10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

I love sparrows, so seeing a feather-worn Vesper Sparrow this past July filled my heart with joy. We saw sparrows–a total of 14 species–and we saw many other great prairie birds, and we often saw them perched on posts. Baird’s Sparrow was one of those elusive creatures.

North Dakota 134

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 134

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2015

Last week I had the privilege of taking a group of Queens middle-schoolers birding in Forest Park as part of an after-school program. By far the most popular bird we saw was the Red-winged Blackbird. Red-winged Blackbird is easy to understand and easy to remember. Then we looked for some common species.

Blackbirds 161

Blackbirds Owls Sparrows Ducks 161

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 12, 2018

Hundreds of Black-necked Stilts were around the refuge, this group passed right by me on a short morning walk. This group of American White Pelicans were good enough to stop right where I wanted them to, to get this shot. This Savannah Sparrow was one of many that flitted around the gravel on the trails and roadways.

Blackbirds 119

Blackbirds Mules Beavers Wildlife 119

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2019

That is because Lago de Cuitzeo receives a huge number of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, with smaller numbers of sparrows, buntings, and other migratory birds in the areas around the lake’s shore. Only once did I see a large group of Canvasbacks at Cuitzeo. Which can also be said for the Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

Ducks 115

Ducks Blackbirds United States Pelicans 115

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2022

What could be plainer than the Eurasian Tree Sparrow ? In this spirit, Taiwanese researchers studied Red Collared Doves and found that in larger groups, these birds spend less time scanning for danger when in larger groups (and correspondingly had more time for feeding). ” How unfair. Sometimes it works.

Birds 179

Birds Sparrows Protection Humane 179

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2014

Passerida includes such familiar passerines as larks, thrushes and chats, “Old World” warblers and flycatchers, wrens, chickadees and t**s, babblers, starlings, waxwings, weavers, pipits, finches, tanagers, cardinals, sparrows, buntings, blackbirds, wood warblers, and others. An ancient lineage.

Family 266

Family Comoros Asia Birds 266

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2018

Crows, Ravens, Clark’s Nutcrackers, White-crowned Sparrows and assorted waterfowl were all still present, but that was about it. We had stopped at one of the massive over-looks near Roosevelt Lodge, when a small group of Pine Siskins flew all the way across the canyon, and landed in the tree above me.

Wyoming 104

Wyoming Wolves Grizzly Bear Mountain Goats 104

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2015

Caspian Terns in the back, large flocks of ducks or all the regular dabbling varieties, American White Pelican s staked out in the center, ibis, herons, and egrets set against the crackling soundtrack of Red-winged Blackbird s and Boat-tailed Grackle s. In these marshes lie sparrows of a sort that have never been reliable on the islands.

North Carolina 150

North Carolina Rattlesnake Sparrows Owls 150

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 13, 2016

After filling our water bottles at the clear mountain spring, the group splits and the majority continue on foot across the high pass to find many signs of bear presence in the area – scratching posts, scat (above), footprints; while the two of us continue by car along the very good final section of macadam prior to the village. Not at all.

Bears 267

Bears Greece Europe Slovenia 267

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2018

Lesser Goldfinches, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Vesper Sparrows, Lincoln Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrow, Clay-colored Sparrows , and lots and lots of Mourning Doves have taken up residence in what used to be open water. A small group of Canada Geese fly over, and out in front of their formation was a pair of Sandhill Cranes.

Albuquerque 120

Albuquerque New Mexico Mexico Sparrows 120

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2014

Even the late afternoon, when Cesar and I parted ways so he could try for the aforementioned House Wren after it had been missed earlier, was not without highlights as I led a trio of beginning birders around Cunningham Park and netted a flock of 78 Rusty Blackbirds. The compilation dinner was a fun affair despite everyone being rather tired.

2005 154

2005 Birds Blackbirds Branding 154

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2019

Cabanis’s Ground-Sparrow. The name change of a small brown bird, a sparrow, is exciting. Split from birds in northern Central America (the White-faced Ground-Sparrow ), the Cabanis’s becomes a very special bird. Red-breasted Blackbird is a meadowlark. To me, this is the most exciting change to the list.

Costa Rica 196

Costa Rica Birds Owls South America 196

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

But if I can get a Henslow’s Sparrow in Queens why not a Sedge Wren ? Less than two weeks later a Yellow-headed Blackbird was found at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and the first day’s attempts at refinding it mostly failed and I didn’t see it. Yellow-headed Blackbird is a gorgeous bird with a horrible voice.

