10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

Let me introduce my guest blogger, Lisa Owens Viani, co-founder of the California-based group RATS ( Raptors Are The Solution ), which educates people about the dangers of rat poisons. Syngenta’s product “Talon”—evidently inspired by the talons of the natural pest- controlling birds of prey—uses the active ingredient brodifacoum.

Mountain Lions 260

Mountain Lions Rats Rodents Lions 260

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). Hamar mother and child.

Ethiopia 240

Ethiopia Sudan Leopards Birds 240

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2012

There are groups dedicated to species like Eastern Bluebirds and Purple Martins and with extensive writings on how to keep starlings at bay and even recommendations on how to legally trap and kill them should they drive away North American birds. Unusual abundances of food items, e.g. arboreal insects, garbage, livestock feed, etc.

North America 152

North America Europe America Livestock 152

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

Moreover, the pair I saw was feeding from a livestock trough alongside a group of cattle. Hardly the elegant, natural picture deserving of some seriously stunning birds! And what I found made me take a step back in time and reflect upon how truly special these birds are. By 1950, the Louisiana flock was gone.

Florida 224

Florida Buffalo Louisiana 2004 224

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Birders know that the pairing of farms and birds represents more than mere bucolic romance – it’s a match borne out of a real avian dependence on these man-made landscapes. And of course, there are Cattle Egrets ( Bubulcus ibis ) and several species of cowbirds that rarely stray too far from livestock.

Vermont 118

Vermont Belgium Farming Europe 118

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2016

inhabitants per km², mainly livestock farmers. Although one member of the group spotted a mother with two cubs, I have not. My tour list (late September… also, birders were a minority within a group): 1. At the edge of the forest, above the road, a Roe Deer swiftly disappears between trees. In the end, have I seen my bear?

Bears 269

Bears Greece Europe Slovenia 269

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2017

The combination of over hunting, and the native animals susceptibility to diseases carried by domestic livestock that were allowed to graze there, completely eliminated these Bighorns by 1915. This small group of Pronghorn Antelope were right at the refuge entrance. With water, comes birds, so I set off in search.

Sheep 113

Sheep Oregon Mules Livestock 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2011

As I have explained before these islands are the best place for a lot of the birding here because they are more easily protected from introduced mammals which wreck such havoc on the wildlife here. They are a common enough coastal bird that can been seen from shore on some days paddling around the marina, but a nice bird none-the-less.

Penguins 165

Penguins Parrots New Zealand Seals 165

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2013

We were able to spend hours sitting right in amongst super-groups of 500-600 Geladas that just carried on with their daily business in total oblivion to our presence. The basic Gelada social unit is a harem (or unimale group) made up of a dominant male and several females (1-12), their young and sometimes subordinate males.

Ethiopia 160

Ethiopia Primates Mammals Fur 160

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2021

The very last Sunday of the decade heralded our final CBC – with group sizes limited to five persons. For the fifth year in a row, I was assigned the prolific and well-known Aripo Livestock Station at the foothills of Trinidad’s Northern Range. But birds (and the thoughts of birds) always prevail in my world.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Livestock Groups Eagles 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2020

A fact to which my wife will begrudgingly attest, as my memory is excellent when it comes to anything bird-related yet exceptionally poor otherwise. It was late December, 2012, and I slotted into a sizable group under the joint leadership of two highly respected birders. As prolific as the area was, the group was on the move.

Trinidad 172

Trinidad Livestock 2015 Groups 172

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2014

One reason so many of us love birding is that the activity engages all of our senses. Getting out into a wild space and locking in on a special bird can, when all goes well, elicit a moment of total absorption that both energizes and calms us. What’s the most memorable hazard you’ve faced on the birding trail?

Cows 179

Cows Colombia South America Livestock 179

10,000 Birds

APRIL 11, 2017

A reasonable birder could respond to this change in a variety of ways, from satisfaction that another bird species has recovered to concern that FWS is caving to rapacious corporations at the expense of an endangered bird. (If Army base in the country— and FWS estimates more than 14,000 birds on these lands alone.

Endangered Species 127

Endangered Species Species Texas Oklahoma 127