10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

As introductions to tropical Pacific birding go, you could do a lot worse than Fiji. More importantly the airport in Nadi (pronounced Nandi) on the main island of Viti Levu is a major air hub and frequent stop on flights between the United States and Australia or New Zealand. And let me say, it was very productive.

Fiji 171

Fiji Solomon Islands Parrots Los Angeles 171

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

One new Pacific island form is the Mariana Kingfisher ( Todiramphus albicilla ) from the Mariana Islands in Micronesia. I’m not sure why Australian birds are given this name, but the Australian subspecies is the Torrresian Kingfisher ( Todiramphus sordidus ). Subspecies vitiensis , Fiji. Saipan, Micronesia.

United Arab Emirates 182

United Arab Emirates Micronesia Tonga Vanuatu 182

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2012

As 10,000 Birds’ New Zealand beat writer, I sometimes should write about New Zealand birds, but today I thought I’d talk about a bird that people thought was one but almost certainly wasn’t. So what were these Australian birds doing in New Zealand? And, sometimes, New Zealand.

New Zealand 183

New Zealand Pelicans Solomon Islands Palau 183

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2015

The species was in the news because some scientists had finally managed (or bothered – it’s much the same thing) to locate the population high in the mountains of the Solomon Islands, and catch and photograph one. I took measurements from Chatham Bellbirds, Chatham Fernbirds, and South Island Snipe.

Collecting 231

Collecting Solomon Islands New Zealand Fiji 231

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

All of the birds within Raphini are highly specialized for island life. It’s a spectacular pigeon with long neck plumes and blue, green, and copper iridescence in its feathers (I mean, look at this bird ), and it lives on islands from the western Indian Ocean all the way out through northern Melanesia.

Solomon Islands 278

Solomon Islands Guinea Mauritius Humane 278

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2011

The world of birding is filled with challenging groups well known to all, birds like gulls , Empidonax flycatchers or cisticolas that require attention to the tiniest details in order to assign an individual to a specific species (if it can be done at all). One such bird is the Collared Kingfisher ( Todiramphus chloris ).

Samoa 172

Samoa Vanuatu United Arab Emirates Tonga 172