10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

For once, eBird gives a good description of the Asian Glossy Starling, calling it a “Fierce-looking, large songbird” As are humans, this species is fairly urbanized – it “sometimes enters urban areas to roost, e.g. in Singapore” (HBW). In Singapore, Common Redshanks mostly drink Tiger Beer.

Singapore 251

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 251

10,000 Birds

MAY 25, 2023

The bird on the photo is one of the estimated 3500-15,000 individuals still alive according to the HBW – a frightening thought given the (too) large number of humans, of which there are about 1 million times more (and of course, each of which weighs 5000 times more than the flycatcher). It is probably all downhill from here.

Birds 130

Birds Raised Cattle Mammals 130

10,000 Birds

JUNE 9, 2022

An Ashy Drongo apparently spends approximately 71% of its time scanning (what non-scientists would probably call looking around), 9% eating (less than a typical Chinese human but much more than me), calling 7%, flying 7%, and 6% preening. In Singapore, a Tiger Shrike was observed casting a pellet after eating a large scarab beetle.

Singapore 147

Singapore Birds Mountain Goats Giraffes 147

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

It seems the ones I got decent photos of are all juveniles – it generally seems to be easier to get photos of juveniles as they have not quite learned to avoid humans. Thank god that this does not apply to humans. Sometimes being a member of the human race feels very embarrassing.

Birds 226

Birds China Eggs Owls 226

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

The adults presumably have already learned that humans are not usually good news even if not named Donald Trump. Despite claims to the contrary, the Tiger Shrike was not named after a German tank. A Lesser Cuckoo stayed in one of the Nanhui microforests for a few days, not being afraid of humans at all. Who would have thought.

Birds 130

Birds Tigers Humane Ecuador 130

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2023

The third shrike seen in Shanghai this month was the Tiger Shrike. For Pacific Golden Plovers , the situation is similar – in one study , males showed strong breeding ground fidelity, with 100% (8 of 8 birds) returning to a site in Western Alaska while only one of 4 females (25%) returned. You figure it out yourself.

Birds 130

Birds China Taiwan Raised 130