10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2017

Spring is in the air, and all around the Baja desert I am seeing a plethora of species, all looking for love, in what appears to the right places. A member of the small Ptiliogonatidae family of silky-flycatchers, of which there are only three other species besides our local Phainopepla , Phainopepl nitens.

Costa Rica 104

Costa Rica Panama Nevada Guatemala 104

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 8, 2017

Breeding bird surveys appears to show the resplendent Allen’s Hummingbird (like Corey’s capture, above) in decline—but not in Southern California, where examination of eBird data reveals that members of a residential population appear to be faring much better than their migrating brethren. sports championships ).

Massachusetts 100

Massachusetts Eggs Falcons Rights 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 17, 2013

New World populations of the widely distributed Sandwich Tern ( Thalasseus sandvicensis ) are treated by some authorities (including the British Ornithologists’ Union) as a distinct species: Cabot’s Tern ( T. Proposal 2013-A-7 would split the Sage Sparrow ( Amphispiza belli ) into two species: Great Basin Sage Sparrow ( A.

2013 181

2013 Sparrows Owls Stray 181

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2013

This group — dubbed the bombycillids , from the waxwing genus and family name — appears to fall near kinglets and a large group containing thrushes and muscicapids (Old World flycatchers and chats) in the passerine tree. Here’s the only known video footage of that species: Kauai Oo. Spellman et al. Spellman et al.

Saudi Arabia 207

Saudi Arabia 2008 Indonesia Groups 207

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. In any case, our hang-ups with vultures clearly stem from our own issues rather than any inherently bizarre trait of the species themselves. Vultures famously feed on carrion. Dead things. millions years ago.

California Condor 175

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 175

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2019

I like observing them, reading about them, grappling with species and subspecies identification, and even—on a good day—talking about sparrow taxonomy. Peterson Reference Guide to Sparrows of North America covers 61 species of the New World sparrow family Passerellidae that breed in Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico.

North America 142

North America Sparrows America United States 142

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

Brown Pelicans , and the northernmost Brown Booby breeding colony on this side of the Pacific. Brown Boobies ( Sula leucogaster ), Islas Coronado, Baja California © David J. But meanwhile, let’s look at the four avian families that comprise the brand new order Suliformes. And, the birds are awesome.

2011 151

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 151

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2015

Here are some things I’ve learned from the Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean by Scott Weidensaul: The Burrowing Owl is the only North American owl species where the male is larger than the female, albeit, only slightly larger. The 39 owls include five endemic Caribbean species.

North America 214

North America Owls America Dominican Republic 214

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2013

Seeing 525 species was nice, as was the fact that I birded in four countries, nine of the fifty states in the United States, and fifty-one counties. I want to reach 500 birds in the ABA, get my Queens list to 295, see a total of at least 500 species, and get my World Life List to 1,100. But how did I see so many species this year?

2012 142

2012 Czech Republic Hedgehogs Hungary 142

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2014

And, sometimes, I use chip notes to try to lure a bird in, using just a couple of notes and only if I was sure it would not be interfering with a breeding bird or other birder’s enjoyment. You can easily scroll through the 940 species of bird included, which covers the United States (including Hawaii) and Canada.

New York 172

New York Battery Hawaii United States 172

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2011

What can I, as a birder who has birded the northeastern United States and southern California rather extensively, hope to add to my life list? And where will I be going that will have the birds I want to see and be acceptable destinations for a non-birding family? What other birds that I have seen before will I be excited to see again?

Seattle 160

Seattle Rhinoceros Puffins United States 160

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2011

The California Quail ( Callipepla californica ) is the California state bird, inhabiting scrub, broken chaparral and woodland edges primarily in California, Oregon, Washington and Baja California. All New World Quail are highly gregarious, typically found in coveys or flocks except during breeding season.

California 212

California Eggs Gophers Rattlesnake 212

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2015

The Refuge is now home to nearly 200 species of birds, over 50 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles and amphibians, and a wide variety of insects, fish and plants. The Service also proposes expanding hunting and sport fishing on the following refuges: California.

Fish 142

Fish Wildlife Hunting Game 142

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2011

Breeding plumaged Lapland Longspurs, Red-throated and Pacific Loons ? v=w4r575oOJ8I But birds get lost, or driven out of their way by storms, and just like the Ivory Gull that shows up on a California beach, we have birds that end up here, well out of their way. Common Ringed Plover ? Northern Wheatear ? www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4r575oOJ8I

Canada 174

Canada Sparrows California Birds 174

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2022

He lamented that he had barely been able to travel during the year — only one trip from New York to California, poor boy — and then went on to give an impressive list of vagrants and first-of-state birds. I had only seen this species once here, in 2018. Extra points for this species’ rockin’ name.

Mexico 209

Mexico Birds Virginia Barn Owls 209

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

Covering 1,261 species with data and taxonomy current up to August 2017, the field guide is an exciting achievement. And, then there are the more familiar birds–Wood-warblers, sandpipers, hawks–some species migrants, some species with a wide range. Can you guess which of the species cited above are endemic?

America 211

America El Salvador Costa Rica Honduras 211

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2018

The hope and claim is that transferring this process to gull identification works more easily and just as accurately (at least for species) as an examination of plumage and molt patterns. Species Accounts. Gulls Simplified covers 25 species. From the Laughing Gull species account. These vary according to species.

