10,000 Birds

AUGUST 12, 2020

If you read my last post, you will know that my last three weekly outings were not overly productive, as far as birds are concerned. But any birder can tell you that a bad day birding is better than a good day almost anywhere else. For me, that has a lot to do with all the beautiful places I get to be, while looking for birds.

Turkey 262

Turkey Birds Elephants Eggs 262

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2013

The Turkey Vulture ( Cathartes aura ) is probably one of the most misunderstood birds in North America. link] Then there is the “delta wing posture” when Turkey Vultures face the sun and often preen. This juvenile bird can be identified by its gray head and black-tipped beak. Their odd looks serve very important purposes.

Turkey 162

Turkey North America Killing Eagles 162

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2024

However, my current favourite member of the family Cucilidae is the Great Spotted Cuckoo (GSC), a common bird in Cyprus in spring. Birds that nest in southern Africa winter to the north in the tropics, while birds that breed in southern Europe and Turkey migrate south to, you guessed it, tropical Africa.

Cyprus 223

Cyprus Africa Europe Asia 223

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2021

Last weekend hosted many of the international organized bird watching festivities, but every weekend offers the opportunity for avian observation excitement. I had to hit the highway for a long-distance errand this weekend, which gave me lots of views of Turkey Vultures soaring over hillsides ablaze with autumnal colors. How about you?

Jamaica 222

Jamaica Turkey Birds Wildlife 222

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2012

There is a flock of Wild Turkeys that strut around like they own the place and they might very well be right. After all, there is no hunting and while I watched the turkeys they routed a feral cat that dared come near the flock of twelve which consisted of two tom turkeys and ten hens. … a.

Turkey 165

Turkey New Jersey Feral Cats New York City 165

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2012

Watch out for Wild Turkeys going wild in western Michigan! It seems that they have taken to crashing through windows and windshields. Though, as the news report points out, it is likely just because it is their breeding season and the hormones are getting to them… a.

Turkey 154

Turkey Michigan Breeding 154

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2023

As such, it offers some unique birding experiences. Even better, I happen to have an online birding buddy who offered to make space that Wednesday and Friday to take me to see some of Tabasco’s birds. Mexicans call this the “Stick Bird” ( pájaro estaca ), and, sure enough, it never moved as I observed it.

Mexico 130

Mexico Tigers Birds Cows 130

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

Valentine’s Day on a Sunday delivers the perfect weekend for everyone who identifies as both a bird lover and a lovebird. I thought for sure that Wild Turkeys on the wing would be the highlight of my birding weekend, but that we before I came upon a Barred Owl in broad daylight perched on a power line in Alma, NY.

Lovebirds 216

Lovebirds 2015 2013 Turkey 216

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. They bird. That’s just not right. How cool is that?

Turkey 183

Turkey Apes Wolves North America 183

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2011

We at 10,000 Birds have mentioned before the unpopularity of the Wild Turkeys of Staten Island. Police are looking for a driver who apparently intentionally drove into a flock of turkeys in Dongan Hills, Staten Island, on Monday. Sadly, it seems that someone has taken the hatred to a whole new level. The poor little poults?

Turkey 157

Turkey Birds 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2011

I had spotted a Turkey Vulture ! Well, I had looked out the sliding glass door that leads to my balcony and spotted a large bird that seemed to have the flight pattern of a Turkey Vulture but I needed to drop the darned phone and grab the binoculars that live near the door for exactly this purpose. What had happened?

Turkey 145

Turkey Species Birds 145

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 13, 2021

The Great Backyard Bird Count kicked off yesterday, and will continue throughout the weekend before ending on the 15th. The idea is simple: birders from around the world count birds at least one time for at least fifteen minutes, and submit their data through eBird or the Merlin Bird ID app. A fine start to GBBC!

Florida 256

Florida Birds Pelicans Geese 256

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 2, 2022

Do birds use odors and a sense of smell to communicate with each other? The Secret Perfume of Birds: Uncovering the Science of Avian Scent focuses on this last question, but you might find yourself fascinated by the first two, which come early in the book but linger on in the imagination as author Danielle J. ” (p.

Science 227

Science Research Birds Turkey 227

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2023

It is home to four diverse forest ecosystems (deciduous, mixed, boreal, and lowlands), experiences seasonal weather systems ranging from cold dry Arctic winters to humid, thunder-storm filled summers, and, according to the latest official checklist, hosts four professional sports teams with bird names.* state and Canadian provinces.

North America 217

North America Birds Owls Canada 217

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Daily walks with my kid in the baby jogger helped me build up endurance and lulled him to sleep, so one sunny afternoon I brought along my binoculars for my first experience birding with a baby. And yet, birds flock to the abundant food sources here. Canada Geese honked in the distance, while Turkey Vultures swirled overhead.

Birds 179

Birds Florida Geese Turkey 179

10,000 Birds

JUNE 21, 2020

It better be, because with limited travel in the next couple of months, bird lists are going to look mighty spare. My kids humored me with a fun Father’s Day hike, but my best bird was spotted en route in the form of a roadside Wild Turkey (not to be confused with a Roadside Hawk ). What was your best bird of the weekend?

