10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2013

The many islands of the Caribbean Sea are as unique a place to experience the amazing potential for speciation and diversity as the more famous Galapagos and Hawaiian islands are. As a hanger-on of my wife’s family I find myself this week in Aruba, one of the ABC islands just off the coast of northern South America.

South America 168

South America Netherlands America Sparrows 168

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

There were three profound questions my birding group discussed while we birded Trinidad and Tobago, back in December 2012: (1) How many Bananaquits could fit on a banana? (2) 3) What was the best guide to the birds of Trinidad and Tobago? The bird guide question was a conundrum.

Trinidad 197

Trinidad Birds South America Research 197

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2011

The next seven days, today until the fourteenth, are hereby declared Wood-Warbler Week on 10,000 Birds! Parulidae is just too great a family of birds and our only debate here was whether we would have Wood-Warbler Week or Wood-Warbler Month! Read about them here but also get out and experience them.

United States 184

United States South America Cooking Family 184

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2015

I came late to bird feeding, and when I was finally able to put out a “thistle” sock and a seed feeder (or two or six), I was amazed by the learning curve. There is a long list of articles and books on how to feed birds in your yard. Feeding Wild Birds in America: Culture, Commerce & Conservation by Paul J.

America 232

America Industry Birds Squirrels 232

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2011

And, as a bonus question, from what blog post on 10,000 Birds is the picture taken? Good luck and may you see a flock of wood-warblers today! ———————————————————————————————————————————————— This week, 8 May – 14 May 2011, is Wood-Warbler Week on 10,000 Birds! Read about them here but also get out and experience them.

United States 155

United States South America 2011 2012 155

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2017

Written by an ornithologist who is also a birder and who embraces the world from an ecological viewpoint that sees birds as part of larger systems of evolution, succession, and mutualism, The New Neotropical Companion is the textbook-that-is-not-a-textbook you always wanted to read, though you may not know it yet.

South America 153

South America Ecuador Reptiles America 153

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

They packed up in June of 2013 and headed south from San Diego with the southern tip of South America as their destination. Like so many trips this one is more about the journey than the destination which brings us to why they have had a series of guest posts on 10,000 Birds. Want to check them out? Their second is here.

San Diego 188

San Diego South America Costa Rica America 188

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2011

Most of these birds are small, finch-like species with thick, conical bills for cracking seeds or eating insects. Writing in the Journal of Avian Biology in 2003, Van Remsen theorized: [T]he bill may exert more influence on our cognitive perception because of its proximity to the bird’s face.

2003 213

2003 Sparrows Family South America 213

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2011

The Cape May Warbler is an outstanding bird and an outing that includes one is almost undoubtedly considered successful. We are devoting a whole week to wood-warblers but are only just barely scratching the surface of possible topics involving this amazing family of birds.

Tigers 158

Tigers United States Jamaica Pennsylvania 158

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2011

Found throughout South America in ever-dwindling numbers these extremely beautiful birds – threatened by habitat destruction and collection for the wild bird trade – are often difficult to see and hard to find. The experience is one of the ornithological highlights in the world.

Peru 255

Peru Parrots 2011 South America 255

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

The magnificent history and diversity of birds on Earth came into sharper focus this month with the publication of 28 new scientific papers in Science and other journals. One of the central papers, Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds (Jarvis et al. American Flamingo photo by Dick Culbert).

Family 279

Family Birds Parrots 2014 279

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

I happen to be particularly fond of turtles because my family has taken care of a small box turtle for 30 years (beware–turtles are extremely low-maintenance pets but will outlast your child’s youth and probably your life). Or that tortoises and terrapins are considered part of the turtle family. Lovich and Whit Gibbons.

Turtles 200

Turtles Tortoises Family Terrapins 200

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

It actually makes a lot of sense, the geographic features of the isthmus between North America (including Mexico, because Mexico is part of North America) and South America cut across political lines, as do birds. This is followed by abundance notations, denoting if the bird is abundant, common, uncommon, etc.

America 213

America El Salvador Costa Rica Honduras 213

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

There are few bird names that will elicit great big smiles and Penguin is one of them. Other contenders are Kookaburra, Shoebill, and Umbrellabird, but people smile when they hear these names because they know a song or because they can’t believe these are real names of real birds. <pause> Do I have your attention now?

Penguins 278

Penguins Georgia New Zealand Albatross 278

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2019

For many folks who live in places with cold winters, toucans are the birds on cereal boxes. It was all too easy to look at that natural cartoon of a bird and leave it as that; some funny looking caricature of a supposed wild bird because really, how could such a strange thing exist? Yes, this bird acts like a jay.

Costa Rica 177

Costa Rica Panama Eating Eggs South America 177

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2015

I recently returned from my family’s annual spring trip to Florida, and unlike years previous I didn’t get any special time set aside to bird this time round. My “birding”, such that it was, consisted mostly of morning walks with my young daughter in her stroller. The birds were what you’d expect.

Florida 179

Florida North America Neglecting South America 179

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Veraguan Mango – Panama’s ex-endemic Veraguan Mango – Panama’s ex-endemic By James • March 1, 2011 • 4 comments Tweet Share Endemism is special.

Panama 208

Panama Costa Rica 2011 Cleveland 208

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2011

Adam Riley, owner and managing director of Rockjumper Birding Tours , is a world birder if ever there was one, but has a special place in his heart for his home continent. Adam will be leading 10,000 Birds readers on an amazing odyssey into Africa starting… now! And Africa is the ONLY continent without an extinct bird to boot!

Papua New Guinea 222

Papua New Guinea Madagascar Africa Equatorial Guinea 222

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2011

Any hummingbird in December in stoney Manhattan is a remarkable sight — after all, hummingbirds are such tropical-looking birds… Wait. More than any other member of their tribe, they are equipped to survive the getting-lost experience. What does that even mean, tropical-looking? There goes the neighborhood?

South America 157

South America New York Alaska America 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2011

It made us reach for our field guide for North America, but that really does not compare to the real thing. I had spent several holidays with my family in the USA in the 1980′s and then worked in Maine during the summer of 1985-beware the poison ivy and the snapping turtles!

South Africa 158

South Africa United States Austin Alligators 158

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2015

Picidae, Woodpecker, is one of those charismatic bird families that everybody gets excited about. Woodpeckers of the World: A Photographic Guide is the first major guide to family Picidae in 20 years. Unless the woodpecker is drumming a hole into your garage, and then, well, it’s a different kind of excitement.)

Woodpeckers 244

Woodpeckers 2002 Europe Research 244