10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

Rather than go into great detail about a variety of vultures as we have in the past, I tracked down five great quotes about Turkey Vultures , or, at least, five quotes that are either about Turkey Vultures or generically about vultures. That’s just not right. They bird. How cool is that?

Turkey 199

Turkey Apes Wolves North America 199

10,000 Birds

APRIL 25, 2022

It has been more than 5 years since I last went to Australia, and I was even less of a qualified bird photographer then than I am now. So, the basic idea is to show 15 species of Australian birds in each post and give you the usual trivia about them. I guess it is a bird though. Admittedly, it is mostly grey.

Australia 217

Australia Birds Koalas Parrots 217

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2021

The adult males sport that look; a bird created with crayons and an imaginative mind. The female isn’t quite so unreal but is still a cool little bird in her own right. She also makes a mark with her small size, one of the smallest birds in Costa Rica. A Garden Planted for Birds.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica San Jose Birds Farming 264

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2020

Like many of you, I had plans for this year’s spring migration: to bird the very best tour of the Balkans, heading for northeastern Greece. From there to the nearby Evros River Delta, at the very border with Turkey, with more easterly species such as the Spur-winged Plover. And off birding I went.

Greece 266

Greece Bulgaria Birds Serbia 266

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 2, 2022

Turkey seems to be having a moment right now. As I mentioned last week, our trip to Turkey was work-related. And birding was definitely not the main purpose of this 5-week trip. So, we headed not into bird-heavy natural areas, but straight into the center of this two-and-a-half-millenium-old city. I like magpies.

Mexico 147

Mexico Turkey Birds Rights 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2019

A straight shot to my bird feeder. My yard is a birding hotspot. The feeder dangles from a clothesline between two pine trees, beckoning a range of bird varieties. Eastern Bluebirds called from the branches above my head, while Ruby-crowned Kinglets buzzed in the holly bush a few yards to my right.

Agenda 156

Agenda Birds Louisiana North America 156

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2013

As for nice clothing … right! asked Marge Gibson, when I asked a group of bird rehabbers about their bling experiences. Earrings are toast with my Wood Duck and Wild Turkeys. that although her cockatiel is obsessed with her silver feather earrings, the only wild bird ever interested in them was a Brown-headed Cowbird. “My

Bald Eagle 243

Bald Eagle Wildlife Rehabilitation Vet Birds 243

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

It was when I searched for migrant birds on gorgeous days of September, usually near the Niagara Gorge, sometimes while fishing for salmon in the powerful green waters. The muted colors of Blackburnians, Black-throated Greens, and Blackpolls fit right in with the dull greens and golden highlights of the early fall vegetation.

Costa Rica 337

Costa Rica West Virginia New York South America 337

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

Birds are supposed to have feathers and birds without feathers look incomplete, like they left home with shaving cream on their ear and toothpaste spots on their shirt. The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. Griffon Vulture , photo by Alan Tilmouth.

California Condor 204

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 204

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2020

That trip was to take my wife and I to Turkey, Jordan, and southern Spain, with stopovers near Paris. And while it was to be a work (ministry) trip, I had still managed to schedule it right during the migratory peak along these two major corridors. The post Consolation species appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

Species 172

Species Mexico Jordan Turkey 172

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2020

Having finally found a Black Vulture for my Queens list , an important tick both because it was long overdue and because it was the tenth bird since my last set of predictions, it is time, once again, to look at what might be coming to my Queens list. Western Tanager – Pretty unlikely but a guy can dream, right? 0 out of 1!).

2018 172

2018 2015 Birds 2019 172

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2019

Rarely does the name Madera Canyon come up without most North American birders taking pause to recognize the importance to birding in the Southwest U.S. Madera Canyon is a large area, with over 20 different hot spots and some amazing diversity of birds. This is a great place to see a good number of Mexican Jays.

Arizona 158

Arizona Woodpeckers Turkey Sparrows 158

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2019

As is often the case for tropical ecosystems, there may be hundreds of species of birds at a site, but many of them are naturally rare. In Costa Rica, this is the case for many raptors and is why fewer than expected are found during an average birding trip. Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle. Image taken and provided by Greg Links.