North America 193

North America America El Salvador Nicaragua 193

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2020

So, curious about which birds nest in two places, I quickly found out that it’s Phainopepla, a western bird, a relief because I was concerned that it might have implications for my data collection for the NYS Breeding Bird Atlas. Do they have families too and do they take care of them? copyright @2020 by David A llen Sibley.

2020 262

2020 Birds Groups North America 262

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2013

And now we enter into a family of birds more or less unknown to non-birders. And truth told, over the years they’ve been something of a square peg for ornithologists too, not fitting precisely into any of the known families of birds. I would never have believed it, but if the science says so who am I to argue otherwise?

Jordan 187

Jordan Guatemala Birds South America 187

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2019

” Glancing at the man who’d interrupted, I remembered exactly how his family first made their money and decided to move ahead quickly. That species could use a cash infusion right away.” ” “The California Condor ? .” ” “The California Condor ?” “Exactly!

Branding 154

Branding Falcons California Condor Birds 154

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2017

I started the year in Florida, traveled to India with the ABA in February, combined family and birding in an August trip to California, and in-between saw very good birds in New York and New Jersey. Finally, deciding that a duck that required 250 acres of land to breed probably did not welcome intruders, we tiptoed out of the swamp.

2016 108

2016 India Ducks Birds 108

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

A few families have a small number of eggs in the clutches, like gulls or cormorants. Others, like the petrels and some of the auks, will lay a single egg per breeding attempt. The investment placed in each clutch bur seabirds is so great that only one breeding attempt can be seen to completion each year.

Eggs 163

Eggs Puffins Breeding Raised 163

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2016

On my recent short family vacation to Miami, I was granted a single day to get out and really bird like a madman. We immediately headed to an undisclosed location where Carlos had breeding Mangrove Cuckoos staked out. From the bulbuls we went in search of another introduced species that has taken to south Florida like home.

Florida 114

Florida Miami Birds Owls 114

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Birders have a natural tendency to appreciate variety in form, from the bewildering range of colors displayed within a single avian family, to minute distinctions between otherwise similar birds wholly inscrutable to the untrained eye (or even to those of many birders!). Birders are generally happy when this happens.

Ohio 113

Ohio India Hawaii United States 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2013

My best bird of the year is based on the sighting rather than the species. Obviously my best bird of the year is going to come during this trip, what with several species of endemic pitta and broadbill possible, not to mention 8 species of hornbill and numerous babblers, storks, kingfishers, trogons and even the endemic Bornean Bristlehead.

2013 167

2013 Birds Costa Rica India 167

10,000 Birds

JUNE 22, 2011

There is a very distinctive smell found on seabird colonies, where thousands upon thousands of birds come to breed and, coincidentally, deposit large quantities of waste. There comes a point in every season when simply providing target practice for gulls is insufficient, one needs to go and. well pretty much roll around in the stuff.

Breeding 178

Breeding Stray Seals Whales 178

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 5, 2011

My own encounters with the Western Gull were in the same location that Dawson met them, the Farallon Islands in California. It is at the breeding season, however, that the Western Gull accomplishes real mischief. Some gulls are particularly good at hunting the Ashy Storm-petrel, a species which also has its stronghold on this island.

Breeding 173

Breeding Collecting California Hunting 173

10,000 Birds

JULY 26, 2019

Why this one city alone would be named for birds, in this country of 1,800 species, is unclear, but it could very well be a designation inspired by the nearby Islas Ballestas, an uninhabited island group just offshore from Pisco and home to enormous breeding colonies of Humboldt Penguins , Inca Terns , Peruvian Boobies , and many other species.

Peru 121

Peru San Francisco Parrots Chile 121

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2017

The 7th edition of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America covers 1,023 species that reside, migrate, or have been documented as accidentals or exotics in North America. Species Accounts: With 1,023 species, National Geographic 7 continues to cover the most species of any North American field guide.

North America 178

North America America 2017 Birds 178

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2020

Didn’t every household have a copy of a Peterson Field Guide on the shelf, maybe a third or fourth edition that family members grew up with, which they could quickly consult to see the arrow pointing to that belly band? These are the species that immediately come to my mind, and I probably missed some. Or, a classic Golden Guide?

North America 218

North America America 2020 Hawaii 218

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2019

I birded parks, landfills, fields, backyards, skies, oceans, lakes, ponds, and roads in 15 states–some familiar haunts and patches, some as part of family visits, some while passing through, some adventures with friends (three trips with N.J. In the meantime, it’s a good topic for holiday family gatherings. ” [[link].

2018 149

2018 New Jersey Michigan North Dakota 149

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2012

This bird spent the 2011-2012 winter at Colusa National Wildlife Refuge in northern California, migrated someplace exotic and distant in February, and returned to the same pond at the beginning of this month. This bird represented only the second documented record of this species in Florida.

2012 143

2012 Birds Guatemala Florida 143

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2011

I had spent several holidays with my family in the USA in the 1980′s and then worked in Maine during the summer of 1985-beware the poison ivy and the snapping turtles! We are devoting a whole week to wood-warblers but are only just barely scratching the surface of possible topics involving this amazing family of birds.

South Africa 158

South Africa United States Austin Alligators 158

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 15, 2012

The most common species when I was there that first morning was Great Knots , a life species for me. But there were other species too, including Bar-tailed and Black-tailed Godwits , Eastern Curlews and Curlew Sandpipers. Another common member of the family is the diminutive Peaceful Dove.

Alligators 166

Alligators Guinea 2012 Australia 166