10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

According to his Wikipedia entry, he was a strong but unsuccessful supporter of women attending the university, so he is one of the better people to name a bird species after. As I saw both of them at the same spot in Tengchong, I wonder whether the bird below is a result of a pairing of the two morphs. A bad one, admittedly.

Nepal 161

Nepal Birds Owls Fish 161

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2014

Enter the woodpecker. To be specific, the Red-bellied , Hairy , and Downy Woodpeckers , along with the White-breasted Nuthatch. These birds may be the North American ash tree’s last line of defense against the EAB invasion. Koenig, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, told 10,000 Birds.

Woodpeckers 273

Woodpeckers Illinois Science Chicago 273

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2011

The typical woodpecker, with its coloration of black, white, and red, is ingrained into our brains as birders. We all have our familiar species and we all know our local woodpeckers well enough that a quick glimpse is often all we need to identify them. Unless, of course, the regularly encountered woodpecker is somehow different.

Woodpeckers 268

Woodpeckers Pennsylvania Rights Species 268

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2014

The Woodpeckers are one of the more popular of the avian families. What’s not to like about woodpeckers? Those woodpeckers are some smart-looking birds, and Costa Rica has her fair share with 16 species that head-bang from the dry forests of the northwest to the high-elevation rainforests of the mountains.

Costa Rica 195

Costa Rica Woodpeckers Honduras Panama 195

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 18, 2017

Inhabiting the southwest portion of the US, and nearly all of Mexico, the diminutive Ladder-backed Woodpecker can be found is a relatively wide variety of climates. This small woodpecker, 6-7 inches over all has a very strongly barred back, hence its name sake, and a white cheek patch surrounded by black.

Woodpeckers 100

Woodpeckers Mexico California Species 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2024

I admit this is not quite on the level of fellow writers’ posts describing birding as an extreme sport. The bird has now started using its scientific name, Hemipus picatus , as it is substantially shorter. Perhaps the middle section of blog posts should be relatively boring in order to get rid of the more casual readers.

Myanmar 130

Myanmar Sri Lanka Nepal Birds 130

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2018

You probably know that I live where we have many, many woodpeckers. One of the most abundant woodpeckers in Oak Run , where I live, is the Acorn Woodpecker ( Melanerpes formicivorus ). During all these years I have never had woodpeckers of any species feeding at my hummingbird feeders, so I found this very odd.

Woodpeckers 102

Woodpeckers California Killing Research 102

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

In Belgrade, Serbia, winter months offer surprisingly good birding possibilities. Woodpeckers and finches The top of the city would be the highest peak of the Avala Mountain Reserve (511 m / 1700 ft above sea level), with the Memorial to the Unknown Hero and overgrown with firs and pines. Photo Snezana Panjkovic.

Serbia 297

Serbia Birds Woodpeckers Ducks 297

10,000 Birds

JUNE 3, 2015

The Nuttall’s Woodpecker’s ( Picoides nattallii ) diet consists mainly of (about 80%) insects, primarily captured by probing and gleaning from tree bark. I first became aware of the bird’s presence when I heard the unmistakable raspy flight call this species utters, usually as it moves from one location to another.

Woodpeckers 194

Woodpeckers California Birds Species 194

10,000 Birds

MAY 21, 2016

My bird feeding array has been set up outside the window of my study. This is the male Greater Spotted Woodpecker (note, it is the woodpecker that is greater, not the spots). There is also a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Compare the two as one might compare the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers.

Woodpeckers 108

Woodpeckers Sparrows Birds 108

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

The Collins Bird Guide covers Europe, North Atlantic islands, much of North Africa and the Middle East. The Collins Bird Guide 2nd edition from 2009 was a much hated taxonomical revolution/nightmare, changing just about everything. I am still annoyed that no birds are where they used to be. the Corn Bunting plate).

Europe 254

Europe Birds Woodpeckers Ireland 254

10,000 Birds

APRIL 20, 2024

Then sometimes when you see these birds actively regaining their energy and getting ready for defending territories and breeding, they give the impression that their migration had just been a short jog around the block rather than a marathon across desert, mountains, and oceans.