2020 163

2020 Turkey Birds Experience 163

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2024

There’s something wonderfully primeval about the Northern Bald Ibis: it has the look of a bird that really ought to be extinct. The fact that it’s not is quite surprising, as this curious bird has come very close to the brink. Nesting is now confined to Morocco, irregularly in Boghari in Algeria and in Birecik, Turkey.” (The

Morocco 230

Morocco Austria Algeria Germany 230

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

In common with so many other volcanoes, Poas also houses farms, people, and forests full of birds. Eastern Meadowlarks, cowbirds, grackles , and a few other birds are at peace with the cows but for most birds on Poas, the forest is where life is living large. Just like it sounds, birding in place is watching birds from one spot.

Costa Rica 261

Costa Rica Birds Cows Hunters 261

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2024

This is not a birding trip; we are trying to deal with many logistical life issues that have accumulated over the past several years. But will I bird? A pair of ladies seemed to know more about plants and butterflies than about birds, which I enjoyed. The post My Old Stomping Grounds first appeared on 10,000 Birds.

San Francisco 211

San Francisco California Woodpeckers Experience 211

10,000 Birds

APRIL 8, 2016

While the birding in the park around the pits was somewhat limited — an Audubon’s Warbler , a Northern Junco , a Black Phoebe — the birding inside was nothing short of spectacular. California Condors , La Brea Condors , and the Merriam’s Giant Condor — a magnificent bird even in death.

California Condor 183

California Condor Coyotes Eagles Turkey 183

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

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 192

Australia Birds Koalas Parrots 192

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2020

But here is the truly tragic part: I was not birding during those years! My hosts had arranged for me to stay in a beautiful private home, high on a ridge overlooking the city, and the forested area surrounding the home attracted some very noisy (and, for me, exciting) birds. The White-throated Magpie-Jay: such a beautiful bird!

Birds 163

Birds 2006 Mexico Morocco 163

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014

September migration is a fine time to appreciate birds on the wing, so fine that many of you may have missed many of our Extinction Week posts. My Best Bird of the Weekend was a turkey, actually several Wild Turkeys. While I see turkeys intermittently all year long, these birds really look best in autumn sunlight.

2014 172

2014 Turkey Birds Experience 172

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

One good thing about birding during a pandemic–the forced restrictions on place and time translate into more time to observe what birds do. Bird behavior–endlessly fascinating, but so much still hidden and unknown. Extreme behaviors also push scientists to look at birds in new ways.

Research 230

Research Birds Science Costa Rica 230

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2015

We’re getting close to Turkey Day here in the United States, but the birds you should focus on this weekend are wild and free. Yes, Wild Turkeys count, but that bottle of Wild Turkey on your shelf doesn’t! Corey will, as ever, be a bird magnet in the NYC Metro area. How about you?

Turkey 147

Turkey United States 2015 New York 147

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 239

Greece Bulgaria Birds Serbia 239

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2018

I hope everyone participated in at least one day of the four day Great Backyard Bird Count of 2018. As I walked out on my back porch on Friday morning, the first day of the count, it was a cool, clear day and the birds were very active at the feeders. Wild Turkeys were out in full display. Fun birding!

2018 100

2018 Bald Eagle Woodpeckers Turkey 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2019

I’ll be hitting the hawk watch this weekend, hoping for something more interesting than the armadas of Turkey Vultures currently tipping through. Corey will be making the most of early spring birding in Queens. Where will you be this weekend and will you be birding? appeared first on 10,000 Birds. How about you?

2019 113

2019 Turkey Birds 113

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 185

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 185

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2013

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. Oh my, where do I start?”

Bald Eagle 227

Bald Eagle Wildlife Rehabilitation Vet Birds 227

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2019

The first weekend of the fourth month of the year unites us all with exceptional birding opportunities. I found myself in fine company on the hawk watch platform at Braddock Bay, where streaming flocks of Turkey Vultures were infiltrated by a variety of hawk species. What was your best bird of the weekend? How about you?

2019 114

2019 Turkey Birds Experience 114

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 23, 2018

You’d think that a long weekend launched by Turkey Day would prove popular for birding in the United States. Plus, birding is never all that popular in these parts. Nonetheless, those of us who wisely take advantage of the time and opportunity to sneak in a little birding should be thankful. How about you?

2018 113

2018 United States Turkey Birds 113

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

OCTOBER 14, 2018

Migratory months are made for Big Days, Big Sits, and generally Big birding hauls. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed. The post Best Bird of the Weekend (Second of October 2018) appeared first on 10,000 Birds.

2018 113

2018 Turkey Falcons Birds 113

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2019

Patrick’s Day, did you stop to wonder why so few birds wear green plumage? Does anyone know why we don’t have more truly green birds? Of course, a green bird wouldn’t fare well in these parts, where the trees are still leafless and rimed with frost. Either of the two is easily his Best Bird of the Weekend.

2019 114

2019 Asia Turkey Parrots 114

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2017

I was so crippled with envy over Corey’s current Neotropical sojourn (with a few family commitments thrown in) that I could barely bring myself to look at birds at all. What was your best bird of the weekend? Tell us in the comments section about the rarest, loveliest, or most fascinating bird you observed. How about you?

Guatemala 100

Guatemala 2017 Turkey Birds 100