10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2023

Chinese Penduline T**s are not particularly woke birds. White’s Thrush is described as “burly” on eBird – not entirely unjustified, I guess, but this description fails to capture the way the intricate patterns of the bird make for great camouflage and also for its own kind of beauty. Maybe the grandparents help.

Birds 229

Birds Blackbirds Indonesia Bhutan 229

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2021

There was a time when I thought each bird species had its own individual song. Then I found out that there was this vocalization called a ‘call,’ so I thought each bird species had its own individual song (but just the males) and individual call. Bird communication is a complex and evolving science.

North America 279

North America Research Birds Groups 279

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2022

Thank you, goddess of birding luck and text group people).* My inner self felt stuck in an area between disbelief and total joy and the voices near me were echoing this state of mind: “Oh My God,” “I never thought I would see this bird,” “Look at that bill!” “How did that bird get here?”

Birds 264

Birds Compassion Eagles Science 264

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. The babblers have a sentinel system – individual birds take turns scanning for predators and warning the group.

South Africa 147

South Africa Niger Birds Mice 147

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

The poster bird of this area is the near-threatened Black-necked Crane. Not sure how I (or the bird itself) feel about the bird being named after a bird collector, though. A beautiful bird, but a disastrous name, if even some of the accusations against Przevalski of him being a massive racist are true.

China 196

China Mongolia Birds Russia 196

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2024

Given how far Hokkaido is from Europe, it seems a bit surprising how many bird species wintering on this Japanese island have a name starting with “Eurasian” Or how many of these species I have also seen in my parents’ garden in Germany. Like the Eurasian Nuthatch. People tend to eat more food when in company.

Research 130

Research Germany Iran Humane 130

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

It is a well-known birding hotspot, though access to some of its parts may be tricky without a local guide. There is quite a bit of construction going on, so in the future, the park may become much more accessible to tourists, and at the same time much less attractive for shy birds (and their birder followers).

Birds 240

Birds Pandas Mammals China 240

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2022

In 2007 I was working in a university building that was just begging for bird feeders. This was where I set up my bird feeders, just one at first, then expanding as everyone expressed delight in seeing the Carolina Chickadees, Dark-eyed Juncos, and Downy Woodpeckers. There were no dead birds for weeks. I hoped it was an anomaly.

New York City 264

New York City Birds Illinois Science 264

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Yesterday morning was simply one of those incredibly eventful birding sessions, about which I may expound upon in parts within the coming weeks. From genuine rarities to undocumented polymorphism – the magic of birding was truly in full swing. A concrete wall halving one of the ponds was a popular rest spot for several birds.

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Elephants Ducks Humane Family 278

10,000 Birds

APRIL 27, 2022

While preparing an article this week for a local newspaper on the nighttime denizens of Tobago, it crossed my mind that I never considered owls as a group, far less target species for any particular outing (except for a select few, upon which I shall expound here). Some of my earliest bird-related memories (what other memories even exist?)

Trinidad 278

Trinidad Owls Barn Owls Abandon 278

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 11, 2022

Habitats: Check Birds… well, more presumed what the possibilities are, than actually checked… Sleeping: Check Getting around: Check I will come back to these topics in a while. But there was one more thing I evaluated, the human infrastructure, the potential guides among the national park employees. It sounded birdy and I was game.

Serbia 262

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Romania 262

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2020

And lots of birds, of course. This may be one reason why it is so hard to explain to non-birders the solitary passion that is birding. Yes, I know that birding can be turned into a social experience of sorts, but it will still always involve lots of silence and stealth. After all, no human contact need be involved.

Battery 261

Battery Humane Groups Birds 261

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

The topic was the concept of humans as predators, or hunters, or really, eaters of meat, and I was discussing the many ways in which people misconceived this notion. The third argument comes from the Berkeley group. Any buffalo bones from prior to that transition were obviously scavenged. Perhaps we can discuss that some other time.

Humane 165

Humane Lions Buffalo Hunting 165

10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2016

I asked a group of wildlife rehabilitators: “What are some of the Worst Bird Myths? Bats just love to fly into human hair!” Two: Humans are diurnal, which means they are normally active during the day. Three: Why would anyone , no matter what their species, want to become tangled in human hair? Feel free to vent!”.

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Wildlife Rehabilitation Porcupines Raccoons Birds 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2016

So, I birded India, land of Indian Peafowl , Saag Paneer (my favorite Indian dish) and Tigers. Neither are birds, but both involved a lot of birding.). Once we donned our booties and took the brief tour of the tomb, we climbed up to a terrace overlooking the Yamuna River and started birding in earnest.

India 189

India Tigers Birds Owls 189

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2021

And it prohibits human infrastructure, e.g. , roads, buildings, dams, and pipelines, etc. It is the only federal research group dedicated to studies needed to manage the National Wilderness Preservation System. The post A Birder’s Guide to The Wilderness Act appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

Puerto Rico 284

Puerto Rico Alaska Protection Research 284

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2023

In nature, nothing is without purpose; human intervention is what has turned a peaceful forest dweller into a demonic pest after all. The whole reason I was exploring this area can be traced to a report of multiple sightings of small groups of the migratory Yellow-billed Cuckoo. But little has been said about its ecological function.

Trinidad 147

Trinidad Squirrels Investigation Bears 147

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

However, in this post, I’d like to lay out the basic numbers as we pretend to know them about overall bird mortality, human related causes of mortality, and somewhere in there I’ll note that the number of birds that are killed by windmills is so small that it says “zero” on my pie chart.

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Killing Cats Fish Birds 274

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

Not so nifty for birds, though. An “invisible” building sounds infinitely more dangerous; let’s hope the architects have a plan to stave off bird fatalities. In the meantime, research into ways to make buildings safer for birds is ongoing. Hopefully, someday, these groups won’t be necessary.

