10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2020

Gaines, notwithstanding that the story (1) takes place in the Uruguay of 1999, with plenty of commentary on the Uruguayan political scene of that time, (2) is narrated by a bird illustrator who identifies the birds he sees only by their common Spanish names, and (3) flashes back to the use of torture by South American juntas in the 1970’s.

Uruguay 156

Uruguay 2001 Bald Eagle Science 156

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2023

February 2023 was a slow month for birding in Shanghai, at least for me – so slow that I almost put the Spotted Dove , possibly my least favorite bird here, on the cover. Not a cover species The Black Kite is not actually black, but of course, misleading bird names are not exactly rare. Maybe those should be protected too?

Birds 130

Birds Iraq China Ireland 130

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 3, 2015

In my runs through the dinosaur halls with Jake and Zach, I’m pretty sure I saw Deinonychus , the small fossil that inspired the velociraptors in Jurassic Park and, more importantly (in some minds), revived a 19th century theory that birds are descended directly from dinosaurs. Like birds. There is a lot of science here to explain.

Mongolia 190

Mongolia Science Reptiles Indiana 190

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2018

It’s September and time for birds to start their southerly journeys. The migrants face many perils, hunters, predators, adverse weather conditions and lack of refueling opportunities due to habitat loss. Please remember to give migrating birds the space that they need. Germain’s Swiftlet – Aerodramus germani.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113