10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2014

It’s always tragic when a species goes extinct. But that tragedy is compounded when the species at risk is a country’s national bird. A field team recently discovered a juvenile Manumea (and documented it with photographs). For more info on both species, check out this video from Samoa’s Ministry of Environment.

Samoa 174

Samoa Bald Eagle Campaign Hunting 174

10,000 Birds

JUNE 12, 2018

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are home to some of the largest assemblages of breeding seabirds in the United States. Invasive species , particularly rodents, have long been a problem on the Hawaiian archipelago. There is also a website with additional information. They are also disease vectors. As a result, the U.S.

Mice 103

Mice Albatross Honolulu Endangered Species 103

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

That’s pretty amazing–Bolivia has more bird species than India! The source of this ranking, BirdLife International, lists Bolivia as currently having 1,439 bird species, including 18 breeding endemics. The guide covers 1,433 species, the number of birds documented at the end of 2014, the cutoff point for the book.

Bolivia 181

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 181

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2016

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Northern Central America covers 827 species, including resident, migratory, and common vagrant birds. The end result is that the whole “biographic” area (NCA plus southern Mexico and northern Nicaragua) is home to 41 endemic bird species.

El Salvador 234

El Salvador America Costa Rica Honduras 234

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

There are 35 raptor species that have a presence in the United States and Canada, 56 (more or less) if you count by subspecies, and they are all covered in admirable, exhausting, unbelievable detail in B irds of Prey of the East: A Field Guide and Birds of Prey of the West: A Field Guide by Brian K. Species Accounts.

North America 198

North America Birds Mississippi Bald Eagle 198

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 157

North America Sparrows America United States 157

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2017

Birds of Kruger National Park covers the 259 species most frequently seen in the park, about half of the total number of birds documented there. This still leaves the user flipping through sections, looking for the species in question, though I don’t think there are many species with this habitat overlap.

Ecuador 180

Ecuador Wildlife Reptiles Birds 180

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2014

The socioecology of Monk Parakeets: Insights into parrot social complexity by Elizabeth Hobson, Michael Avery, and Timothy Wright, is a new paper in Auk , with this abstract: In many species, individuals benefit from social associations, but they must balance these benefits with the costs of competition for resources. but not steep (,0.1).

Parrots 212

Parrots Research Dogs Groups 212

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. And the term is ‘non-reversed size dimorphism.’).

North America 233

North America Owls America Dominican Republic 233

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

Their habitats vary widely in both rural and urban landscapes; open habitats are preferred and the species generally shuns only extensively forested areas and wetlands 1. To show how adaptive this species is, the following photograph was sent to me by one of my readers and I use it with her permission.

Hunters 180

Hunters Hunting North America Game 180

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2022

After writing this last sentence, I looked up the species in the HBW and found the sentence “Song poorly documented” in the appropriate section, while with regard to calls, the description is that “call is a two-note raspy nasal ‘ryeeh-reh’”. They patiently sat for my photos in order to achieve this.

Singapore 147

Singapore Birds Mountain Goats Giraffes 147

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

So, for example, Essay #15, “Individual Variation,” uses Herring Gulls to introduce the concept that one species, even one species at a specific age, can vary widely in appearance. The Checklist is more than a taxonomic listing of species and chapter number and title; it also contains useful notes on each bird family.

Birds 115

Birds North America Breeding America 115

10,000 Birds

MARCH 30, 2014

They need to go north to breed and we will anxiously await the return of the adults and the juveniles later in the year. There is a coordinator that makes contact with the banders in the overseas countries and then the information on the individual bird is posted online. Eastern Curlew. A small flock of shorebirds roosting in Broome.

Belarus 162

Belarus Cameroon Taiwan China 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

Did I dare dip my toe into this catalog of tantalizing species? Phillipps’ Field Guide (I’ll be using this shortened form of the title) covers 673 avian species, including 59 endemics, and 53 species that have not been documented yet for the area but which may show up in the next few years.

Brunei 179

Brunei Birds Asia China 179

10,000 Birds

JUNE 19, 2013

The Black Swift is considered a Species of Special Concern in California. The Black Swift is considered a Species of Special Concern in California. Even though the overall breeding range remains largely unchanged from that in the 1940′s, the entire coastal population has been in recent severe decline.

California 220

California North America Costa Rica Niger 220

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2016

All species are from the ABA area, and all groups must meet at least one of these criteria: (1) the group “represented a good opportunity to build core birding skills,” (2) the authors thought it was a group that needed “a refreshed treatment,” (3) the authors were intrigued by the group and wanted to present it using their unique format.

Birds 190

Birds Groups 2015 North America 190

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2018

There is a lot of information out there about feeding birds—web pages, pamphlets from bird feed retail stores and Audubon centers. There is also a major section on 180 bird species that is 123 pages long, about 1/3 of the book. There is an audience for this type of information.

Birds 182

Birds New York City Squirrels New York 182

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2015

Florida is by Bill Pranty, central Florida resident, author of A Birder’s Guide to Florida , now in its fifth edition, plus numerous articles documenting the distribution of birds in Florida, current chair of the ABA Checklist committee, and an active member of the Florida Ornithological Society.

