10,000 Birds

AUGUST 15, 2020

Even photos of the rarest of birds can be found, even heart-wrenching images of bird species that are no longer with us. Species like the Gyrfalcon , the aerial powerhouse of the tundra, of stunning, breeding-plumaged May warblers. These are all of the toucan species that occur in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Birds Species Woodpeckers 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2024

With its striking combination of colour rings I suspected that it would be easy to find out more about this particular bird, and I was right. Black-tailed godwits winter in large numbers on the estuaries of both Norfolk and Suffolk, and we know that nearly all these birds breed in Iceland.

Lithuania 130

Lithuania Morocco Iceland Ireland 130

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2020

With 500 pages, this guide is a bit on the heavy side, but still not too much, having in mind that half of the region falls into the tropics and the edition is dealing with almost a thousand species (989 to be exact). Distribution maps show the relative abundance of a species in the region and also indicate resident or visiting status.

Africa 264

Africa South Africa Swaziland Lesotho 264

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2022

I learned of the trip right as it had been delayed and made a vow that I would be on that ship. After securing our passage, I patiently waited for this once-in-a-lifetime experience to a place we have never been and lacked any knowledge of, we were in for a complete surprise. Marion has a fascinating history with invasive species.

South Africa 261

South Africa Mice Albatross Africa 261

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2020

By late March, hordes of Laughing Gulls and multiple species of pelagic terns gather for their turn. I did however manage to be in the right place at the right time to experience a gang of Magnificent Frigatebirds that had a Red-footed Booby surrounded. If you look carefully, you can just see its meal about to be ejected.

Fish 204

Fish Rights Species Birds 204

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2023

Nestled between the Huangpu River and the East China Sea, Shanghai offers a captivating blend of urban charm and natural wonders, making it a must-visit destination for birders seeking a unique and diverse avian experience. Among the most notable is Chongming Dongtan, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.

China 159

China Endangered Species Sanctuary Protection 159

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 6, 2024

Amazingly, everyone showed up at dawn except for one person, who’d had a near-death experience with me on Colombia’s Sumapaz paramo, an acceptable excuse for a no-show. The day was only minutes old and we already had 32 species on the day list. These parrots breed inside cavities in cliffs and they are very particular about the cliff.

Parrots 152

Parrots Woodpeckers Industry Fast Food 152

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 29, 2021

Maybe these people like challenges – at least here at the monastery, getting good shots of this species is quite easy. Another species apparently enjoying the proximity of a monastery is the White-winged Grosbeak. My extensive birding experience allows me to be very confident that the bird below is a Rosefinch.

Birds 202

Birds Germany India 2018 202

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2023

The area is one of the most important in Greece for birds, comprising more than 270 species. Finally, of the at least 20 species of mammals present here, the otter, the jackal, and the wildcat certainly deserve a mention. And we were here in the very last days of June, just after that “to a lesser extent” good season. Now, I am done.

Greece 175

Greece Pelicans Birds Otters 175

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2017

June may be the gateway to summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but the birding still delivers the thrills of spring migration when you have access to the right birds’ breeding grounds. I visited Letchworth State Park this weekend, renowned for a ridiculous density of breeding wood warblers. How about you?

2017 101

2017 Louisiana Birds Breeding 101

10,000 Birds

APRIL 24, 2021

Earlier in the day, as we ventured out towards the deep waters off of Malpais, Costa Rica at 6 in the morning, another Galapagos Shearwater was the first real pelagic species we encountered. A world birder who has seen literally thousands of species, Pirjo had hoped to connect with this small striking gull.

Costa Rica 263

Costa Rica Dolphins Sea Turtles Turtles 263

10,000 Birds

MAY 28, 2015

They got the message right. After that experience, I stopped complaining about their hides, realising that they are as good as they ever will be. For example, the White-headed Duck is nowadays a rarity in Europe (okay, excluding Spain, I know… that Spain …), but until some 50 years ago, it used to breed in Serbia.

