10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2014

Our group watching the first Snow Leopard from a knoll above our camp in Hemis National Park. Our Snow Leopard sat, quite Cheetah-like, before stalking off and once again rolling in the gravel, apparently an indication of the desire to mask its scent before a hunt. In fact some of our group decided to head back to camp.

Snow Leopard 279

Snow Leopard Leopards Hunting Sheep 279

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 26, 2019

Not all birds are created equal. These are the kinds of birds even those barely cognizant of nature recognize, appreciate, and aspire to. These are the kinds of birds even those barely cognizant of nature recognize, appreciate, and aspire to. Central Africa has one of those birds.

Uganda 252

Uganda Africa Birds Penguins 252

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

In front of us, the river is two miles wide… and it is paved with birds: smaller groups of Greater White-fronted and Greylag Geese , numerous Mute Swans and Mallards , plus Eurasian Teals , Gadwalls , Common Pochards , a few Ferruginous and Tufted Ducks , Common Goldeneyes and several Smews. How can I call them all poachers?

Geese 168

Geese Hunting Boars Birds 168

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 12, 2024

Memorable encounters with Mammals: Part I Most birdwatchers enjoy seeing mammals, but the trouble with mammals is that they tend to be much more challenging to see than birds. I remember the guide on my first Kenyan birding safari remarking that “birding groups always see far more mammals than those who come just to see animals.

Fur 176

Fur Bulgaria Otters Estonia 176

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 21, 2022

It is undoubtedly the most wonderful time of year – when we don our binoculars and boots and head off on a tradition spanning more than a hundred years – that of the Christmas Bird Count! We soon departed to our various locations, bellies full and eyes hungry for birds. Three of them in fact, rare visitors from the north.

Falcons 229

Falcons Trinidad Ducks Groups 229

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2015

That was the first thing we–our New Jersey Audubon group of 11 birders, led by Scott Barnes–noted as we exited the airport. This photo is actually of a TK seen a few days later, but it was at our favorite birding gas station pit stop that we also stopped at on our first day. There was no snow. And lots of greenery.

Honduras 242

Honduras Birds Costa Rica Groups 242

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 25, 2021

To be honest, this is because the birding has been a bit slow of late. And our rainy season, which to my relief continues to be abundant, does mean that birds no longer concentrate around sources of water. I’m no expert, but I strongly suspect Rusty Sparrows only hunt for grubs when they are feeding babies.

Louisiana 259

Louisiana 2000 Mexico Groups 259

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2022

The exploration of triads within the avifauna of Trinidad and Tobago has taken me through various families and species groups on this blog. Woodpeckers are charismatic birds, and when a Golden-olive Woodpecker makes an appearance within the darkness of the rainforest they always elicit gasps of wonder and awe.

Woodpeckers 231

Woodpeckers Trinidad South America Hunting 231

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2021

“Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago: Greater Sundas and Wallacea” by James A. kg could be, do keep in mind that this guide covers 4,400 km / 2,750 mi of the Earth’s circumference, or 11% of the length of the Equator, and describes 13% of global bird diversity. Eaton, Bas van Balen, Nick W. Brickle and Frank E. Rheindt is a big book.

Indonesia 263

Indonesia Timor Brunei Guinea 263

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

Don’t you hate it when you cannot communicate while birding overseas? Having mobility issues, I still remember birding from a van along a rather productive dirt road in Costa Rica ( Broad-billed Motmot , Lineated Woodpecker , Cocoa Woodcreeper , etc.), while the rest of the group took a hike. from London was part of my group.

Bears 135

Bears San Jose Greece Costa Rica 135

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

JULY 12, 2023

All fades under the blinding lights of new backyard birds, however. Regular readers will be well aware that I am a huge fan of sitting at home, sipping coffee, and birding. The benefits of long-term observation of the same birds have fertilized my psyche in ways I never thought possible.

Trinidad 221

Trinidad Barn Owls Owls Reptiles 221

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 268

Trinidad Owls Barn Owls Abandon 268

10,000 Birds

JUNE 14, 2011

Dirt hawking is a form of falconry that involves hunting rabbits and other small game with Harris Hawks (other hawk species also qualify). One of the primary reasons that these hawks make such excellent falconry birds is because they are one of only two raptor species (the other is the Galapagos Hawk ) that hunt cooperatively.

League Against Cruel Sports 269

League Against Cruel Sports Rabbits Falcons Hunting 269

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

The islands of the Caribbean are home to 176 species of endemic birds unevenly distributed across the region. Fortunately for this species (and people like me who wish to see them) this level of awareness has resulted in protection for both the bird and its habitat, which in turn has led to some increases in its population.

Grenada 130

Grenada Parrots Trinidad 2010 130

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2014

My initial reaction was, “Really, dude, of all the birds that you’re allowed to have in Wisconsin, you choose the bird that is going to make birders who don’t understand falconry angry?” They’re not known to be the easiest birds to work with , especially when the temperatures are high. Go home now!”

Wisconsin 235

Wisconsin Falcons Owls Hunting 235

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Summer is ending, and that means the birds are migrating again. If you’re a birder though, you had better have a police escort as some of my birder friends had to last week, while they went as part of an Important Bird Area data gathering group. And for the legal hunting, here’s the news from opening day.

Cyprus 155

Cyprus 2011 Killing Hunting 155

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 9, 2019

Over-all there were almost 80,000 photos taken, nearly 50 story’s posted on this website, and 10 countries, all with some amazing birds. In the end, I truly did set out to reduce the number of birds that I feature here from 1302, my years total species, down to 10-12. So, there are 21 birds that make my top 10 for the year.

