10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2011

We are fortunate in Northern California to have four lakes that support 76% of the total number of nesting grebes in California 1. Eagle Lake, Lake Almanor and Clear Lake have all been identified as Audubon California Important Bird Areas (IBA), meaning that they provide essential habitat for breeding, wintering, and migrating birds.

California 214

California Eagles North America Breeding 214

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2014

I had seen one in the same location earlier in the year and was hoping to bump into it again before it headed north to it’s breeding grounds in the Arctic. The sidewalk runs right beside the harbour and a low wall allowed an excellent view. Birding Birds California San Francisco Wandering Tattler'

San Francisco 165

San Francisco United States California Breeding 165

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 15, 2012

The female is more subtle in her plumage but gorgeous in her own right. They may also breed outside their normal breeding range following major winter irruptions 1. They may also breed outside their normal breeding range following major winter irruptions 1. Range map courtesy of Natureserve. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaxOTKczM6s

Jordan 170

Jordan North America Breeding Birds 170

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2012

In addition to their homing tendency, breeding swallows are attracted to old nests. In California, the Cliff Swallows usually arrive in February so the agency in charge of enforcing these laws, the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), considers February 15th to September 1st the swallow nesting season. Authors: T.

San Diego 165

San Diego illegal California South America 165

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2015

They were right! In 2013, California voted to add this tiny estrildid finch to the California state list, and the ABA Checklist Committee also followed suit. Red-masked Parakeet is found in several major cities in California and Florida. Birding California parakeets Florida parakeets Miami birding'

Los Angeles 154

Los Angeles Miami San Francisco Florida 154

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2013

During March and April the Lazuli Buntings ( Passerina amoena ) begin showing up in Southern California but we don’t usually see them up north until May or June. The female is not as flashy or as easily distinguishable as the male but is beautiful in her own right.

United States 194

United States Canada California Breeding 194

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2019

This photos, however, is from southern California. Baird’s Sandpipers , like the one at right, helpfully still have summer coloring when they fly through my area (in great numbers) in August and September. Our more common Eastern Bluebird … …but occasionally, they may be Western. Mostly by their dark leg color.

Mexico 137

Mexico United States North America Ethics 137

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2017

You believe in birthday birds , right? Corey had a wonderful weekend in Southern California racking up year birds in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. By “believe,” of course, I mean you desire them and seek them out to commemorate another year of life.

Los Angeles 100

Los Angeles 2017 Coyotes Birds 100

10,000 Birds

JUNE 24, 2013

The one thing I really wanted to do on this most recent trip to southern California was visit Santa Cruz Island again. The ride from Prisoner’s Harbor, where we had spent our day, to Scorpion Anchorage, was uneventful, though Desi did fall asleep and I did enjoy pretty good views of breeding-plumaged Pigeon Guillemots.

Whales 150

Whales Whaling Dolphins California 150

10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2016

That original installation (pictured above) was part of a series of 40 artificial burrows created at three separate locations, all made possible by a grant from Audubon California. This property is located in northern Butte County which is nearing the (dwindling) northern most historic range for this species in California.

Owls 101

Owls California 2010 Colorado 101

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2014

You’re joking, right? Not so hard off California, where there are only three (and quite firmly so), but kind of tricky off New Zealand where there are something between lots and many types of albatrosses. Does my field guide of New Zealand birds have the same birds as my Handbook of the Birds of the World or the IUCN?

Albatross 168

Albatross New Zealand Breeding California 168

10,000 Birds

MAY 30, 2019

such as California Condors and Passenger Pigeons. His parents moved where opportunity beckoned, taking him from San Angelo, Texas, to Columbus, New Mexico, then to Dallas, and finally on to California. Author Sherrida Woodley thinks deeply about dearly departed birds. She’s already written about Rachel Carson: Secret Birder.

Falcons 173

Falcons California Condor Alaska Texas 173

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2012

OK sure, it is only an hour drive before I reach Swainson’s paradise in the Central Valley of California… but where I live, any large brown Buteo has a higher probability of Red-tailed Hawkishness. The first time I spent any quality time with them was in Klamath Basin on the border of California and Oregon.

Gophers 171

Gophers Argentina Oregon California 171

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. The birds living on the Baja are fulltime, breeding residents, while many of the birds will range as far north as central California, and Utah.

Costa Rica 104

Costa Rica Panama Nevada Guatemala 104

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

I spotted a Eurasian Wigeon amongst the American Wigeon right out of the gate, but that wasn’t the best sighting of the day. Being winter, this bird is in non-breeding plumage with more brown upper parts and lacking the white face it acquires in its aternate (breeding) plumage. It was foraging in breast deep water.

Wildlife 155

Wildlife 2011 Sacramento Jordan 155

10,000 Birds

JULY 29, 2015

I figured that it is only fair and right to include the male Mountain Bluebird ( Sialis currucoides ) for comparison. Lassen Volcanic National Park provides habitat for approximately 216 species of birds of which 96 have been known to breed in the park, including the Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, which I have yet to see.

United States 172

United States Mammals Squirrels New York 172

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2013

“Out West” to most Floridians might mean California or Arizona or might even refer to the Gulf Coast of Florida. I’m out guiding a lovely couple from California. Nearly every species of heron and egret in North America forage only feet away, some of them in their dazzling breeding displays. Right in the open.

North America 216

North America Factory Alligators Trafficking 216

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

we learn) that are home to coveted boreal species, breeding wood-warblers, and two species of Grouse. Additional helpful design features include the names of family groups against a yellow-and-white striped background on every page corner and having every bird image facing right (except for that Common Loon chick!),

Los Angeles 188

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 188

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2013

And so, when Salvador Ramirez left, there were feral goats on the island of San Clemente, the southernmost of the Channel Islands off the coast of California. No wait, they were, but they had experienced so much genetic drift and selective pressure that they now constituted a unique breed in their own right.