Soreing 174

Soreing Owls Woodpeckers Eagles 174

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 16, 2013

I was rather surprised to find that the 10,000 Clicks section of 10,000 Birds does not have a Hairy Woodpecker gallery. Surely this is a terrible oversight on someone’s part and may I say that the Downy Woodpecker post is also up for grabs. Hairy Woodpecker. The Hairy Woodpecker is noticeably larger in each case.

Woodpeckers 137

Woodpeckers Birds 137

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 30, 2015

Well, I never did see a Black-backed Woodpecker on my trip, but they were on my mind… What could be more straightforward than the naming of woodpeckers? The name woodpecker itself is a basic behavioral description. Here are birds that peck at wood. The exceptions are still mighty prosaic.

North America 155

North America Woodpeckers America Family 155

10,000 Birds

MAY 9, 2015

A pair of nesting Downy Woodpeckers were the highlight of the walk and I wanted to share them with you. The first woodpecker was the male, seen as it flew into a tree and landed right in front of the hole. Most surprising to my eye was how small the hole was in relation to the size of the birds.

Woodpeckers 167

Woodpeckers Dallas Transported Rights 167

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2013

This is a Green-barred Woodpecker , common and widespread throughout South America to the south of the Amazon River and to the east of the Andes. This form is thought to be a different species and the name Golden-bellied Woodpecker has been adopted by some.

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Woodpeckers Argentina South America Adoptable 165

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

On a high after waking up in Guyana’s wild interior for the first time – with a spectacular morning of birding already under our belts – we resumed our southerly journey with full bellies. The birds must have been anxious for the rain, but this Greater Yellow-headed Vulture didn’t seem to be too impressed.

Guyana 218

Guyana Woodpeckers Industry Shelters 218

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

“Sit under a fruiting tree and birding shall be fruitful.” ” After spending the last couple months chasing migratory shorebirds, I was aching for some forest birding. The first cooperative birds of the morning were Streaked Flycatchers. A male Golden-olive Woodpecker was never far from his partner.

Trinidad 278

Trinidad Birds Woodpeckers Species 278

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

The only bird-related activity I can think of is looking at bird photos I took in Singapore in 2015, and adding some irrelevant comments to them. Presumably, birds living in Singapore do not understand German. Seeing a Rufous Woodpecker for the first time, I thought it looked kind of weird. “Odd, me?”

Singapore 219

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 219

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Sukau birding essentially means staying in a more-or-less comfortable lodge on the banks of the Kinatabagan river, and taking boat tours on more-or-less rickety boats on the river. So, just photos of the birds themselves. Why that makes Mr. Graydon worthy of having a bird species named after him is a mystery to me.

Birds 216

Birds Eagles Elephants Rhinoceros 216

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2011

Picus viridis , the European Green Woodpecker is a bird that I longed to see during my early days as a feeder watcher. Green Woodpeckers prefer to eat ants and will more usually be found feeding on the ground in fields and rough pasture than at a feeding table. A common encounter with P.

Woodpeckers 168

Woodpeckers Ireland 2011 2010 168

10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2020

Here`s another entry in the category “Rejected topics for bird-related coffee table books”, following my recent “Blue Birds” post. With remarkable accuracy, each of the photos below shows exactly two birds. Almost abstract bird patterns. I wonder if they think of themselves as European or as African birds.

South Africa 203

South Africa 2018 2019 China 203

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2023

Everyone loves baby birds; 10,000 Birds even had a Baby Bird Week once upon a time! Baby birds are cuteness personified, possibly even more so than other baby animals, including human babies, and pose interesting questions of survival and development. Aren’t they usually in their nest with their parents?”

Wildlife Rehabilitation 255

Wildlife Rehabilitation Birds Family Collecting 255

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2022

They can’t provide the same ecosystem value as natural forest and woodland but in places intensely modifed by people, hedges are vital sanctuaries for birds and other wildlife. In keeping with the depauperate biodiversity of open fields, such scraggly hedgerows host very few birds. Hoffmann’s Woodpecker.