Serbia 236

Serbia Birds Spain Hungary 236

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2014

This is similar to the fact that all birds, even first time breeders within a species build identical nests. Further support for inherent behavior comes from experiments. In another experiment, other species of Darwin Finches were kept next to Woodpecker Finches that used tools. The behavior was inherent.

Fish 163

Fish Woodpeckers Ostriches Eggs 163

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2018

And, there are 300+ species of birds in this breathtaking region of the northern Rockies. All of the neck-strain-free birds below breed in Montana. This added to the whole birds of prey experience in Big Sky country. The Yellowstone District south of Big Timber is full of campgrounds, if you want to bird right next to the tent.

Montana 145

Montana Bald Eagle Birds Bears 145

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015

These arid hills, cloaked in a mosaic of deciduous scrub and desert vegetation, form a northern outpost for several Neotropical species while also harboring several key endemics and southwestern Nearctic species. This poorly documented swallow is a breeding endemic to these high mountains. Photo by Andrew Spencer.

Mexico 186

Mexico Costa Rica Arizona Birds 186

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2022

This would have allowed you to summarize your experience in sentences such as “A total of 98 boluses regurgitated by 52 chicks aged 1 day to 11 days after hatching form the sample and are shown to contain 323 food items.” It concludes that human activity influences the breeding activity of the lapwing. End of side note.

Birds 162

Birds South Korea Japan Abandon 162

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2019

Getting to actually see four species, in the last two weeks, and to hear two more is almost unheard of in my experience. The Great Horned Owls that live in the palm trees right above our RV have returned and brought with them a pair of fledglings. That was no deterrent from landing right in the middle of the road.

Owls 144

Owls Arizona Tucson South Africa 144

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2018

Of the 300 hummingbird species across the globe, North America only sees fewer than two dozen of them. Many fly through these Texas hotspots, transforming physics into magic right before our eyes! Then, I learned that over 400 species of birds have been identified in and around these islands. So let’s plan that trip, shall we?

Texas 168

Texas North America Alaska America 168

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2013

Therefore I have decided to right my wrong by providing first and foremost some avian eye candy, and not talk. It breeds in a broad and not quite coherent band from Iceland in the west through central Europe and southern Scandinavia all the way to eastern Russia, wintering in Africa, parts of India, and Southeast Asia to Australia.

Germany 173

Germany Russia Iceland India 173

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2017

You believe in birthday birds , right? If you haven’t yet embraced the theory or practice of birthday birds, I recommend that, next time your special day rolls around, you make it a point to pursue a seasonally appropriate species you don’t regularly see. What was your best bird of the weekend?

Los Angeles 100

Los Angeles 2017 Coyotes Birds 100

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’”.

Singapore 147

Singapore Mountain Goats Birds Giraffes 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2015

However, there are those species which have a hard time bringing attention to themselves such as Yellow-shouldered Blackbird , Giant Nuthatch , and Vinaceous-breasted Parrot. Regardless of their popularity, these species and the threatened ecosystems they inhabit are equally spectacular. Curassows are such stately birds.

Brazil 206

Brazil California Condor Parrots Texas 206

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 21, 2016

Right: Robert McCormick, by Stephen Pearce. Unlike Darwin, who was a self-funded gentleman naturalist on board, McCormick was bound to the Beagle by his duties and was furious that a civilian passenger on board had usurped his rightful position as ship’s naturalist. There are 11 species of birds that breed in the Ross Sea region.

Russia 165

Russia Penguins Whales Whaling 165

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 20, 2015

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. And a mere 120 bird species would be a good reason not to take Polynesia as an option. So, the perfect country to move to needs to have at least twice as many species as Serbia.

Sri Lanka 256

Sri Lanka Botswana Africa Serbia 256

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2018

It is a fascinating world of swampy forests of willow and poplar, inhabited by Black Storks , White-tailed Eagles , Eastern Olivaceous and Icterine Warblers (above), among more than 200 other species. What I have always missed there and what I still miss is to experience presence of the European Beaver. Nevertheless, Nagy was right.

