10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 29, 2011

We birders north of Mexico used to have a parrot to call our own, a sun-faced, spike tailed jewel called the Carolina Parakeet that traversed the southeastern United States preceded by the adrenaline inducing ear piercing squeals that haunt the fever dreams of any birder lucky enough to have made the journey to the Neotropics.

Parrots 225

Parrots Mexico United States Stray 225

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2021

Birding in the Caribbean is about islands, beautiful beaches, extra special endemics, rum, and smiles. It could also be much more, maybe less, it all depends on how you want to rock an international birding trip. Go to Costa Rica and you will be looking at other birds but you can still get in some Caribbean slope birding.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Puerto Rico Birds Owls 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

At the end of 2022, let us celebrate the local field guide, a sub-genre that many of us feared would die, the victim of technology, development, and globalization, but which still shines bright, fewer in number but brilliant in quality, thanks to birders and birding organizations that believe in knowing your patch and your state.

Los Angeles 211

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 211

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2022

According to Wikipedia, the national bird of Australia is the Emu – which I have not seen yet. Duncan – in a 10,000 Birds post – apparently also thinks it would make a good national bird. Duncan – in a 10,000 Birds post – apparently also thinks it would make a good national bird.

Australia 147

Australia Birds Parrots Ostriches 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2020

In Costa Rica, our July birding news usually consists of interesting sightings during the mid-summer tours. These and other important birding related questions come to mind and during a normal July, I would be personally and actively helping answer them. Which tours saw the most roosting owls?

Costa Rica 228

Costa Rica Birds Thailand Family 228

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.

North America 279

North America America Birds California Condor 279

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2019

Lots of birds, a lot of really cool birds! Some local populations of birds and animals couldn’t adapt to the radical ecosystem-wide changes and just died out but a fair percentage did survive and continue to persist where green space lingers. This is one heck of a sweet urban bird. Lesson’s Motmot.

Costa Rica 200

Costa Rica Birds Parrots Sparrows 200

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

Within 140 ac / 60 ha of Rancho Naturalista’s Reserve, there are 500 bird species – or 55% of the nation’s total! While I already visited Costa Rica once, I do not feel overly-confident with its birds. And Verbena attracts another specialty bird and a regional endemic (from Honduras to Panama), the Snowcap.

Costa Rica 257

Costa Rica Rats Parrots Raccoons 257

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2022

On that glorious day, I observed ten critically endangered birds, representing 8% of their Costa Rican, or 2% of their global population!! In my previous post , I dealt with Rancho Naturalista Lodge itself and birding within their private reserve. But, let’s start at the beginning.

Costa Rica 248

Costa Rica Nicaragua 2019 Farming 248

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2020

But here is the truly tragic part: I was not birding during those years! The third weekend of January, I travelled to the coastal city of Acapulco to give a seminar on family finances at a church there. These turkey-sized birds, named for their raucous calls, can muster an impressive level of volume.

Birds 166

Birds 2006 Mexico Morocco 166

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2012

Over 700 bird species occur in Namibia, many of them range-restricted and highly desirable southern arid zone species. Image by Adam Riley Due to the unique Namib Desert and the high central plateau, numerous birds and other forms of flora and fauna are endemic to this region.

Namibia 261

Namibia Angola Lovebirds South Africa 261

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2020

The April arrival of the Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, Second Edition was a supremely happy moment in a very difficult, sad month. A companion regional guide, Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Western North America was published in 1941; its fifth edition will be coming out in early September.

North America 223

North America America Hawaii Birds 223

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2022

Every place has its common birds, the species that do very well in a given habitat. As we like to say, these are species that are “hard to miss”, birds that, if you are watching, will be seen. As one might expect, signature birds take many forms. Birding in a local park? What about urban sites?

Costa Rica 147

Costa Rica San Jose Asia Geese 147

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2019

“Target birds” The term can foster excitement but is easily contentious. It would be uber cool to lay eyes on a rare lifer, on species that only seem to live on the pages of a field guide but isn’t that somewhat discriminatory? Aren’t all birds worth watching? Looking for Bare-necked Umbrellabird ?

Costa Rica 203

Costa Rica Panama Birds Eagles 203

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

One good thing about birding during a pandemic–the forced restrictions on place and time translate into more time to observe what birds do. Bird behavior–endlessly fascinating, but so much still hidden and unknown. Extreme behaviors also push scientists to look at birds in new ways.

Research 238

Research Birds Science Costa Rica 238

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

One of these days, Jeopardy will feature a category called “Field Guides” and the first clue will be: “This landlocked South American country finally got its own bird field guide in 2016, but it wasn’t available in the United State until 2019.” Bolivia doesn’t come up much in discussions of birding travel.

Bolivia 182

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 182

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2015

There are many charismatic endangered birds that capture people’s hearts and imaginations: the colossal California Condor , the evocative Red-crowned Crane , and the adorable Spoon-billed Sandpiper come to mind. Regardless of their popularity, these species and the threatened ecosystems they inhabit are equally spectacular.

Brazil 225

Brazil California Condor Parrots Texas 225

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

Re-evaluate the songs Double-pack with a photograph Extra track (and a tacky badge) So sing The Smiths in “ Paint a vulgar picture “ As you can probably guess, the main purpose of my posts not centered on a specific location (e.g., “Birds of Shanghai”) is to reuse photos I have already used in such location-specific posts.

South Africa 220

South Africa Africa India China 220

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2016

Birds know habitat. They don’t read treaties or draw maps or build walls and, as far as we can tell (since we can’t talk to birds, yet), they have no concept of political boundaries. Robert Gallardo’s self-published Guide to the Birds of Honduras came out in 2015, and is the first bird field guide dedicated to that country.