Costa Rica 259

Costa Rica Birds Sparrows Woodpeckers 259

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2023

Lake Kerkini National Park in the north of Greece is the very best birding area in the Balkan Peninsula and definitely among the top ten hotspots of Europe. Some 320 species have been recorded here, and in springtime it is possible to observe more than 150 bird species in a week. The lake lies at a mere 35 m / 115 ft a.s.l.

Greece 229

Greece Pelicans Birds Stray Dog 229

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2017

Black Woodpeckers are usually easy to find in Germany. However, even in the age of alternative facts, there is no denying it: Here in Germany, Black Woodpeckers are no big deal. However, even in the age of alternative facts, there is no denying it: Here in Germany, Black Woodpeckers are no big deal. Well, they are big.

Germany 100

Germany Woodpeckers Luxembourg North America 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2021

Like so many, the majority of my birding since the Covid-19 pandemic began has centered on my own backyard and local walking excursions. But as we kicked off 2021, I found myself far from my current home in North Florida, surrounded by a plethora of Maine birds! A Hairy Woodpecker ? Birding from a Maine beach. But still!

Florida 199

Florida ALA Birds Woodpeckers 199

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2023

As the rice paddies near Kota Kinabalu described in an earlier post , Tanjung Aru beach is not really a major birding spot in its own right. However, it is only a short taxi ride away from the airport where most travelers will arrive at – better to see birds instead of just eating fast food while waiting for a connecting flight.

Malaysia 243

Malaysia Philippines Parrots Birds 243

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2011

Short answer: The woodpecker is most likely not crazy and noshing on the house is not what the woodpecker has in mind. Woodpeckers could be pecking on homes for a variety of reasons, all of which can drive a non birder a bit batty. So, why do woodpeckers peck on human made structures?

Woodpeckers 261

Woodpeckers Owls Blackbirds Raised 261

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2024

Starting the New Year by trying to see as many species as possible is something of a birding tradition. My diary notes that the New Year dawned grey and windy, but I rose early, walked six miles before breakfast and noted a modest 26 species of birds. One of my more memorable New Year’s days was in the Falkland Islands, back in 1989.

Birds 212

Birds Albatross Barn Owls Sparrows 212

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2021

While making sure my kid didn’t launch himself off a high structure, I noted Eastern Bluebirds, Northern Cardinals, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers , and potentially a Brown-headed Nuthatch , though the latter only called once so I’m not 100% sure. New Hometown Birding Spot! The post Rainy Day?

Turtles 181

Turtles Florida Birds Woodpeckers 181

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

Why would I call these beautiful woodpeckers the “clowns of the avian world?” ” Besides the facial features of the Acorn Woodpecker ( Melanerpes formicivorus ) appearing somewhat clown-like, they are a joy to watch and some of their antics are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. www.youtube.com/watch?

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Woodpeckers Breeders Groups North America 184

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 15, 2014

As I got out of my car, about fifty feet from Manzanita Lake, I heard the loud drumming of a woodpecker. I didn’t know what species of woodpecker it was, but I knew it was just in the clearing on the other side of the road. Range map courtesy of South Dakota Birds and Birding. Click on photos for full sized images.

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Woodpeckers California South Dakota Chad 170

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 22, 2012

You may remember the awesome encounter Doug and I had with Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at the Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area from this post. If you are some kind of idiot savant you might even remember that the last image of a Red-cockaded Woodpecker that I shared was of the bird holding a grub in its bill. … a.

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Woodpeckers Wildlife Birds 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2021

Guyana is an Amerindian word meaning “land of many waters” but it could just as easily mean “land of many birds”. Before I delve into some of these avian treasures let me give you a few non-birding reasons to visit this gem of South America. Not a great look for a middle-aged birding dude. Wilderness. Guyana is WILD.

Guyana 278

Guyana Otters South America Colombia 278

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2021

Fortunately, China still has lots of interesting birding locations left for me. But of course, it is also nice to remember past birding trips. One in November 2018 included a one-day birding trip in the Drakensberg area, a mountain range in the border area between South Africa and Lesotho. That does not make much sense, I know.

South Africa 232

South Africa Africa Lesotho Nigeria 232

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 210

North America Birds Owls Canada 210