Colorado 247

Colorado Florida Birds New Jersey 247

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

Though Ron is based in Ontario his reports are eagerly anticipated by birders across the northeastern United States and eastern Canada because it takes into account a vast array of data to figure out which irruptive species might show up where. Photo illustrations by yours truly have been added. For a full version of the forecast, head here.

2014 247

2014 2015 Alaska New Hampshire 247

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2012

There has been a Little Owl living in this hollow branch for at least 3 years as documented in Simon’s Mote Park Blog and it is assumed to be the same individual though I am not sure whether it is a she or a he. They have more recently been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand, where they are known as the German Owl.

Owls 182

Owls New Zealand Europe Mammals 182

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2013

The story of the cahow, a “Lazurus species” that was thought to be extinct for over 300 years and then discovered to be breeding on a tiny remote island in Bermuda, is part of modern birding legend. All the while, he is observing, documenting, practically living with the cahows when they return to Bermuda.

Birds 172

Birds Rats Breeding 2012 172

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2018

It’s not often that we have the opportunity to glimpse the home life of albatrosses, nor of any seabird species. Think about it–how do you document the behavior of birds that spend years flying (or swimming) and feeding and, apparently, sleeping above or within the deep sea? What about incubation shifts?

Albatross 114

Albatross Penguins Research Breeding 114

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2023

Birders often venture into various habitats, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, or coastal areas, to encounter different bird species. The primary objective of birding is to identify bird species based on their physical characteristics, behavior, and vocalizations.

United States 147

United States North America Birds America 147

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

This thrush is extremely common in urban and suburban Germany and one of the most conspicuous bird species here, comparable to the American Robin in North America. It appears as if some bird species are more susceptible to an infection than others, but many species are affected.

Germany 161

Germany Blackbirds 2006 Denmark 161

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 210

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 210

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2012

The New Jersey Bird Records Committee (NJBRC) documents 465 species of natural origin. Used in conjunction with the species distribution maps, this is a helpful feature in evaluating field observations. There are, sadly, entries for extinct species. That Cattle Egret I found in Somerset County, August 2009?

New Jersey 198

New Jersey Birds 2009 Bald Eagle 198

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Even the Latin species name soror (“sister”) indicates the similarity to another pitta species (blue-naped). The eBird description of the Small Niltava starts with the surprisingly dull statement that “size distinguishes this species from other niltavas” Who would have thought.

China 242

China Birds Pythons Eagles 242

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

” Writing about owls means writing about roughly 250 species (I counted 245 on the 2022 Clements spreadsheet, but I might have missed a few, and we all know that each classification system is different). The chapters on courtship and breeding and roosting and migration are the longest, which isn’t surprising.

Owls 224

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 224

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

The scientific species name of the Golden-throated Barbet is franklinii , commemorating Capt. The HBW section on this species’ behavior mostly repeats the phrase “more information needed” Though of course scientists, hungry for grants and topics, say that all the time. Ok, I made that up.

Birds 188

Birds China Woodpeckers Breeding 188

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2020

I’ve been fortunate to see two Penguin species in the wild (African and Galapagos) and have dreamed of seeing more–maybe even all!–especially The goal of Around the World For Penguins is simple: Describe the 18 species of penguin and their breeding grounds “from the perspective of a traveller.”

Penguins 278

Penguins Georgia New Zealand Albatross 278

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2020

Greeney, also part of the Helm Identification series, it focuses on two avian families, combining the information necessary for identification with the latest research on taxonomy and behavior, particularly breeding behavior, and the latest conservation news and status. Like Antpittas and Gnateaters by Harold F. Introduction.

Guinea 264

Guinea Birds Papua New Guinea Family 264

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. And, then there is a Hybrid Gulls chapter, covering five well-documented hybrids.

North America 208

North America America El Salvador Nicaragua 208

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2022

It’s a unique bird, even its scientific name is wonderful, so it’s not surprising that Gerard Gorman, Woodpecker Expert Supreme, has written a book all about the species. I was surprised to learn that there are two Wryneck species in the Jynx genus: Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla, and Red-throated Wryneck, Jynx ruficollis.

Woodpeckers 247

Woodpeckers Hungary Thailand 2014 247

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2022

There are quite a few raptor species around Skukuza. If you want to get some irrelevant information on hornbills, please read my previous post on them. Most likely, the devil, not god created this species. While some bustards are the largest bird species capable of flight, the Black-bellied Bustard is only mid-sized.

Birds 147

Birds Africa Eagles Barn Owls 147

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

The story of the White-winged Guan , in some ways resembles the re-discovery of some species thought to be extinct. Some of these specimens had labels with basic information and were stored for further work at a later time. The decades of storage in a museum came after it was regarded as an extinct species.

Collecting 270

Collecting Peru Neglecting Hunting 270

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2017

The guide covers 747 breeding residents or regular migrants, 29 introduced species, and 160 vagrants, a total of 936 species. The authors emphasize in the Introduction the great degree to which the text and illustrations are based on current scientific information. Another departure from the norm!

Australia 109

Australia Birds Penguins 2015 109

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2018

It gives species accounts for 761 birds (I counted, but I could have missed a couple) out of the 763-770 species documented in the country (eBird lists 763 and Gallardo says there were 770 at the time of publication). Species Accounts. The Species Accounts are arranged in a rough AOS taxonomic order.

Honduras 106

Honduras Birds 2015 Family 106