Protection 184

Protection Brazil Parrots Paraguay 184

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 15, 2015

“The estuary and the delta of the River Kalamas form the most important wetland of northwest Greece”, so the “ Birding in Greece ” guidebook claims for the area where I am heading, a bit late since I overslept this morning. Yet, beside a few Little and one Great Egret , a raft of Eurasian Coots , no birds. It is getting a bit hot.

Greece 228

Greece Dogs Pelicans Fish 228

10,000 Birds

JUNE 4, 2020

While entering our double kayak I asked Andrew Hester, a local bird expert, if bilharzia is present in the shallows of the Ngotwane Dam, further down the river. Among 60 or so heron species in the world this is the only one using this peculiar fishing technique. nubicoides ) using them as a high viewpoint to hunt dragonflies.

Botswana 182

Botswana Africa 2001 Fish 182

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. They may have also had hunting dogs with them as well. This is where they got their name.

Turkey 199

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 199

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

Pafuri lies in the northernmost part of the Kruger National Park and is described as “some of the most potentially productive birding territory in South Africa” on the SANParks website. Jameson’s Firefinch is a beautiful small bird named for what was probably a very bad person, James Sligo Jameson. ” (HBW).

Elephants 147

Elephants Birds Congo Africa 147

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. The Gray Crowned-Crane is a new addition to the list of the world’s Endangered species, creeping up a category from Vulnerable.

Endangered Species 185

Endangered Species Species Morocco South Africa 185

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

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. Resplendence.

Costa Rica 213

Costa Rica Species Panama Birds 213

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. He had his Zeiss glasses in his hand. ‘I

Dolphins 258

Dolphins Colombia Otters Birds 258

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2022

This whole area floods during the wet season and water remains throughout the year most years and attracts a lot of bird-life. It is worth having your windows open as you drive slowly in and check all of the many boab trees for bird-life. All of the surrounding trees, especially if they are in flower, offer a great variety of birds.

Geese 191

Geese Ducks Breeding 2015 191

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 115

Florida Miami Birds Owls 115

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 170

Tigers Hunting Game Protection 170

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

Another example of its staggering wealth is the fact that the 22,000 hectare Table Mountain National Park situated within the city of Cape Town has more plant species than the whole of the British Isles or New Zealand! Image by Adam Riley The endemic Karoo Prinia is a common and confiding birding of the region.

South Africa 226

South Africa Africa New Zealand Asia 226

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

Wildlife conservation is concerned with protecting wildlife at the level of species or perhaps population. With the exception of species that number in the hundreds, conservation biologists are not as concerned with the fates of individual animals, it is only when such fates of many individuals are added up do they begin to worry.

Animal Rights 259

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 259

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2019

Happy New Year, 10,000 Birds readers and writers, listers and photographers, friends and fellow travelers near and far! Writing a post scheduled for January 1st for a birding blog is a big responsibility. On the first of the year, every bird is a new bird! It was a United States lower-48 birding year for me.

2018 151

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 151

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. We counted over three hundred of these birds within easy view and no doubt there were many more. They were hunting across the plains and being rather successful due to the sudden influx of prey.

Falcons 157

Falcons Ducks Raised Cattle 157

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

The definition of the word HUNT is “to chase or search for game or other wild animals for the purpose of catching or killing.” ” Obviously the dictionary does not equate hunting with conservation. If you have some insane idea that Hunting Is Conservation: I think we all remember the fate of the Passenger Pigeon ?

Hunting 109

Hunting Hunters Gorillas Wolves 109