10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

The poster bird of this area is the near-threatened Black-necked Crane. The HBW even mentions the importance of Ruoergai for this species: “Key sites for migrants include the Ruoergai Plateau (China), which is also an important breeding area” Common Mergansers also seem to use these wetlands as breeding area.

China 169

China Mongolia Birds Russia 169

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2021

When looking for birds in Costa Rica, the Central Valley isn’t the first place that comes to mind. Tongues and patches of green space host birds but most birders leave as soon as they can. Why linger when you can go where the birding is better? I can’t blame them, I would too.

Costa Rica 249

Costa Rica Sparrows Birds Rodents 249

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2022

In the world of birding, we have our stars, the birds that lift our spirits and provoke oohs, aahs, and admiration. These are the birds that make us race to the nearest park, scan refuge headquarter trees with anxious eyes, and turn some of us into temporary paparazzi.

Costa Rica 271

Costa Rica Nashville Tennessee Turtles 271

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

This is the last post covering my time birding the Kruger Park in November 2018. A study on the diet of the African Harrier-Hawk starts rather pompously: “Feeding is an indispensable activity in the life of birds. I guess blushing is easier if you have a bald face like this species. No clue what it is though.

South Africa 147

South Africa Niger Birds Mice 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

The main attraction for birders here are the hornbills – I have written about them before , so this post will be more on the other birds I saw there in 2017. Anyway, it is a very cute-looking bird if you are big enough not to be among its prey of (mostly) insects.

Birds 147

Birds Myanmar China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2019

2018 proved to be one of my best birding years ever. In addition to spotting exciting new species in Florida, including the rare Snail Kite, travel across the country brought me into contact with birds in Oregon, California, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alabama, and more. I did not fall into that category.

Bald Eagle 144

Bald Eagle Alabama Kansas Florida 144

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

It is near a river, attracting some birds that like to eat wet food. As the national bird of Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the African Fish Eagle is usually very busy whenever it stays in these countries, giving speeches, opening shopping centers, etc. The birds I asked about this pretended not to be related to anyone though.

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Birds South Africa Benin 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2018

It’s still possible (amidst the scurry to take from public lands) to protect our pristine wilderness areas. Through multi-partnerships, cooperation, federal funding, and the private conservation efforts of one family, 616 acres were officially added to the Cherokee National Forest in September 2018. appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

Georgia 201

Georgia Bald Eagle Tennessee 2018 201

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

AUGUST 10, 2022

For some reason that I do not quite understand myself – given that I really rather dislike children and am not too positive about the rest of humanity either – I recently put up a little display of bird photos inside my Shanghai compound, which I share (as the only foreigner) with about 1700 Chinese. Some Birds of Shanghai.

Birds 162

Birds Fish Germany China 162

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2022

Roebuck Bay is a well-known location for bird-watching around Broome. At the farthest point of Roebuck Bay to the south there is often a flock of Pied Oystercatchers that number several hundred birds. As the tide drops the birds all move forward to bathe and feed and the Pied Oystercatcher family becomes more visible.

Breeding 147

Breeding Family Hunting Eagles 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2022

Hannah Buschert was first exposed to birds and birding during a required ornithology course at Oregon State University and she quickly caught the birding bug. This is Hannah’s first contribution to 10,000 Birds. Hannah and Erik ready to see some birds! I love to go on cruises.

South Africa 262

South Africa Mice Albatross Africa 262

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2019

Costa Rica is well known for national parks and other protected areas than offer access to tropical ecosystems dripping with biodiversity. Lots of birds, a lot of really cool birds! Our birding was particularly productive for the Central Valley but still gives an idea of what can be found in and near urban areas of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 191

Costa Rica Birds Parrots Sparrows 191

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2021

Of the thirty or so members of the family Icteridae that go by the name “oriole” on the western side of the Atlantic Ocean, several species are partial enough to fruit that they even visit feeders that offer it as jelly, as the sugar-preserved form usually reserved for human consumption is known.

2017 197

2017 Portugal Europe Africa 197

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 169

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 169

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

The urge to breed is obviously strong enough for them to keep attempting it and thankfully due to the longevity of the species they are able to replace themselves during their lifetime. The male of this pair of Pied Oystercatchers always appears to take on more of the protecting duties, but we also know he is an old bird.

Breeding 147

Breeding Eggs Protection Family 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2019

However, no matter how one enjoys or takes in interest in the avian side of life, an official list of the birds for a given area is of vital importance. With the rise in birding tourism, bird lists for entire countries have also become increasingly important. Not every list has Great Tinamou on it. Juvenile Gray Hawk.

Costa Rica 197

Costa Rica Birds Owls South America 197

10,000 Birds

MAY 29, 2019

In my last post, I introduced you to some of my favorite birds from the tiny town of Paso Ancho, Michoacán. It was impossible to show you all my favorite Tierra Caliente species in one post, so I only shared those that are mostly seen in the drier area a couple of miles south of the town and river. Then it got an upgrade.

