10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2014

Among birds the Egyptian Vulture uses rocks to crack Ostrich eggs, the New Caledonian Crow and Woodpecker Finch (one of several Darwin Finches of the Galapagos Islands), uses sticks to extract grubs from inside a branch. This is similar to the fact that all birds, even first time breeders within a species build identical nests.

Fish 163

Fish Woodpeckers Ostriches Eggs 163

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2012

In addition to their homing tendency, breeding swallows are attracted to old nests. It is illegal for any person to take, possess, transport, sell, or purchase them or their parts, such as feathers, nests, or eggs, without a permit. Completed nests during this breeding season cannot be touched without a permit from the U.S.

San Diego 165

San Diego illegal California South America 165

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

Bufflehead ( Bucephala albeola ) Female at Cavity Entrance photos by Larry Jordan “Some 85 species of North American birds excavate nesting holes, use cavities resulting from decay (natural cavities), or use holes created by other species in dead or deteriorating trees. Talk about cute! www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWDXIhy9oJA

North America 230

North America America Barn Owls Falcons 230

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 25, 2013

BirdLife International believes that this might be maximum population the species can reach, as it seems to completely saturate its range. Also from BirdLife International: In general it prefers areas where vegetation, boulders or other landscape features at ground level provide tunnels in which to shelter and to breed.

Science 220

Science Transported Shelters South Africa 220

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 247

China Birds Pythons Eagles 247

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Kooyman (co-author with Jim Mastro) spent decades studying Emperor Penguins and can be considered the world’s foremost expert on the species. Empire Penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) are the largest living penguin species, almost four feet tall (taller when they stretch), and the least likely to be seen on birding or nature trips.

Penguins 169

Penguins Seals Leopards Research 169

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2020

It didn’t occur to me till I started reading The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird that there was also a possible threat to the eagle herself: poachers, who steal raptor eggs and chicks. McWilliam realizes he’s dealing someone special, a career falcon egg-thief.

Falcons 230

Falcons United Kingdom Zimbabwe Eggs 230

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2011

The most common species we see are the Stoke’s Sea Snake Astrotia stokesii , Dubois’ Sea Snake Aipysurus duboisii and the Olive Sea Snake Aipysurus laevis. She also monitors Pied Oystercatchers breeding along a 23km stretch of beach by bicycle and on foot. She is actively involved in fieldwork and maintaining the database.

Australia 154

Australia 2011 Sharks Deer 154

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2023

In total, there are eight species of hornbills in Borneo – the best place to see them seems to be the Kinabatagan River area (also known as Sukau). Another paper reviews information on Oriental Pied Hornbills raiding the nests of various bird species in Singapore and even pet bird cages.

Rhinoceros 134

Rhinoceros Singapore Transported Hunting 134

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2022

Once the egg has been laid, the female is chased away and the males hatch it.” A juvenile, if I am correct – and a rather rare bird in Shanghai, this being rather at the southern end of the wintering breeding range. Despite (or because of) its slightly anti-German tone, this owl video is worth seeing.

Birds 227

Birds China Pythons Breeding 227

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2011

All New World Quail are highly gregarious, typically found in coveys or flocks except during breeding season. In California, coveys break up and pairs begin forming in February or March, followed by nest building and egg laying in May or June. She will usually lay 12 to 17 eggs, averaging five per week 1 , before beginning incubation.

California 235

California Eggs Gophers Rattlesnake 235

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2023

For example, a researcher and presumed ornithologist set out with two hypotheses related to the Ashy Drongo (and another drongo species) and wrote a paper about it. For them, God probably was the one instructing the drongos to mob one species but not the other. Why show photos of species as boring as this Ashy-throated Warbler ?

China 198

China 2017 Birds Indonesia 198

10,000 Birds

JULY 16, 2013

The birdlife in the Cape is nothing short of spectacular, with a healthy dose of charismatic endemic species. Over 40 species of South African endemics can be found in the Cape – Cape Sugarbirds, Cape Rockjumpers, Orange-breasted Sunbirds to name but a few. White Sharks, especially young ones, will prey on African Penguins.

Penguins 231

Penguins South Africa Africa Sharks 231

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2012

Or the time in Suriname that we drove 3 hours to film Capuchinbirds only to learn that he left our video camera back at the lodge (next to an empty vodka bottle!). Sunbitterns like to hunt in clear, fast-flowing streams But probably the least known aspect of the Sunbittern’s life history is its breeding and nesting.

