10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2015

As we move from Spain towards the east however, it starts getting interesting as soon as we reach Italy. Italy has an almost endemic … well … “form” of Sparrow, the Italian Sparrow , whose taxonomic affinities and rank have been a matter of dispute ever since scientists started to think about it.

Sparrows 209

Sparrows Italy Asia Austria 209

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2013

Confiscated from a poacher in Brescia, Italy, this robin will be released to fly away into an uncertain world, where habitat is threatened and predators and poachers await. The population of Millerbirds on Laysan has doubled , and breeding seems to be going well. Photo by David Guttenfelder, courtesy of National Geographic ).

Cambodia 142

Cambodia Slaughter Slaughtered Cyprus 142

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

Sadly, the late recognition that the Mediterranean birds are a species in their own right and not part of the northern Herring Gull meant that the most fitting English common name “Mediterranean Gull” was already occupied by another species, Ichthyaetus melanocephalus.

Europe 118

Europe Spain Italy Ireland 118

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The chance that this was a real Turkey are not great, and the chance that Columbus actually brought breeding stock from Honduras to Spain is not great, so maybe, maybe not. Dates of first arrival listed by Schorger (1966) are: Italy 1520, Germany 1530, France 1538, England 1541, Denmark and Norway 1550, Sweden 1556.

Turkey 198

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 198