10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

Galápagos: A Natural History, Second Edition by John Kricher and Kevin Loughlin gives the traveling naturalist the tools needed to fully appreciate and experience the Galápagos Islands. Where once there were 13 species of “Darwin’s finches,” there are now 17. There are changes in where to find the birds.

2006 252

2006 Tortoises Sea Lions Sea Turtles 252

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2022

Bird names say much about human perception, they can also give us insight into the people who invented names for official bird descriptions. Sunbittern also works because what else could that bizarre and ancient bird be called? Sunbittern also works because what else could that bizarre and ancient bird be called?

Costa Rica 265

Costa Rica Pennsylvania South America Panama 265

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2022

This is my best place to pick up species that inhabit, or visit, the border between the Hot Country thorn forest and highland pine-oak forest habitats. I dipped on one of my favorite birds from this area, the Lesser Roadrunner , as well as the marvelous Sparkling-tailed Woodstar (a long-tailed hummingbird).

South America 196

South America Sparrows Mexico Bears 196

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2022

I was wishing I had a birding buddy with me as a mixed flock overwhelmed my abilities. Suddenly, a large bird, which seemed to have a bright yellow breast and black head, flew overhead to a point behind multiple branches. And then the bird was gone. But it wasn’t the day’s first FOY species.

Mexico 184

Mexico Guatemala South America United States 184

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2022

Or would be, had I encountered more of them – so far, I have seen only a very small share of the approximately 233 woodpecker species, and got decent photos of an even smaller number – not much more than 10% of all of them. The little red bit on the crown on this photo indicates that it is a male bird.

Woodpeckers 234

Woodpeckers South Africa China Singapore 234

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

In September, I had the fantastic opportunity to travel to an increasingly popular destination for birding: Honduras. Chris Lotz, the owner of the international bird tour company Birding Ecotours , invited me to join him on a familiarization trip that included several highland sites as well as Pico Bonito Lodge.

Honduras 217

Honduras Costa Rica El Salvador Arizona 217

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

The Durango Highway is arguably one of North America’s great birding roads due to the great variety of habitats, the spectacular mountain scenery of the Sierra Madre Occidental, and the numerous Mexican endemics one can target. There are many dusty side roads in this area, many of which offer productive birding.

Mexico 194

Mexico Costa Rica Arizona Birds 194

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2011

Something has always puzzled me in my years working in the bird feeding industry: why don’t we offer more fresh fruit to birds in our yards? Heck you can even find mixes with heavy fruit flavoring…but why don’t we offer fresh fruit scraps to birds on tray feeders instead? Is it a convenience issue?

Nigeria 248

Nigeria Birds Belize South America 248

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 14, 2013

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 a guest post (hopefully the first of several) on 10,000 Birds.

South America 185

South America San Diego Mexico America 185

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2015

Though I have been birding for a few years now, I had only birded west of the Mississippi once before my recent trip to Austin, Texas. Given how far west I found myself, I was hoping for at least a handful of new birds. I didn’t realize how many new species I would see within the city itself! Monk Parakeet.

Austin 110

Austin Texas Birds Non Human 110

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

OCTOBER 28, 2017

Birds begin to filter down through this southern part of Central America by August but the biggest avian movement happens during the third and final weeks of October. We might not get the variety of a New Jersey autumn but we do get major numbers of species that winter in South America.

Costa Rica 161

Costa Rica Birds Parrots Farming 161

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2011

For these stunning birds are not easily found outside of the Guianas which includes Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. On a trip to Suriname to find and film some of these spectacular species I was blown away by the birding. Suriname has approximately 735 recorded species, with many more to still be added to its total list.

Suriname 214

Suriname Birds Guyana South America 214

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2014

After wrapping up our time in the highlands of Honduras, Chris Lotz (owner of international bird tour company Birding Ecotours ) and I arrived at the deservedly famous Pico Bonito Lodge. However, for me, there were birds to be seen. More than 400 species have been recorded at the lodge to date. Photo by James Adams.