New York City 150

New York City Birds New York Blackbirds 150

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 28, 2014

The Five Valleys Audubon Society is one of the most congenial groups of birders I have ever gone on a field trip with. Every time I go out with them, which is not nearly often enough, I end up with great sightings, often of surprising birds, in gorgeous landscapes. Last week’s trip to the Mission Valley was no exception.

Bald Eagle 169

Bald Eagle Falcons Geese Montana 169

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2017

We observed the bird on the Zapata Peninsula, first feeding on a flowering tree off of a road where we also observed Fernandina’s Flicker and Red-shouldered Blackbirds, and later in the garden of a lovely lady who has turned her backyard into a paradise of feeders and bird-friendly plants. I took a brief, wobbly, video of the process.

Cuba 155

Cuba Birds 2015 Bahamas 155

10,000 Birds

APRIL 14, 2014

Pretty much all we found were Red-winged Blackbirds and some Northern Harriers , though Northern Flickers were around in numbers around the base of the landfill and a Blue-headed Vireo , a year bird for many, was spotted foraging in a bare-branched trees. American Crow at Rockaway Community Park.

Jamaica 133

Jamaica Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 133

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

I only ran across this one Clark’s Grebe mixed in with in the groups of Westerns. This year they did not disappoint, as the first morning we sighted 17 birds in two groups. American Robins, Spotted Towhees, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brewer’s Blackbirds and Western Tanagers like the bird below all were regulars at the apple tree.

Oregon 114

Oregon Owls Wildlife Barn Owls 114

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 5, 2012

It is a group of people who were already interested enough in the flora and fauna of Montana to give up two evenings a week to more study, but most of them are not birders in particular: they are hikers, organic gardeners, environmental studies students. Knowing what a sparrow is is kind of easy. And that frustration was epic.

Montana 160

Montana Bald Eagle Owls Ducks 160

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 9, 2011

In some instances the names old names were given to new birds of familiar types in error ( American Robins are actually thrushes, and New World sparrows are really buntings), but in many other instances these names were applied to entirely new families and genera. By Tom Tarrant.

New Zealand 160

New Zealand Australia Penguins Family 160

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2017

Species Accounts are arranged taxonomically, grouped by family. But, I didn’t expect that Henslow’s Sparrow would have a page-full repertory of sounds: Song (3 different types), Whine series, Seet series, Seet and Tseew night calls, Tink calls and Tsit calls. The good news is that this book offers resources for learning.

North America 161

North America America Birds New York 161

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

White-throated Sparrow. Not impeded by branches or the need to bushwhack, we could paddle right up close to the sound, in this case the merry singing of a White-throated Sparrow. We watched the sparrows bounce back and forth before being distracted by a familiar witchety-witchety-witchety call further down the bank.

Birds 168

Birds DC Sparrows Canada 168

10,000 Birds

JUNE 21, 2018

Our group started with a quick pontoon boat ride along the lake out of the Hondayute Marina to scan its marshy shore for rails, bitterns, and long-legged waders. We even found the often elusive Green-backed Sparrow right off the entry road. Rancho Bella Vista… home of the crakes.

Honduras 158

Honduras Birds Parrots Rights 158

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 16, 2012

” The pipits and wagtails split off first within this group, then the finches, then several other families, including the longspurs, wood-warblers , icterids (New World blackbirds), emberizid buntings and sparrows, cardinals, and tanagers. And back to finches. And yes, the grosbeaks.

Family 176

Family Guatemala Stray Groups 176

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2013

When I was a young birder in Missouri, my home-town CBC saw me return again and again – with my dad and a core group of other local birders – to the same part of the count circle. We all knew that area well, and were rewarded for it. Flash forward to today. I’m living and birding in North Carolina.

North Carolina 159

North Carolina Missouri Blackbirds Sparrows 159

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2017

The two-page spread on Parts of a Bird provides diagrams for the topographical terms used in the Species Accounts, including hummingbird, shorebird, gull, passerine, and every feather on the upper wing of an adult Lark Sparrow. Most of the species are described in the Species Accounts, arranged taxonomically into 86 family chapters.

