10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2021

In my last post here , I spoke of a rather odd trend permeating the birdlife here in Trinidad & Tobago. These endearing birds are almost always found in pairs or small family groups, and I often have difficulty deciding which bird to photograph as both males and females are equally beautiful.

Trinidad 258

Trinidad Bears Family Groups 258

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2021

Trinidad’s cloud forests typically aren’t birded much. These magical forests hide isolated treasures like the critically endangered Golden Tree Frog – not to mention several species of birds not found anywhere else in the country. Not for long though, as the walking began shortly thereafter.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Groups Parrots Species 264

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2019

While Colombia may have almost 2000 bird species, it is a huge country with, still, complicated long-distance travel logistics. On the other hand, small countries with relatively long bird lists offer higher species densities per square mile. The Species per Square Mile Approach. Why 99,999? And why 1000?

Gambia 246

Gambia Equatorial Guinea Species Rwanda 246

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2023

The southern forests of the island of Trinidad are home to the much-maligned Moruga Grasshopper. International organisations have provided “assistance” to the government of Trinidad & Tobago over the years to placate residents and aggrieved farmers. Something was attracting all these birds, and keeping them here.

Trinidad 147

Trinidad Squirrels Investigation Bears 147

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! On Trinidad, there was no such state involvement in the count, we were pretty much on our own.

Falcons 264

Falcons Trinidad Ducks Groups 264

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 246

Trinidad Barn Owls Owls Reptiles 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

Birds of Belize by Steve N. Howell and Dale Dyer and Birds of Costa Rica by Dale Dyer and Steve N. Dale Dyer put in years working on his paintings for Birds of Central America , both in the field and in the museum. Howell utilizes the IOC World Bird List (v.11.2, Why are these issues? © 2023 by Steve N.

Costa Rica 244

Costa Rica Belize El Salvador Birds 244

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2021

After a lifetime of lockdown measures we’re all surely chomping at the bit to get back out and slip back into that birding groove. I shall not get into those, as we may never get to the birds! My first experience was with a nesting pair, one bird was out at the time and the other was comfortably sitting quite low in the nest.

Birds 264

Birds Owls Litter Trinidad 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2022

Having spent all my life in Trinidad, it was the first time I would be stationed away from the island of my birth. Last month I took the boat back to Trinidad as I was booked to guide a trip there for a week and a half. The disparity in species could be stark, for example if one were to bird on different sides of the planet.

Trinidad 278

Trinidad Turkey Squirrels Species 278

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2021

The southwest peninsula of Trinidad is unfortunately rarely birded by visiting birders. Trogons, flycatchers and most conspicuous of the lot – a group of Channel-billed Toucans. Bonus points if you figured out that the out-of-focus bird here is a Solitary Sandpiper. Such is birding. hours one-way.

Sea Turtles 278

Sea Turtles Bats Turtles Trinidad 278

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2020

Going birding is even more of a no-brainer now than before. Many moons ago, when I used to work in the (supposedly) booming petrochemical industry in Trinidad, most of my time was actually spent birding. Violaceous Euphonias (yes there’s more than one bird here). Business as Usual appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

Trinidad 258

Trinidad Battery Industry Bats 258

10,000 Birds

JULY 29, 2013

When was the last time you birded in the oldest forest preserve in the western hemisphere? He is gregarious, knowledgeable, and eager to get you on the birds, which was a bit difficult for most of the people in my group, which consisted of six people, considering I was the only birder.

Trinidad 225

Trinidad Birds Venezuela Protection 225

10,000 Birds

MARCH 22, 2024

Here in the UK the Austrian manufacturer Swarovski dominates the quality end of the birding market, outselling by a sizeable margin its German-based rivals, Zeiss and Leica. So if someone has Swarovskis hanging round their neck, there’s a fair chance that they take their birding seriously.

Austria 240

Austria Factory Branding Germany 240

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

AUGUST 12, 2013

To see birds? ” That small minded perspective is difficult to overcome despite Clare’s continued insistence on the excellence of Poo Ponds and my own small contribution from my visits to Florida’s Viera Wetlands and Nevada’s City of Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Voluntarily? What is wrong with you?”

Trinidad 192

Trinidad New Jersey Nevada Illinois 192

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2023

In the latest instalment of the ongoing documentation of the curious recurrence of the number three in the avifauna of Trinidad and Tobago, we arrive on the triad of Grassquits. For the uninitiated, while on a deep dive into Trinbagonian ornithology a few years ago I noticed groups of three popping up in multiple places.

Trinidad 248

Trinidad Venezuela Brazil Groups 248

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2012

The island paradise of Trinidad boasts three bands of mountains running east to west. The latter reason explains why I joined a group of North American birders in an early morning assault on the birds of the Northern Range. This bird was almost the best bird of the morning.

Trinidad 166

Trinidad Stud Turkey Shelters 166

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Last weekend we headed into the mountains of northern Trinidad – the concept of mountains is surely a relative one, although it is the highest conglomeration of hills in the country (and the northernmost outcrop of the Andes) the Northern Range never crosses 1,000m above sea level.

Woodpeckers 264

Woodpeckers Trinidad Battery Hunting 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023

As mentioned in many other posts on this blog, the avifauna of Trinidad & Tobago consists of several species and family groups occurring very interestingly, in threes. I hadn’t noticed this until I began compiling my own book on the birds of T&T some years ago, and I thought it rather uncanny.