Goats 159

Goats Bald Eagle Fox Feral 159

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2015

There are many charismatic endangered birds that capture people’s hearts and imaginations: the colossal California Condor , the evocative Red-crowned Crane , and the adorable Spoon-billed Sandpiper come to mind. Curassows are such stately birds. Photo courtesy of Ciro Albano. What happened next was pure magic.

Brazil 208

Brazil California Condor Parrots Texas 208

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2013

A week ago today, the federal government proposed a “threatened” listing for the Greater Sage Grouse in Nevada and California , as part of a larger study considering whether the species as a whole should be listed. I am a great lover of these gallinaceous birds, though my encounters with them have been but brief.

Nevada 159

Nevada Endangered Species Montana Humane 159

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2013

I recognized it right away, having seen some in California in my time, but in the same moment I didn’t recognize it, because I knew I shouldn’t be seeing it. And I saw a Lesser Goldfinch. And yet, somehow, it was a greater personal accomplishment.

California 157

California Sparrows Fish Wildlife 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

The unrivaled aerial champions of the Americas have to be the two species of Condor, the one-time almost nearly extinct California Condor and the truly massive Andean Condor. The California Condor has a story well-known by anyone with an interest in birds. California Condor , photo by Sheridan Woodley. Old Wold Vultures.

California Condor 176

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 176

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. Ringer Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae) Black-and-white gannets breed on the cold, rocky coasts of the northern and southern oceans. Good day sir.

2011 151

2011 Pelicans Papua New Guinea Birds 151

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2021

The National Audubon Society Birds of North America covers all species seen in mainland United States, Canada and Baja California. A small range map is placed in the upper right/left hand corner showing summer, winter, resident, migration, and rare locations. GUIDE COVERAGE. PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS. There is nothing wrong with this.

North America 278

North America America Birds California Condor 278

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 29, 2012

Rufous Hummingbirds ( Selasphorus rufus ) breed farther North than any other North American hummingbird and have the longest migration route of all U.S. Their spring migration brings the majority of them through Northern California in April when these photos of the male Rufous Hummingbird were taken.

Mexico 177

Mexico California Groups Breeding 177

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 214

California Eggs Gophers Rattlesnake 214

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2011

In particular the South Island destination of Kaikoura is world-renowned for the flocks of albatrosses and giant petrels floating right off the pelagic boat, and the ease of the trip makes it a must-visit for any visiting birder. Wicked, right? One birder from Australia even got his lifer Red-crowned Parakeet ! Hat-tip to Stella.

New Zealand 174

New Zealand Albatross 2011 Cooking 174

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

Pelagic birding off the Atlantic coast of Florida can be a frustrating experience, usually involving long waits of up to an hour or more interspersed with brief flurries of activity — a far cry from pelagic birding off of coasts blessed with cold water currents and nutrient rich upwelling such as California, southeast Australia, and Peru.

Florida 164

Florida United States Fish 2005 164

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2011

Any season is good for looking for birds if you have the right mindset. There are more radical shifts in shorebirds , many of which leave to return to the northern tundra to breed, and seabirds, with many subantarctic species showing up around the coasts during the winter , with others leaving to spend the winter in the North Pacific.

New Zealand 113

New Zealand Sanctuary North America Guinea 113

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

There were birders from a wide cross-section of the United States: Colorado, Ohio, Idaho, Iowa, Wyoming, Washington State, Pennsylvania, New York State, New Jersey, California, Texas, Florida. And so, I went on the American Birding Association Safari to South Africa. I’m sure there are states that I missed, but you get the idea.

South Africa 252

South Africa Africa Leopards Penguins 252

Animal Person

NOVEMBER 21, 2010

And managing means killing them, breeding them, and otherwise fiddling with their populations. if we believe it's our right to do what we want with the lives of other animals. . . . Tags: Activism Books Current Affairs Ethics Language 100 Heartbeats animal rights Jeff Corwin veganism.

Polar Bears 100

Polar Bears California Condor Bald Eagle Lions 100

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 24, 2014

“But lets see … I’d say one of my most memorable releases is that of a Purple Martin , a species of special concern in California. Their population is in serious decline, so their breeding colonies are monitored by biologists. Biologists are trying to get them to adopt nest boxes, but no luck with the CA birds so far.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 216

Wildlife Rehabilitation Ohio Tulsa West Virginia 216

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

In responding to Suzie’s post defending wildlife rehabilitation I began to think again about the areas in which animal rights and animal welfare overlap with the field of conservation, and the ways in which they don’t. Animal rights is concerned with preventing the suffering or even use of animals by humans.

Animal Rights 259

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 259

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2011

Larry loved getting a jaeger : On a trip to Clear Lake, California, last September, I had the privilege of joining Dr. Floyd Hayes as he and three fellow birders monitored the waterbirds on the entire lake in conjunction with the ongoing four year Grebe Conservation Project there. What’s not to like about an owl that lives underground?

2011 177

2011 Birds South Korea North Dakota 177

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 23, 2011

4) For the sake of keeping it real…if you are the breed of birder that is in possession of a very poor set of social skills… maybe you should just send any prospective birders my way instead. Not everyone can spontaneously combust into the greatest birder of our generation, as I have. Here we go! 1) Be weird.

Grizzly Bear 166

Grizzly Bear North Dakota Downers Bears 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2024

Being a westerner — raised in California, and now living in western Mexico — I was perhaps most excited about the migratory birds that breed in eastern North America. I’m happy to say that the ones right on the other side of a low wall were not so large. Then, around 4:00 p.m., I liked their attitude.

Mexico 187

Mexico Birds Raccoons Baltimore 187