10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2013

I had an interesting email come in this winter: “I have been photographing birds for the past 8 years and have been confronted by numerous “Rude Birders.” I worked with education owls for over ten years, from Great Horned Owls to Saw-whet Owls (above bird). So, how close is “too close” for an owl?

Owls 258

Owls Barn Owls Agenda Zoos 258

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2012

I’m not a big fan of bird banding. When I see a band I imagine something slipping beneath it and trapping the bird, I’ve seen photos of birds with so many bands it looks like they’re wearing stockings, and then there’s the awful story of Violet , whose band eventually killed her. to find out her actual age.

Rabbits 232

Rabbits New Jersey Neglecting North America 232

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2014

Most of the books about extinction, including Fuller’s Extinct Birds (now, ironically, out of print), describe what was lost and look for explanations, scientifically and historically. The idea of Lost Animals was conceived after the publication of Extinct Birds (2001), a 400-page, four-pound book on 75 extinct species.

Animal 265

Animal Mammals Hawaii Dolphins 265

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2015

In a news report from 2009, the DNA quoted a senior Forest Department official who feared that the poachers must have killed around 20 tigers in the region in just five months. Earlier, a large number of villagers were being killed by tigers: 11 in 2006, 13 in 2007 and more than 26 during 2008.

Tigers 240

Tigers India Killing 2012 240

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Furthermore we have another very special stork-like bird, the regal Shoebill , previously known as the Whale-headed Stork but now placed in its own family. Marabous have also learnt another trick, and that is to follow vultures and scavenge off the remains of Lion and other large predator kills.

Africa 235

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 235

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2022

“A reading of recent research shows that Australian birds are more likely than most to eat sweet foods, live in complex societies, lead long lives, attack other birds, and be intelligent and loud.” When going to Australia, one of the two birds I wanted to see most was the Tawny Frogmouth.

Birds 220

Birds Australia Ducks Mountain Goats 220

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

I’ve been fortunate to encounter many owls in my birding life, sometimes because I’m looking for them, sometimes happily by happenstance. It’s also about human-owl interaction on an individual level and a wider sociocultural level, and ultimately how we can use all this for habitat and bird conservation.

Owls 203

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 203

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2020

The NYC owls have little to do with the book in front of me except that it too is about birds and people. The 26 essays in When Birds Are Near are all about the real-life and emotional spaces where people overlap with birds. The essays range widely in place, bird, and voice, though the emphasis is on the North American.

New York City 181

New York City Birds Owls Fox 181

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2018

Pink Pigeons were featured on episode four of the second season of The Zoo , the excellent television series about The Bronx Zoo,* and their story was disturbing. A bit of background: Pink Pigeons are medium-sized, pink/gray/ brown birds found on the island of Mauritius, Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar.

Mauritius 101

Mauritius Stud Zoos Eggs 101

10,000 Birds

MARCH 26, 2014

Well, Copenhagen Zoo is back in the news; a few weeks after killing a giraffe and feeding it to some lions, it went and killed some of those same lions. I’m not gong to go into the ethics and reasons behind why a zoo might want to, well, manage its stock. My reaction would be pretty much the same.

Lions 150

Lions Giraffes Zoos Killing 150

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Donna Fernandes, president of the Buffalo Zoo, witnessed a wake for a female gorilla, Babs, who had died of cancer at Boston’s Franklin Park Zoo. I also watched a red fox bury her mate after a cougar had killed him. Chimpanzees and elephants grieve the loss of family and friends, and gorillas hold wakes for the dead.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

This is in addition to the many articles and exhibits and even film devoted to the bird, one of the few species whose death was witnessed and noted down to the exact day, Tuesday, September 1, 1914 (though there is some question about the exact time). We have a lot of source material.

2014 159

2014 Killing Michigan Kentucky 159

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Unfortunately, these features that make island ecosystems so unique have also lead to a disproportionate number of extinct island birds relative to continental ecosystems. This bird was in serious trouble by the mid-19th century due to the adults being killed for food and young being taken for pets.

Cuba 240

Cuba Parrots Collecting Columbus 240

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, experts have determined that the current rate of bird extinction is somewhere between 1,000 and 10,000 times the background rate. Globally, 1,313 bird species of a total of count of 10,064 are threatened, a frightening 13% of the total.