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South Korea Chicago Nashville Minnesota 193

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2021

Normally the slender, fairy-feathered shorebirds are shy and avoid the humans who encroach on their territory. Initially wary, the birds came to accept his quiet presence as he checked his traps and floats. She said she would take the injured egret, and Elton caught the bird with a net. Snowy Egrets like to keep their distance.

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Virginia Wildlife Transported Fish 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2015

Science is fairly well established that yawning can spread like wildfire among groups of humans, as well as a few other mammals. New research suggests that the phenomenon of contagious yawning can also be seen in birds. In the other study, the birds—which seem to be great mimics of videos—were shown footage of budgies yawning.

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New York Mammals Science Birds 157

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2016

There is bird version of this in the Everglades. For example, years ago, Eiton Tchenrov postulated that the wild progenitor of the domestic dog, some subspecies or another of wolf, could benefit from overlapping its breeding territory with human hunters.

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Alligators Protection Leopards Birds 131

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2015

This blog was written by Marge Gibson, co-founder of Raptor Education Group, Inc. But the fact is nature has little to do with most problems facing native birds. Consider this: ninety percent of birds treated at wildlife centers are admitted as a result of human interactions that have nothing to do with “nature.”

Wildlife Rehabilitation 190

Wildlife Rehabilitation Bald Eagle Rescue Wildlife 190

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2023

He’s the author of The New Neotropical Companion (2017, originally published in 1997), a must-read for any birder preparing to travel to Central and South America, the Peterson Reference Guide to Bird Behavior (2020), and a long list of other books and articles. There are changes in where to find the birds.

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2006 Tortoises Sea Lions Sea Turtles 273

10,000 Birds

JUNE 16, 2012

The latest news from IUCN Redlist regarding birds is not good. This gloomy article made want to go birding in the Amazon before it is gone. The exuberance of the Amazon jungle is a compelling drive to get people to explore this disappearing eco-system, so I thought I would post some beautiful pictures of Amazonian birds.

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Parrots 2012 Birds Humane 222

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

The islands of the Caribbean are home to 176 species of endemic birds unevenly distributed across the region. Many of these species are declining in number, having to share their limited geographical range with an expanding human population without a doubt impedes their ability to proliferate as needed. Vincent Parrot !

Grenada 130

Grenada Parrots Trinidad 2010 130

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

If birders say they love birds ostensibly because they can fly and we cannot, then there must be no more beloved group of birds than the swallows. These aerial acrobats are among the most impressive flyers in the bird world, darting this way and that over open country in pursuit of flying insects.

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Jordan Iowa Birds Africa 205

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2023

After Jason recently asked ChatGPT for birding advice, the management consultant in me – constantly thriving for efficiency improvements – immediately thought of the next step. The Seasonal Spectacles: Shanghai’s birding scene comes alive during the spring and autumn migration seasons.

China 194

China Endangered Species Sanctuary Protection 194

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 13, 2014

First, let’s start with the good: Scientific testing of drones near birding hotspot Cape May, NJ has been postponed to avoid messing with Red Knots and Piping Plovers (like the cutie above that Corey photographed there a few years back). (On Can prairie grass curb bird strikes? Still craving more penguin news? News Nature News'

San Diego 198

San Diego Penguins Ohio Geese 198

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.

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Birds Florida Groups Breeding 196

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2011

It’s a common call/email/text that most bird watchers get this time of year: “HELP! I just saved a baby bird! Both of those sites allow you to enter your zip code or state and find someone nearby who has the state and federal permits that allows them to treat wild birds. Do not worry about touching the baby birds.

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Birds Fox Raised Ducks 266

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2013

You may not realize it when you look at those bizarre looking waders with the massive bills and the vacant expression, but you’re looking at a group of birds that has inspired humankind for literal centuries. The group has a worldwide distribution; 28 species living and two additional extinct.

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Birds North America Charlotte New Jersey 237

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2015

I was going to have something for you this month about the dinosaur-bird thing, but I never got to it. The potpourri covers some interesting bird related science of the last few weeks, and the promise is this: I’ll get to that other stuff soon, I promise! One of the birds most affected by this is Cassin’s Auklets.

Science 153

Science Iraq Research Birds 153

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2015

This is what we need for birds, whose rights as government-protected species are violated every day by free-roaming cats. Thanks to groups like Alley Cat Allies, outdoor and feral cats have become above the law. What birds need is their own SWAT team. You call the SWAT team. Neighbor B has nine outdoor cats. Sealed With A Trap.

Feral Cats 259

Feral Cats Feral Cats Wildlife Rehabilitation 259

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2015

We assume natural selection has shaped birds to avoid predators. Noticing predators, reacting to them perhaps with an alarm call, and escaping them, as well as other behaviors, keep the bird alive and thus allow it to reproduce. We would expect, then, that natural selection favors birds that are good at these things.

Birds 138

Birds Research Humane Pets 138

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

They were commenting where they felt most at home – on their favourite FB pages (predominantly American Birding Association). I found those comments insightful and inspiring, valuable experiences and opinions worthy of sharing to a wider audience than the FB groups where they were initially posted. Language skills too.”. A teacher.”.

Greece 231

Greece Birds Zambia Experience 231

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 18, 2018

The Weekly Reader had shocked everyone in class with news of Bald Eagles dying – and humans were to blame! When news later reached our little town (likely through a newspaper) that the bird-killing chemical was to be banned, my environmental activism was born. Fast forward to the next decade and humans were at it again.

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Texas Defenders Of Wildlife Bald Eagle Protest 181