Beavers 116

Beavers Serbia Eagles Hungary 116

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2014

In this first installment, I will focus on my impressions and experiences in the highlands portion of our tour. Many Nearctic species and families reach their southern terminus in the Northern Central American Highlands, such as Common Raven , Red Crossbill , Steller’s Jay , and even Brown Creeper. We were off to a great start.

Honduras 207

Honduras Costa Rica El Salvador Arizona 207

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 2, 2018

Audubon Associate Naturalist, have led this tour many times, through tornados, droughts, questionable restaurants, and, sadly, the advent of fracking, and every one of my friends who has participated over the years has raved about the experience and the birds (in fact, one member of our group was on his third or fourth trip, I lost count).

North Dakota 134

North Dakota Birds Sparrows Blackbirds 134

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2022

we learn) that are home to coveted boreal species, breeding wood-warblers, and two species of Grouse. There are 461 species on the Maine checklist. This field guide covers 265 species, the ones most likely to be seen–residential and migratory, almost all nesting birds, many wintering birds.

Los Angeles 186

Los Angeles Birds District of Columbia Parrots 186

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Storks are typically viewed as wetland species and whilst some storks are restricted to aquatic habitats, others are not. This is another wetland species that nests in sometimes huge colonies atop trees bordering rivers and lakes.

Africa 233

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 233

10,000 Birds

MAY 15, 2011

What species is shown? Though wood-warblers, the mostly brightly colored birds of the family Parulidae, are only found in the New World we felt that birders the world over would be pleased to see a plethora of posts about these striking and sought after species. Read about them here but also get out and experience them.

United States 155

United States South America 2011 2012 155

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2011

The next logical step was to explain the right way to get started. With luck, you’ll hit the right ones and sway someone to your side. Even the most barren habitat shelters enough stealthy, confusing, downright frustrating species to scare off newbies. Here are three simple steps to starting bird watching the right way: 1.

Birds 196

Birds United States 2006 Breeders 196

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2018

Now, dont get me wrong, there have been some nice birds, and locations in between, but these two experiences are just so hard to put out of my mind. While there were way less Puffins than any of the other species, they are still so much fun to see. The boat Captain got us right in close. Flying in formation. Mom and her baby.

Puffins 100

Puffins Wildlife Reserve 2003 Farming 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2011

We will have posts on a variety of individual species of wood-warblers, wood-warbler taxonomy, searches for difficult-to-find wood-warblers, and a host of other topics. Many other non-migratory wood-warbler species are living their lives across the neotropics, doing their best to survive and pass on their genes.

United States 178

United States South America Cooking Family 178

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

So much so that the two species are placed within their own family, Chaetopidae. The species is insectivorous and nests amongst the scree and boulders on the steep mountain slopes. Breeding groups typically occupy territories of around 8 hectares and consist of a breeding pair and one or two helpers. And rightly so.

South Africa 236

South Africa Penguins Birds Africa 236

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2015

That’s how important the lifer experience is and I suspect most other birders who started out young feel the same. Costa Rica has more than 900 birds on the country list but the small size of the territory and easy access to good habitat eventually results in sightings of most resident species.

Costa Rica 150

Costa Rica Birds Pennsylvania North America 150

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2014

For one, they are remarkably diverse with a little over 380 species spread over every continent except Europe (only introduced) and Antarctica. Brazil, in particular, is the country with the largest number of parrot species in the world with approximately 84 species. Parrots captivate me more than any other bird family.

Parrots 167

Parrots Brazil Mauritius Dominica 167

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2014

In her free time she travels near and far to find birds to continue building her life list, though many of her favorites can still be found right in her own backyard. The park is home to not one, not two, but large three colonies of breeding seabirds: the Brown Noddy , Magnificent Frigatebird , and Sooty Tern. Lots and lots of birds.

Birds 174

Birds Florida Groups Breeding 174