2018 153

2018 Costa Rica South Africa New Zealand 153

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2013

Usually, it’s “Bird eating fish” but here we have a case of a “Bird-eating fish.” Now and then individual catfish of various species hunt nearer the surface and larger catfish such as the American Channel Cat will take a duck or other water bird. pigeons, Columbia livia ).

Fish 199

Fish Birds Whales Whaling 199

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

The Aruban Burrowing Owl hunts primarily from the ground, hopping and running after lizards, insects, and small mammals. As a result, the Aruba Birdlife Conservation Foundation began a campaign to make the Burrowing Owl the country’s national bird , which was officially named in 2012.

Prairie Dogs 101

Prairie Dogs Tortoises Owls South America 101

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2019

In mid-December, I was birding along the Beljarica levee (Beh-LYAH-ritza), my local patch north of Belgrade, when something other than birds attracted my attention: three wild boars , appearing all black because they had just swam through the swamp to reach the bottom of the levee. Easily enough, they got it here.

Serbia 242

Serbia Otters Boars Eagles 242

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2013

The Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act , which went into effect seventy-nine years ago on July 1, 1934, authorized the annual issuance of what is popularly known as the Duck Stamp. In 1976, Congress changed the official name to the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp , presumably to broaden its appeal to non-hunters.

Ducks 236

Ducks Wildlife Hunters Hunting 236

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2015

A great shiny bauble to entice people to the hobby, before they get stuck into great big proper meaty birds (in a strictly not-eating-them sense). Baby’s First Bird, if you will. Vultures are proper birds. Big hearty birds that hearty men and women of the wild can get their teeth into (again, in a metaphorical sense).

Africa 174

Africa Feral Ethiopia Tanzania 174

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2017

Soaring on the warm desert updrafts, or sitting on a group of cactus tops, always in groups of two, three or more. Their proclivity for living in small social groups was fact that I learned much later. They have adapted a form of communal living, to the point of cooperative hunting techniques.

Mexico 100

Mexico Game South America Rabbits 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 19, 2016

Photo above by Louise Hunt, courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology) At just about 5,000 individuals, Florida’s only exclusive endemic is Endangered. And with the bird’s oak scrub habitat rapidly disappearing , scientists are searching for ways to preserve the species. Take the Florida Scrub-Jay. ”

Florida 176

Florida Research California Hunting 176

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

You may have read my recent piece on Birding the Okavango Delta in Botswana here on 10,000 Birds. If you have never thought of India as a birding destination, I’d urge you to give it a good look. Babita Tours has many years of experience organizing tailor-made wildlife tours for private groups in this wonderful country.

India 181

India Wildlife Tigers Eagles 181

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2017

We walked some of the trails at the reserve, and I had spotted a large bird hovering in mid-air, almost like a helicopter, just with more flapping. Peering through my binoculars, I saw a white bird with black spots on the undersides of the wings. Life-bird for me!

Research 101

Research Birds Virginia Protection 101

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2015

What do you think makes for a good bird hide? I have asked myself that same question many times over the last six months, until last week, when I was involved in an opening ceremony of five new bird hides at the Palic Lake, by the town of Subotica in the very north of Serbia, along the border with Hungary (all photos are from that area).

Serbia 236

Serbia Birds Spain Hungary 236

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2019

The toughest thing for me, as a local birder, was to choose the most attractive birds because those that attract my attention are generally all too common in the northwest of Europe, from where most visiting birders are coming. In no particular order, here they are: Where to watch the top-20 birds of Belgrade.

Serbia 247

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Breeding 247

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2021

For example, hunting is not permitted in most NPS wilderness areas, but it is often allowed in wilderness areas managed by the other agencies. It is the only federal research group dedicated to studies needed to manage the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Puerto Rico 243

Puerto Rico Alaska Protection Research 243

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2013

The survival of songbirds depends in part upon eliminating illegal hunting. If you are a migratory bird in Europe and western Asia, this is your sweet spot. That means passing over the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East, where you’re liable to get shot, trapped, or otherwise hunted. Fish and Wildlife Service). **And

Cambodia 142

Cambodia Slaughter Slaughtered Cyprus 142

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2020

Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) releases a survey called “ Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis.”. The most recent report was issued in December 2019 and it used data from the 2016 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. That’s a lot of birding.

2016 257

2016 North America 2020 2019 257

10,000 Birds

APRIL 21, 2016

” The Task Group issued its final report on September 15, 2015. ” The Task Group issued its final report on September 15, 2015. b) Recommendation : Work with all groups to identify synergistic opportunities for promoting broad conservation benefits of the Duck Stamp. 1) Action : U.S. 1) Action : U.S.

Ducks 100

Ducks Hunters Hunting Wildlife 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2011

As you’ll remember, Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources unanimously passed its sandhill crane hunting proposal. The public comment period on the Kentucky sandhill crane hunting proposal ends AUGUST 1 2011. Here are six top reasons to protest this hunt. The proposal now goes to the U.S.

Kentucky 260

Kentucky Hunters Hunting Protest 260

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 A asks neighbor B to contain his cats.

Feral Cats 259

Feral Cats Feral Cats Wildlife Rehabilitation 259

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.

Birds 204

Birds North America Charlotte New Jersey 204

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2019

And yet, on the bridge the birds are relatively protected from the dogs, beach-goers, and predators that frequent their traditional habitats along dunes. Though the terns actively feed throughout the day, the skimmers wait until dawn and evening to hunt for prey in small flocks, flying low and fast across the water.

Protection 113

Protection Florida Eggs Hunting 113