Honduras 163

Honduras Monkeys Birds America 163

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2017

And, the next time I travel south (and, there’s an excellent chance that will happen within the next year), I will definitely once more read The New Neotropical Companion , by John Kricher, the latest version of this nature classic. An enlarged version was published in 1997, with color photographs and more coverage of South America.

South America 153

South America Ecuador Reptiles America 153

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

DECEMBER 23, 2014

2014 has been a good year for us at 10,000 Birds. We’ve traveled to lots of places, seen lots of great birds, and met lots of great birders. So, as we’ve done for the last several years we thought we would share our Best Birds of the Year with you. Below are our Best Birds of the Year. What was yours?

2014 190

2014 Costa Rica South Africa Birds 190

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

MAY 15, 2011

What species is shown? And, as a bonus question, from what blog post on 10,000 Birds is the picture taken? Winner will receive the respect and admiration of the few folks who bother to read the comments. ———————————————————————————————————————————————— This week, 8 May – 14 May 2011, is Wood-Warbler Week on 10,000 Birds!

United States 155

United States South America 2011 2012 155

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 20, 2015

And where all those birds are? This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. And it raises a question: if all the birds are having a party over there, am I in the wrong spot? I am talking 600 or 700+ bird species.

Sri Lanka 257

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 257

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2014

In her free time she travels near and far to find birds to continue building her life list, though many of her favorites can still be found right in her own backyard. She has contributed many pieces to 10,000 Birds and writes about her birding adventures on her blog, newbirder.tumblr.com. Lots and lots of birds.

Birds 179

Birds Florida Groups Breeding 179

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

Such is the burden that a digiscoping bird blogger bears when he visits the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, Florida in January. Grant McCreary of The Birder’s Library , who shared the experience with me, probably has pretty much the same problem. The images in this post include both fully mature and first-year birds.

United States 182

United States Florida South America Europe 182

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2013

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 a guest post (hopefully the first of several) on 10,000 Birds.

San Diego 163

San Diego Mexico South America Costa Rica 163

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2012

A cherished handful of Central and South American locations enjoy international renown as absolutely mandatory destinations for adventurous bird watchers and nature lovers. The dichotomous republic of Trinidad and Tobago may be something of a cipher to anyone unfamiliar with the point where the Caribbean ends and South America begins.

Trinidad 246

Trinidad South America America Ecuador 246

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 20, 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 a guest post (hopefully the first of several) on 10,000 Birds. Their second is here.

Guatemala 164

Guatemala Mexico San Diego South America 164

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. The Cape May Warbler is considered a Species of Least Concern by Birdlife International because of its large range and large and stable population.

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

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

When I got back into birding about six years ago, I would not have predicted the personal bonds a birder can form with certain species. While all birds bring us joy, and we certainly want to see as many as we can, some species just seem more… special. They are especially beautiful, rare, or hard to find.

Mexico 157

Mexico Birds South America Turkey 157

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. Of the native breeding species, 112 are endemic or “very nearly endemic.” (Can

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

APRIL 24, 2014

The overall perception by birders and naturalists is that a visit to the rainforest of South America will yield a long bird list, and that the forest is teeming with birds. Rainforest birds are extremely specialized and occupy microhabitats that often appear imperceptible in the chaotic structure of a rainforest.

Birds 173

Birds South America Peru Experience 173

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2023

The second thing to note is that this is an excellent and courageous book that tackles a group of birds whose field identification has stumped the most skilled birders. That’s 18 species in one book. This is more than a collection of species accounts. known-identity).”**

Los Angeles 214

Los Angeles North America America Species 214

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2012

If you know only a little bit about Charles Darwin, you know that he figured out Evolution via his study of the finches (and other birds) of the Galapagos. Today we view the Galapagos birds, including some finches and some mocking birds, as a great example of evolution.

Tortoises 201

Tortoises South America Panama Culling 201

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

DECEMBER 9, 2020

For, in birder lingo, a split occurs when subspecies are determined to be, in fact, entirely separate species. If you happen to have seen both species, your life list can increase without you even leaving the house. Two former species can also be joined into one, the same way. Do we really need to talk about sad events?).

San Diego 177

San Diego San Francisco Mexico Baltimore 177