Trinidad 130

Trinidad Bats Falcons Groups 130

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2019

However, no matter how one enjoys or takes in interest in the avian side of life, an official list of the birds for a given area is of vital importance. With the rise in birding tourism, bird lists for entire countries have also become increasingly important. Not every list has Great Tinamou on it. Juvenile Gray Hawk.

Costa Rica 203

Costa Rica Birds Owls South America 203

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2021

This has always been a wish of mine, since many of my favorite birds here stand out as much for their songs as for their appearance. And while the the gully-loving White-tipped Dove is a bird that is almost never seen, you had better know its ubiquitous song if you’re going to go birding in Michoacán. Thanks, Clare!

Trinidad 202

Trinidad Emotional Transported Mexico 202

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2015

Birders head to Costa Rica to see stunners like Resplendent Quetzal , Three-wattled Bellbird , Orange-collared Manakin , fancy hummingbirds , tanagers, and literally hundreds of other birds. This bunch of possible Costa Rican crypto birds can be grouped into four main categories: (1). Bird species that require further research.

Costa Rica 247

Costa Rica Species South America America 247

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.

Elephants 279

Elephants Ducks Humane Family 279

10,000 Birds

JUNE 18, 2012

If you haven’t been to Trinidad and Tobago, you’re missing out on a country that combines many of the best qualities of the Caribbean and South America. The Southern Lapwing’s crest is evident, but I’d never noticed its spurs until a cocky male tried to intimidate my group in the Tobago Rainforest Preserve.

Venezuela 213

Venezuela South America Trinidad America 213

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2022

It may seem like an unnecessarily recurring theme in my posts about birding within Trinidad & Tobago, but the more I write on the subject the more it becomes apparent that the number three must have some significance, somewhere. Its inaccessibility has led to it not being birded often.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Birds Tigers Groups 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2023

Some days ago I had the opportunity to explore the grossly underbirded southeastern corner of Trinidad. With a transit time of at least two hours from any of the accommodations typically used for birding, this relatively pristine area is awash with surprises.

Trinidad 29

Trinidad Falcons Primates Monkeys 29

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2022

Personally I’ve seen over a hundred species over several birding trips there, the overall species list for the location is approximately 160 – a tally that will only increase. A small group of Turquoise Tanagers fed on fruiting cecropia, albeit briefly. This large and charismatic bird was surely the bird of the trip.

Trinidad 264

Trinidad Squirrels Birds Groups 264

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2020

Just under a fortnight ago, I saw a report on the local bird alert of a sighting of a group of approximately 20 Nacunda Nighthawks at a wetland not more than 20 minutes from where I live. It seemed to be good birding judgement to scan the seasonally flooded wetland in the couple hours of daylight available before the storm arrived.

Livestock 256

Livestock Ducks ALA illegal 256

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 17, 2024

I contemplated how the birds were able to achieve such acceleration after sleeping all night without an ounce of caffeine. Once the swifts ascended well above the canopy, they began to look like birds again. Meanwhile, the forest edge was awash with birds. The birds were for the most part playing hard to get, though.

Guyana 244

Guyana Parrots Trinidad Woodpeckers 244

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2023

On the slow crawl into the farm, the first sighting was a small group of Green Ibis – a new species for me. The Point-tailed Palmcreeper is a strange bird in all senses. It was almost as if the bird was made for the tree. The post Birding Around the Farm first appeared on 10,000 Birds.

Farming 245

Farming Guyana Birds South America 245

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 209

Trinidad Livestock 2015 Groups 209

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

Some of my continental friends may not think twice of having to drive for four hours to see a single bird. I have been meaning to bird other areas a bit further away but there’s been a string of very interesting sightings in this wetland recently, and each time I go it seems to churn out some other unexpected jewel.

Trinidad 363

Trinidad Groups Species Blackbirds 363

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2020

Fortunately, I live in Trinidad and Tobago – a twin-island nation that boasts the second highest density of bird species in the world. Birders who are lucky enough to live near Trinidad’s west coast have been reporting up to two hundred American Flamingos from various locations along the coastline.

Trinidad 262

Trinidad Pelicans Humane Fish 262

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 25, 2023

Nomenclature aside, few can deny the benefits of simply being in nature, when there are birds around that’s a bonus! Whether on Trinidad or Tobago, there are few places one can visit where the presence of the sea isn’t felt. Bit by bit, the warm golden rays of the sun began to fall on the group of Black-bellied Plovers.

Trinidad 147

Trinidad Pelicans Groups Birds 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

It actually makes a lot of sense, the geographic features of the isthmus between North America (including Mexico, because Mexico is part of North America) and South America cut across political lines, as do birds. It is the first bird field guide to every country of Central America (plus the islands governed by those countries).

America 214

America El Salvador Costa Rica Honduras 214

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2018

Trinidad Colorado is located just a few miles north of the Colorado – New Mexico border, and home to the Trinidad Reservoir. This area also is where I hope to fill in a few target birds, like the newly spilt Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Pinyon Jays and Prairie Falcons. This all mixed in with a very nice bunch of birds.

Colorado 113

Colorado Texas Trinidad Albuquerque 113