El Salvador 235

El Salvador America Costa Rica Honduras 235

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Robert Gallardo is well-known to many readers of 10,000 Birds as an outstanding Neotropical nature guide, author, and manager of La Chorcha Lodge. We are talking about the flora and fauna and in particular the birds, whose sole beauty makes them an easy target for some people. And these are just the direct assaults against birds!

Honduras 190

Honduras illegal Parrots Birds 190

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2020

Some birds seem familiar but that’s just because they are the ones we grew up with, the birds that were hopping or flying around the neighborhood. The familiar ones, the usual birds, of course depend on where someone spent their childhood. Turquoise-browed Motmot- yes, this shocking bird is normal in various places !

Costa Rica 247

Costa Rica Cleveland Turkey Parrots 247

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2016

I purchased my first Sibley— The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America —in 2003. Am I willing to give up the field guide which bears the mud and dirt of so many falls on so many birding trips? Am I willing to give up the field guide which bears the mud and dirt of so many falls on so many birding trips?

North America 172

North America 2003 Birds America 172

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 30, 2017

Only, once I got there, I discovered that the coffee, while good, can’t compare to the birds. 1,712 species, 12% of which are endemics. Our group saw over 400 birds on our 15-day tour of the Pantanal, Cerrado and the Amazon (Cristalino Lodge). Oh my gosh! I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Brazil 161

Brazil Birds Los Angeles Tigers 161

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2012

Birds have captivated us for time eternal, not only because of their ability to fly, but also because of the color they add to our lives. Ok, let me be clear that I’m not suggesting that ALL birds are colorful. Birds like Plain Chachalacas and Grey Catbirds hardly evoke images of stunning beauty.

Birds 277

Birds Groups Cooking Parrots 277

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2011

Big, bold, beautiful parrots full of character and charm, macaws make us long for some of the world’s wildest places and assure us that, as long as they fly free, those magical wild places are still intact. The Hyacinth Macaw is more than just another pretty face; these birds are social with strong family values.

Protection 194

Protection Brazil Parrots Paraguay 194

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

Cuban Trogon, the national bird who wears the colors of the Cuban flag! There is an island of fascinating birds out there, and I want to see them all. ” birding destination.* The full name of this unique volume is Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Guide Including West Indian Endemics Living in Cuba.

Cuba 238

Cuba Birds United States 2000 238

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2014

Few people can imagine (or even take seriously) the life of a birding guide at a lodge in the tropics, so I thought it would be a nice exercise to outline what an average day for me was like at Cristalino Lodge. White-bellied Parrot was one of many target species at either of the canopy towers. 4:30AM: It is time to wake up!

Otters 160

Otters Parrots Birds Brazil 160

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 12, 2013

The USA’s only truly indigenous parrot was wiped out by a combination of factors, although direct persecution through hunting seems to have been the major contributor. Today, if you want to see parrots in the USA you need look no further than Miami. But its not just parrots that are doing well in their adopted city.

Miami 141

Miami Parrots Research Birds 141

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 25, 2017

I just finished three days of guiding in Costa Rica, each of which was a day trip from the Central Valley, every one a bonanza of new birds. However I didn’t even need to push my vehicle, nor did we have to push ourselves past any sort of birding limit to connect with several quality birds. more birds, and so on!!

Costa Rica 153

Costa Rica Owls Birds Eagles 153

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2016

My reasons for doing so were actually bird related, namely a PhD in bird evolution, the less said about the better. As I go about any part of my life here were I’m not looking for birds I’ll never see much more than the same twenty or so birds, a decent number of which are introduced species.

New Zealand 108

New Zealand Albatross Parrots Penguins 108

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2014

continued from: Birding Argentinga – Salto Encantado | Yaguarundy. This tree is of the coniferous family and this bird has made its life around the southern temperate forest where this tree has been constantly destroyed to clear for farmland development. We stopped often looking and listening for the bird.

Argentina 171

Argentina Parrots Birds Groups 171

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2013

Alfredo, an experienced birder in Peru and well-rounded naturalist, founded a birding and nature eco-travel company , known as Surbound Expeditions (Sur=Spanish for south). Like the color of the soil on which they live: The birds of Peru’s coastal Desert. When thinking of birding overseas, Peru is in almost everyone’s to-do list.

Peru 180

Peru Birds Parrots Chile 180

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 4, 2011

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, Capuchinbird, Red Fan Parrot, Guianan Toucanet, White Bellbird, Grey-winged Trumpeters, Black Currasow. For these stunning birds are not easily found outside of the Guianas which includes Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. Birds that are really tough elsewhere can be easily seen. Interested yet?

Suriname 224

Suriname Birds Guyana South America 224

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2019

During our three week visit to Singapore in March we spent a good part of each day walking and birding. By 17th March we were not expecting to find too many more new birds to add to our list. About halfway between Marymount Road and Upper Thomson Road we had the pleasure of sitting and observing Blue-crowned Hanging Parrots.

Singapore 113

Singapore Unwanted Pets Woodpeckers Parrots 113

10,000 Birds

MAY 30, 2015

There are lots of great birding sites in Costa Rica. In fact, go anywhere with a good amount of natural forest and the birding is gonna be good. However, there are a few stand out sites here and there that are significantly better for species like Jabiru, Lance-tailed Manakin, and Nicaraguan Grackle to name a few.

Costa Rica 179

Costa Rica Chile Nicaragua San Jose 179

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2014

Tambunan was the bookend to my trip to Borneo, it was the first destination I birded and the last. As must see birding destinations go, its hardly the most user friendly location that you can go birding. Road birding. After the eagles, birds started coming thick and fast. Crocker Ranges.

Birds 160

Birds Eagles Asia Species 160

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 249

Ethiopia Sudan Leopards Birds 249