Costa Rica 199

Costa Rica Eagles West Virginia Opossums 199

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2017

We had three target birds to find there though two of them likely wouldn’t be findable until after dark. But the one we could find during daylight, the Puerto Rican Lizard-Cuckoo , was a bird we couldn’t miss if we wanted to get all of the endemics and Guanica is supposed to be the best place for them on the island.

Puerto Rico 157

Puerto Rico Birds Turkey Endangered Species 157

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 30, 2017

Still, I felt the familiar excitement of birding a new place. dawn), afternoon naps, and quiet evenings with my husband as he goes after deer and turkey. In the mid-morning heat of August, I had already missed the best birding window in a relatively poor time of year for spotting too many species, but I didn’t care.

Alabama 113

Alabama Birds Deer Turkey 113

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

So, I think I found a weird way to get my non birding co-workers to learn bird identification. We get lots of birds passing through, like our regular band of Wild Turkeys that roam our parking lot. This at first was met with a dubious reaction, “Won’t birds fly into the glass?” ” Well, no.

Birds 179

Birds Sparrows Turkey Killing 179

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2020

Some birds seem familiar but that’s just because they are the ones we grew up with, the birds that were hopping or flying around the neighborhood. The familiar ones, the usual birds, of course depend on where someone spent their childhood. Turquoise-browed Motmot- yes, this shocking bird is normal in various places !

Costa Rica 258

Costa Rica Cleveland Turkey Parrots 258

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2022

On that glorious day, I observed ten critically endangered birds, representing 8% of their Costa Rican, or 2% of their global population!! In my previous post , I dealt with Rancho Naturalista Lodge itself and birding within their private reserve. But, let’s start at the beginning. A group (maybe 4-5 ex.)

Costa Rica 259

Costa Rica Nicaragua 2019 Farming 259

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2021

So when this more-favorable autumn came along, my taking up turkey duty again was a non-negotiable. Oh yes, and as he specifically requested, a morning of birding with his dear old dad. A son who wants to bird with me? As Las Mesas goes, it wasn’t a particularly spectacular day of birding. The female Hooded Ori ole.

Laws 235

Laws Mexico Bears Turkey 235

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 12, 2017

I had a 250 mm lens on my camera, and was primed for birds as I left the party fun and bumping bass line behind. Tricolored and Little Blue Herons provided diversity, while an Osprey and group of circling Turkey Vultures were the only shapes that broke the constant blue of the sky. But this is why we love birding, right?

Florida 100

Florida Alligators Birds Deer 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2014

The birding in Florida is so easy that a kid can do it. I’m in Orlando for what is supposed to be a family excursion, but as anyone who considers a pair of binoculars to be an every day accessory, if there are birds to be found I’m going to make an effort to see them. Birding Florida kids Ospreys'

Florida 171

Florida Alligators Birds United States 171

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2012

They’re not the Lammergeyer – they’re not even close, as the Lammergeyer dwells alone in the genus Gypaetus – but the Egyptian Vulture and Cinereous Vulture are worthy birds in their own right. And then there’s the Griffon Vulture. Ultimately, this was the only vulture I was to see on my Spanish adventure.

Wildebeasts 229

Wildebeasts Spain Turkey ALA 229

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2016

Costa Rica is situated right between two oceans. The pair of seas are close enough for the occasional adventurous frigatebird to just soar way up and right over to the other salty basin. But, if you want to go further afield, fear not, there is some wonderful lowland forest birding up near Nicaragua and down south by Panama as well.

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Costa Rica San Jose Panama Birds 166

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2018

The sun was out, the birds were singing, and I got to point out Northern Gannets patrolling offshore. A nice walk on the Boardwalk Trail and the Pine Grove Trail didn’t net us a ton of birds (twenty-five species in forty-five minutes) but we all appreciated being out and about in the great outdoors.

North Carolina 100

North Carolina New York Delaware Puerto Rico 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2012

One of the defining characteristics of birds, besides the obvious features of wings and feathers, is their bills. From toucans to curlews and from hummingbirds to flamingos, birds display an almost otherworldly diversity in these body-parts. Bills are instrumental in defining three of the senses in birds – taste, touch and smell.

