10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

If Mexico City itself was not high enough, the mountains to the south rise above 12,300 feet and I was there looking for a Sierra Madre Sparrow to confirm a sighting of this rare and local sparrow from 15 years ago. Just to let you know, the sparrow did not show and I had to make do with some specialty Mexican warblers instead.

Costa Rica 197

Costa Rica Mexico Taiwan Honduras 197

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

As the story goes, way back in the late 19th Century and organization called the American Acclimitazation Society was working hard to introduce every one of the 600 species of birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays to North America. They’re resilient and brash, resourceful and intelligent. Plus, they’re sort of ugly.

India 155

India Stray Dog United States Stray 155

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 16, 2012

Well, the American Birding Association’s Bird of the Year — the Evening Grosbeak – deserves no less. Before we dive in, just take a moment to admire this incredible bird. For centuries, many birds were assigned to these families based primarily on their bill structures. But what is a finch? But not all.

Family 176

Family Guatemala Stray Groups 176

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2012

Like several of my favorite NWRs, this one was established as a haven for migratory birds, most notably waterfowl, during the bad old days when uncontrolled hunting and habitat loss had put the future of even species we now think of as common in doubt. As a result, early migration season is an excellent time to visit.

Wildlife 165

Wildlife Montana Geese Bald Eagle 165

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

The problem of free-roaming cats — and their predation on birds and other wildlife — is hotly contested in communities across the country, and it triggered a lively exchange in the hearing room. And she has a North American bird book that has so far taught her how to recognize a sparrow. But I don’t want to do nothing.”.

Feral Cats 202

Feral Cats Feral Cats Minneapolis 202

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

For many in the birding community, Miami is a destination meant only for ticking off ABA-countable exotics such as Spot-breasted Oriole or Red-whiskered Bulbul. It was truly heart-warming to see the local birding community participate with so much enthusiasm and fervor. This bird was a life bird for him!

Miami 165

Miami 2015 United States Birds 165

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 21, 2015

If a blustery, snowy afternoon isn’t custom-made for catching up on bird news, then I don’t know what is. After all, it’s not like I’m going to see anything other than the White-throated Sparrows and Northern Cardinals flitting about the brush pile outside my window. To that end: More caterpillars = less reason to stray?

Nepal 157

Nepal Bird Rescue Penguins Rescue 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 26, 2012

This is interesting to me because researchers recently determined that the spectacular (and spectacularly demolished) Hawaiian honeycreeper radiation arose from stray Eurasian rosefinches that found their way to the emerging archipelago long ago. This needs to change — Carduelinae needs to be split apart; John Boyd shows us how.

Falcons 171

Falcons Parrots California Breeding 171

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2011

Melanerpes lewis is, to put it simply, a really cool bird. Second of all, Lewis’s Woodpeckers are birds of the west and they rarely stray to New York State. In fact, the bird is the fifth recorded in the history of the state,* and the first spotted in the Empire State since 2001. What a bird! Really well.

New York 185

New York Woodpeckers Jordan 2011 185