North America 178

North America America 2017 Birds 178

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2017

An Eastern Towhee che-winked from the vegetation, a Carolina Wren yelled about its teakettle, American Robins tut-tut-tutted from their roosts, Northern Cardinals started with metallic chips, a White-throated Sparrow sang about Canada, Gray Catbirds mewed from the bushes, and a Black-capped Chickadee whistled in the distance. No grackles!)

Birds 107

Birds Dolphins Canada Sparrows 107

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

Dale Forbes Mar 16th, 2011 at 7:48 am @Corey, Is there also a Daisy involved in this Group Marriage? We are now up to 3 males and at least 4 females (I see there is a Kim in the group photo too). These group dynamics are always hard to track, but this group seems particularly complex. Any reason? yes you, Dawn, coy.

2011 203

2011 Breeders Breeding Deer 203

10,000 Birds

MAY 18, 2013

By 7:30 am we made our first stop with just enough light to take photos and picked up our first three new birds for the trip, Chilean Mockingbird, Austral Blackbird, and Long-tailed Meadowlark. The welcome comity was a group of nine Andean Condors , mostly juveniles, that flew nearby circling the valleys and mountains in search of food.

Chile 159

Chile Argentina Nevada South America 159

10,000 Birds

JULY 21, 2011

But it happened at that moment that a lot of what I was looking at was avian in nature: a few crows, some sparrows, blackbirds, and other run of the mill inner-ring suburb fliers and flitterers. Or, we might expect to see them all be diurnal or nocturnal (as groups) but differentiate in body size.

Mammals 172

Mammals Rodents Birds Reptiles 172

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2011

Things started on a promising note, with Mountain Bluebirds and the pale local race of Song Sparrow both evident in the visitor center parking lot. Unfortunately, flood conditions had washed out many of the edges and reed beds where I would have hoped to see Gadwalls and Goldeneyes , Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Wilson’s Phalaropes.

Rattlesnake 163

Rattlesnake Bald Eagle Mules Mammals 163

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

Soon after I was able to tick the ubiquitous House Sparrow in its native haunts where I was allowed to enjoy it. From Purple Herons to Little Grebes to Red Kites , the spot also yielded a small group of Eurasian Spoonbills for the area highlight. These large, spectacular pigeons would prove to be quite common on the entire trip.

Salamander 137

Salamander Germany Birds Blackbirds 137

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

But, the numbers are quite large, and the birds organized in groupings that, for the most part, make it an easy process to figure out which Antwren (or Woodcreeper or Seedeater) is which. ” The book in question is Birds of Bolivia: Field Guide , edited and written by Sebastian K.

Bolivia 168

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 168

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2018

A lengthy description of the bird family (or, in some cases, combination of family groups) introduces each family group: traits, number of species in Honduras and in the world, sometimes taxonomic notes, and a description of the family’s status, distribution, migration patterns, habitats, nests, and behavior in Honduras.

Honduras 103

Honduras Birds 2015 Family 103

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2018

A bit beyond the basics but still fundamental are chapters on bird feeding consequences and problems (squirrels and raccoons, too many blackbirds, hawks and cats, woodpecker damage, window strikes, extreme weather, and bird feeding in special situations, including retirement centers, condos, and apartments.

Birds 166

Birds New York City Squirrels New York 166

10,000 Birds

APRIL 21, 2011

One group is exposed to normal zebra finch song for a given area, the other to a fake bird song that is sufficiently like a zebra finch to cause the birds to learn a “song&# but one that would be ineffective in its social role for wild zebra finches. But the same is true of the song itself. 2010.0437 3 Nemeth, Erwin and Henrik Brumm.

Zebras 249

Zebras Birds Humane Raised 249

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2012

The thought of identifying certain groups of birds can incapacitate them. Barf at blackbirds. Spew at sparrows. They are scared of all sorts of things. They are fearful of flycatchers. Galled at gulls. They wince at warblers. Wail at waterfowl. Flinch at finches. Grind teeth at grosbeaks. Gnaw themselves at gnatcatchers.

LACS 181

LACS Alaska Wildlife Connecticut 181

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2012

As I drove east through scenes of destruction that I can’t even come up with the words to describe, I was frustrated by the continuous flocks of birds going overhead – most were blackbirds but some, at least, were finches. Also, we saw a Blue Grosbeak , some Fox Sparrows , and both species of kinglets.

Battery 102

Battery Birds Suffering New York City 102