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Birds Mammals Mozambique New Zealand 241

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2019

However, for those of us living the birding life, Spring is more than just the transition between the cold and the warm. It’s also a big time for bird movements, a period punctuated by waves of migrants, first the early ones, then a time of many species, and finally, those last “late” migrants moving north.

Costa Rica 158

Costa Rica South America Tennessee Philadelphia 158

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2019

But every Monday, he explores the wonderful habitats and birds found within an hour of his house. This is Paul’s first post for 10,000 Birds. My first birding period was over 40 years ago, in the San Francisco Bay Area. I continued to bird off and on through my university years in Santa Barbara.

San Francisco 119

San Francisco Mexico Turkey California 119

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2019

I’m a long-time champion of the IOC World Bird List as a standard for bird names. They give short shrift to New Zealand’s birds, lumping them with odd names no one here uses because the names are shared elsewhere and God knows America isn’t going to take a hit for us. But the Blue Tit was different.

Iran 143

Iran Barn Owls New Zealand Europe 143

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2017

Here are some facts to keep in mind about Good Birders Still Don’t Wear White: Passionate Birders Share the Joys of Watching Birds: (1) This is not a dress code. (2) The 37 essays by birders, bird artists, photographers, tour leaders, ornithologists, field guide authors, and other members of the tribe (even bloggers!)

2017 165

2017 Costa Rica 2007 Hunters 165

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 28, 2013

We follow the tire tracks in an off-white, salty soil and then, without a word of warning, our guide/driver turns into the bushes, driving left and right… until one and then another Short-eared Owl flushes in front of us. Rao Travel, and the post-conference bird tour by Arpit Deomurari. Acknowledgements.

India 247

India Birds Eagles Boars 247

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2014

New World vultures of the genus Cathartes ( Greater Yellow-headed , Lesser Yellow-headed and Turkey Vultures ) look much alike. LYHV forage for food by flying right above open grasslands, turning around to double check a particular spot, and dropping suddenly apparently to catch a prey, just like Harriers do. Photo: Arjan Haverkamp.

Mice 168

Mice Killing Turkey Mammals 168

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 31, 2018

I have my bird books, field guides and reference material out where they can be gotten to in a moment’s notice. I even have something of a back yard, which I have already made very “Bird” friendly with hummingbird feeders, suet block holders, wild bird seed dispensers, and a bird bath.

Tucson 113

Tucson Costa Rica Arizona Woodpeckers 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 12, 2016

There’s a huge bird chasin’ the kids around the trailer park! Parker was an adult Turkey Vulture who enjoyed playing with children. By far, calls about the ‘big black bird” topped all the calls they received each day. The big black bird was the talk of the town, and appeared everywhere children convened.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 156

Wildlife Rehabilitation Mice Indiana Game 156

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2019

I have lived most of my life in a desert of some form, be it the high desert areas of Oregon, to the more arid Southern Baja of Mexico, so I am truly amazed at the birding opportunities this area provides! From there you go one mile and make a right at Whitehouse Road.

Arizona 157

Arizona Tucson Florida 2018 157

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2017

Unless those non-birding folks happen to be duck hunters or love to go fishing, they tend to stay away from the marshes, the riparian zones, the bottom lands. See the birds? As birders, we tend to spend more time in wetlands than most of our peers, neighbors, and family members. For us birders, visiting a wetland is a no-brainer.

Costa Rica 100

Costa Rica Birds Ducks Pelicans 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 27, 2017

With shore side access limited to the northern end of the lake, that protection allows for a large population of water based birds. This is a bird that I have no memory of when I was a kid growing up here. In a 3 mile stretch of grassland, with sprinklers flowing, I counted well over 100 of these dark birds.

Dogs 107

Dogs Mules Deer Oregon 107

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2016

Summer is too hot, the birds are quiet in fall, and winter is too cold. Spotted Towhee , Western Bluebird , Red-breasted Nuthatch , Dark-eyed Junco , Wild Turkey , Mountain Chickadee , and Western Scrub-Jay were the most numerous species. A whole bunch of pictures of the birds found around the cabin are below. How gross is that?

Birds 102

Birds Mules Utah Deer 102