Squirrels 113

Squirrels Birds Mexico 2013 113

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 202

Costa Rica Panama Birds Eagles 202

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 30, 2020

The family of Pied Oystercatchers soon made their move to Gantheaume Point. Gantheaume Point offers both food and protection for a young Pied Oystercatcher chick, which is very important when they are unable to fly. Typically the whole Pied Oystercatcher family spend a lot of time either feeding or roosting.

Eggs 163

Eggs Breeding Family Protection 163

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2015

It can’t have escaped your notice lately that the blog has been overrun with articles about North America’s pseudo-warblers (or wood warblers, as some people, apparently unaware the name is taken by a proper European species, call them), and, even worse, no small amount of poetry. Baby’s First Bird, if you will.

Africa 174

Africa Feral Ethiopia Tanzania 174

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2021

“Gamebirds” to some, cool, cryptic understory birds to the birding people, grouse crouch protected as unfettered winds sway the top of the tall prairie grass. Then there are the ones that live in PA , the state bird, “the grouse” that a great many non-birders are aware of, my Uncle Fred was one of them.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Chickens Pennsylvania Litter 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2020

While birding along the highway, a younger man on a motorcycle stopped to talk with me. But this man turned out to have worked with the government habitat protection agency, which is why he stopped when he saw me birding. I had a very nice visit with his family — so nice that I didn’t get to do all that much birding.

Mexico 167

Mexico South America United States Mammals 167

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2017

The number of bird species to be found, falls dramatically, but we can always rely on our impressive populations of Herons, egrets and even a few rails to keep our birding juices flowing. Our local Reddish Egrets are a popular species for many of my out of town guests.

Mexico 100

Mexico Birds Protection Dogs 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

They may be about bird eggs ( The Most Perfect Thing: The Inside (and Outside) of a Bird’s Egg , 2016), or a 17th-century ornithologist ( Virtuoso by Nature: The Scientific Worlds of Francis Willughby, 2016), or How Bullfinches learn songs from humans ( The Wisdom of Birds: An Illustrated History of Ornithology.

Dissection 212

Dissection Birds Research Europe 212

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2017

The year 2016 is done and gone and 2017 beckons us onward, bright and new and shiny, hopefully full of birds. Here’s hoping everyone has a wonderful 2017, full of amazing birds and experiences. As for Mike, well…at the beginning of a new year, every bird commands attention. How about you?

2017 124

2017 2016 New York Birds 124

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

Every person has a responsibility to be part of the solution by doing something to protect and encourage the re-establishment of biodiversity. Insects and a host of other invertebrate life have evolved with these plant species, and thus depend on them. Locally native plants are the base part of the local ecology. POST SCRIPT.

Wildlife 262

Wildlife North America Mammals Breeding 262

10,000 Birds

MAY 9, 2019

Just imagine a family excursion to Yellowstone to photograph grazing herds of elephants – equally wrong. I do count, write and eBird all crow species I encounter, but, I admit, without much excitement. Such news would usually end up in tabloids with some title reference to Hitchcock’s The Birds. And protect them, too.

Protection 147

Protection Elephants Owls Laws 147

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 208

Brazil California Condor Parrots Texas 208

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

If you like birds on posts, if seeing “little brown jobs” posing nicely in the distance as you drive or walk along a dirt road only to have it fly away as you approach makes you deliriously happy, then North Dakota is the place for you. I wanted to see prairie birds and I wanted to experience a new state. Scott Barnes, N.J.

North Dakota 135

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 135

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

AUGUST 11, 2015

I am within one of Florida’s sub-tropical zones, and my birding experiences have expanded, with life birds galore. Almost every lunch break I head out onto the beach, looking for birds along the sand. I know what everyone is thinking: “Erika, you are birding at absolutely the worst time of day. Why bother?” Snowy Plover.

Florida 157

Florida Birds Mice Breeding 157

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 28, 2017

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is the prominent bird organisation in Great Britain. This may come as a surprise to those who take part in the Christmas Bird Count in the USA and to me too, but the RSPB claims over half a million respondents counted 8 million birds last year. How easy is that?

Birds 100

Birds Wildlife Science Protection 100

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 226

Cuba Birds United States 2000 226

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 10, 2012

The family Picathartidae consists of two very unusual birds; White-necked or Yellow-headed Picathartes , endemic to the Upper Guinea forests of West Africa; and Gray-necked or Red-headed , restricted to Lower Guinea forests of Central Africa. They are also believed to be related to the Rail-Babbler of Tropical Asia.

Sierra Leone 264

Sierra Leone Ghana Cameroon Equatorial Guinea 264

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2014

It took me a while to wrap my mind around the concept of Birds and People , Mark Cocker and David Tipling’s book that, in 592 pages, explores the intersection of just that—birds and us. Nor have I overlooked “sightings” of birds in movies mouthing other birds’ calls. I’m not sure why.

Birds 207

Birds Egypt Family Eagles 207

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2015

Producing a book about birds and nesting is a dangerous business. The truth is that there are few images cuter than baby birds in the nest opening their mouths and begging for food, but there are curmudgeons amongst us, myself included, who don’t like to admit this. And of birds courting and mating. We simply refuse to squee.

Eggs 263

Eggs Family 2006 New York 263