Endangered Species 185

Endangered Species Species Morocco South Africa 185

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

One of the first examples I ever encountered was in the books of Gerald Durrell, the famous conservationist who was an early pioneer of the roles of zoos in conservation. He often defended that role in his books from animal rights activists who opposed “imprisoning” animals in zoos even if it saved them from extinction.

Animal Rights 259

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 259

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2013

Perhaps it would be better to move the tigers to that bigger reserve, or maybe a zoo. We all know the answer to that – not thinking at all about the how – how on earth you actually do that – and causing a civil war that has killed hundreds of millions. Ban mind altering drugs and people won’t take them.

Tigers 170

Tigers Hunting Game Protection 170

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2023

In Kangding, there is a rather opulent bird hide – two stories, solid construction, spacious, lots of glass, a separate paved parking lot, though mysteriously (and as far as I can tell from my experience of living in China for almost 20 years, not indicative of fundamentally different physical needs of Chinese people) missing a bathroom.

Birds 147

Birds Mammals St. Louis Monkeys 147

10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2018

In fashion news this week… (since 10,000 Birds does not have, and is unlikely ever to have, a dedicated fashion section please feel free to use the comments section of this post) … according to the Sunday Times of London, next season’s must have colour is… dramatic pause… Khaki! Ardastra Zoo & Gardens.

2018 100

2018 Australia Los Angeles Albatross 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2018

May by numbers looked like this; 11 beats shared 194 lists and ticked 943 birds between us. Ardastra Zoo & Gardens. Ota Ward–Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park / Shioiri Pond). Ardastra Zoo & Gardens. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). e Save u Dunav. 06 Mar 2018. 03 Apr 2018.

2018 100

2018 Australia Los Angeles Albatross 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2018

It’s September and time for birds to start their southerly journeys. Please remember to give migrating birds the space that they need. Jason hoisted his colours in Kansas and claimed the state for 10,000 Birds. In an unusual turnaround during September, more birds were seen in USA than in Costa Rica. 23 May 2018.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

The two most prolific contributors, Pat and Tom, have been sharing their birding space in Costa Rica. The beats have now contributed more checklists than birds. During October, 7 countries (Costa Rica, Australia, USA, India, Hong Kong, UK, Serbia) were birded by 11 beats who shared 135 checklists and noted 697 species.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2019

Best wishes to you all for 2019, keep safe and keep birding. Ardastra Zoo & Gardens. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. La Cotinga Birding B&B. So please keep at it and keep sending me your shared checklists.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2018

They birded 6 countries; USA, UK, Costa Rica, Serbia, Australia, and Mexico. Ardastra Zoo & Gardens. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. La Cotinga Birding B&B. 8 beats shared 126 checklists accounting for 704 species.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2018

The UK has been birded clean by Tom as he ends his Little Big Year (Part 1). 9 beats visited 8 countries, submitting 102 checklists along the way, accounting for 609 birds. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Malbup Creek Bird Hide. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve.

2018 101

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 101

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2018

10 countries were birded by 9 beats and 892 species were noted from 144 checklists. Ardastra Zoo & Gardens. Ota Ward–Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park / Shioiri Pond). Ardastra Zoo & Gardens. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). Who is going to tell the clans? 23 May 2018.

2018 100

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2018

Is it wrong of me to go birding to get away from the kids now that they are at home all day? Happy birding if you suddenly find yourself single. 458 birds were seen by 7 beats in 8 countries. 458 birds were seen by 7 beats in 8 countries. Gray Go-away-bird – Corythaixoides concolor. Malbup Creek Bird Hide.

2018 100

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 100

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2022

To be precise, “Birding Shanghai from June 10 to June 30, 2022” – but that is even less of an exciting title than the one above. The reason for this post only covering the period from June 10 being that an earlier post, “Revenge Birding”, was about the first 9 days of June. You should try it too.

Birds 180

Birds Sparrows Protection Humane 180

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

They are software mascots, cartoon characters, animated film dancers, children’s book heroes, zoo celebrities, and documentary film stars. That’s a lot of books about a bird family that cannot fly. None fly, most are curious and social, which probably contributes to our cultural perception of penguins as one step away from human.

Penguins 193

Penguins New Zealand South Africa Albatross 193

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

The definition of the word HUNT is “to chase or search for game or other wild animals for the purpose of catching or killing.” One is defined as catching or killing and the other as keeping from injury. ” In 1900, even before the last Passenger Pigeon’s death in the Cincinnati Zoo, Republican Congressman John F.

Hunting 109

Hunting Hunters Gorillas Wolves 109