Costa Rica 259

Costa Rica Suriname Eggs Hunting 259

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2024

videos (see Birding Hongbenghe part 1 to understand this obscure and not very good joke). Unfortunately, juvenile White-hooded Babblers do not look cool and hedonistic enough yet, so they are usually excluded from these videos. If you want to see how this species builds its nest, see here.)

Burma 211

Burma Birds Vietnam Laos 211

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2012

This entire cycle begins in early Spring when Western Bluebirds pair up for breeding. The pair may have to compete for nesting cavities with several other species including native Tree Swallows and Violet-green Swallows, as well as non-native House Sparrows and European Starlings. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2blVsU0rdxY

Washington 189

Washington Eggs California 189

10,000 Birds

APRIL 23, 2012

During the breeding season when hormones are flowing the cloaca swells and birds can get a cloacal protuberance. However, for a few species, things gets…weird. Like any healthy bird, she wants to make sure that she gets the best of the best when that appendage fertilizes her eggs. Let’s look at the equipment.

Buffalo 279

Buffalo Birds Ducks Eggs 279

10,000 Birds

MAY 27, 2011

If this sounds good to you, you may wish you were a Wilson’s Phalarope ( Phalaropus tricolor ) or any of the three species of Phalarope. As strange as it may seem, sexual dimorphism and breeding behavior are reversed in these species. Doesn’t the male below look like he is ready to follow her wherever she may lead?

North America 169

North America Eggs America Breeding 169

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2023

For birders, the Wolongshan area is like a poorer cousin of Balangshan – due to the lower elevation, the bird species here are more common and thus less interesting. Some Chinese Babax waste part of their lives feeding chicks of Large Hawk Cuckoos, which parasitize the babax species.

Hamburgers 228

Hamburgers Birds Science China 228

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

Let us for once judge a book by its cover, and take a thorough look at a Black-headed Gull in breeding plumage. How do I know of their Gothic moods when they have hidden them so well in an egg-white shell of conformity? Are you quite sure that sentence should not include &# their appearance &# and “ apparently “?

2011 170

2011 Birds Deer Europe 170

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2023

You can also see the owl not moving much in a short video. In Alaska, they were found to mimic 30 different species ( source ). Maybe they have decided to boycott species with Russian-sounding names as a way to protest against Putin’s policies. It did not seem to bother the owl much though. Oh, the excitement.

Monkeys 147

Monkeys Birds South Korea Owls 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2018

This species has suffered rapid population reductions across most of its range owing to the loss, degradation and fragmentation of its habitat and land-use changes in eastern Europe, says IUCN’s Red List. Later that day, his photos and videos will be hotly analysed and debated. All photos ( 4 ) by Istvan Ham.

Hungary 162

Hungary Serbia Austria Eggs 162

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2022

This is a rather photographer-friendly species, staying on the same branch for quite a while and even returning to it after catching some insects – you can see this on video here and here. Somehow I feel this is a bit degrading to the species, but it probably does not care. Ok, it could be a first-year male as well.

Finland 147

Finland Birds 2016 McDonalds 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2011

In southern Africa, there are two species. As I watched, it slowly moved into a patch of dried vegetation and I noticed that it was settling over a single egg. Two or three eggs may be laid and either bird may incubate. I too am fascinated by the name of this species. How do we know this? I am around to learn more.

2011 173

2011 Deer Africa Peru 173

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2012

This bird represented only the second documented record of this species in Florida. 2012 has certainly been a bumper year for me with an estimated year list of around 3,000 species after extensive travels to South Africa, Ethiopia, South Korea, Indonesia, the Russian Far East, United Kingdom, Peru, Guatemala and Panama.

2012 159

2012 Birds Guatemala Florida 159

10,000 Birds

JUNE 8, 2023

It is kind of rare to see a Fairy Pitta during Shanghai’s spring migration as those passing through are all adults rather than inexperienced chicks, and they are in a rush getting to their breeding grounds – but I was lucky. This should not be a problem in Shanghai as the pitta has not been reported to breed here.

Birds 130

Birds China Research Tenant 130

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2022

Given the complexity of the research, the result feels like a bit of a letdown – “northern populations start migration earlier than southern populations, especially in autumn” The species name of the Chestnut-eared Bunting is fucata , from the Latin “fucare”, to paint red. Better safe than sorry.

Birds 227

Birds Eggs Bangladesh China 227

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2011

Orlando is so rich in roadside and overhead birds that I kept a list of species seen from the car which ran to 30+ on the first morning and included a Bald Eagle nonchalantly sitting on a street lamp by a Target store. Boat-tailed Grackles count eggs and chicks as part of their diet and they were well represented here today.

2011 118

2011 Alligators Florida Deer 118