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. Notice the chick in the upper left corner.

North America 214

North America America Barn Owls Falcons 214

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2020

North America is home to many amazing bird species, including several which require a special effort to see and appreciate. In the summer, they are the highest altitude breeding songbird in North America. So let’s look at this sampler, shall we? So let’s look at this sampler, shall we?

America 263

America Arizona North America Texas 263

10,000 Birds

APRIL 21, 2013

elegans ) are the largest rails in the Americas. Their taxonomic status long has been unclear due to their overall similarity and the fact that in eastern North America and Cuba, they hybridize. King Rails occur widely in eastern North America, in eastern and central Mexico, and in Cuba.

Species 219

Species North America Cuba Louisiana 219

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2013

Unlike the more common American Goldfinch, the Lesser Goldfinch’s ( Spinus psaltria ) plumage does not change color during breeding season. The female Lesser Goldfinch can sometimes be confused with the female American Goldfinch in breeding plumage. Both of these species show gregarious flocking behavior except when nesting.

California 165

California Species North America Oregon 165

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2013

A breeding bird atlas is a special kind of book. For ornithologists, it is the documentation of a multi-year project designed to record the distribution and abundance of birds in a specific area (in North America, usually a state or a province), utilizing a mapping method involving blocks and grids.

Pennsylvania 228

Pennsylvania Breeding Birds Sparrows 228

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2014

Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the “Rufa” population of Red Knot ( Calidris canutus rufa ) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The other sub-species, Calidris canutus roselaari , migrates along the Pacific Coast and breeds in Alaska and the Wrangel Island in Russia. Photo: Ron Knight.

Endangered Species 160

Endangered Species Protection Delaware Species 160

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2020

May migration in many parts of eastern North America was and is an amazing natural celebration. Yes, the birding is truly exciting but we just don’t have the annual parade of breeding plumaged, singing warblers, grosbeaks, and orioles. In Costa Rica, this species is common in various middle elevation forest habitats.

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Panama Nashville Baltimore 264

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

An associated issue is that the Belize and Costa Rica guides share many of the same descriptions of species, written by Howell. Dale Dyer put in years working on his paintings for Birds of Central America , both in the field and in the museum. Other species are splits and lumped and have had their names changed. Not every bird.

Costa Rica 213

Costa Rica Belize El Salvador Birds 213

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2021

Insects and a host of other invertebrate life have evolved with these plant species, and thus depend on them. The latter figure very significant when you remember that many breeding passerines depend on the humble caterpillar to feed themselves and their offspring. Locally native plants are the base part of the local ecology.

Wildlife 263

Wildlife North America Mammals Breeding 263

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 21, 2015

Heermann’s Gulls form large breeding colonies on arid islands in the Gulf of California, Mexico, from March through July. The largest colony exists on Isla Raza, where an estimated 90–95% of the total world population breeds 1. This photo by Basar from Wikipedia Commons shows the adult in breeding plumage. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUBX_tlHySc.

San Francisco 158

San Francisco North America Seals Sanctuary 158

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2019

One of the ironies of birding in North America is that the easiest way to see many species that breed on the shores of the Arctic Ocean is to go to tropical coastlands. Marbled Godwits, like the Willets shown above, breed on the northern Great Plains. Only their reflections give any sense of the beach beneath them.

North America 121

North America Mexico Breeding America 121

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

There are not, as far as I know, any plans to re-name the Montagu’s Harrier, a bird that’s now a real rarity in the UK that only occasionally breeds here. North America has far more birds named after people than we do in Europe, where’s there is only around 50, and most of those are scarce or restricted in range.

Falcons 223

Falcons 2003 Collecting Wounded 223

10,000 Birds

APRIL 29, 2020

Perhaps one of my reasons for going to the lake was that it guarantees more species in one day than any of my other sites. But I am also always eager to get a better handle on the migration dates for our wintering species, and April is a great month for that. How on earth do they breed so quickly up north?)

Mexico 165

Mexico Breeding Ducks North America 165

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 12, 2019

Our big month of bird movements in Costa Rica, the 10th month of the year, is when most of the swallows, Scarlet Tanagers , thrushes, and other species on the South American express push through. How do they compete with resident species? In October, it’s what’s happening in Costa Rica. What do they eat?

Costa Rica 261

Costa Rica Nicaragua Birds Panama 261

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 20, 2016

The Mew Gull is the smallest of the “white-headed” gulls in North America, where it was formerly known as the Short-billed Gull. Maybe because there are 27 species, some of which take four years to attain adulthood and then some of the larger gulls cross breed! Click on photos for full sized images.

California 174

California North America Alaska Breeding 174

10,000 Birds

APRIL 11, 2012

There cannot be many ABA area breeding birds harder to get than those that only breed on the remotest tips of the north of North America and then fly off to places that aren’t on the major continental flyways. They do turn up on the coast of North America, but not often.

North America 181

North America Fiji Hawaii America 181

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 22, 2014

They are listed as a Species of Special Concern in Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, and as Threatened in California. Each autumn, nearly the entire breeding population of the Swainson’s Hawk migrates from the temperate zone of North America to wintering areas in South America. But that is another story.

Nevada 160

Nevada North America Utah Oregon 160

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 8, 2015

The Brown Pelican and the Peruvian Pelican are closely related and once were considered the same species. Brown Pelicans in non-breeding plumage. The Brown Pelican occurs in both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America and northern South America. Peruvian Pelican in non-breeding plumage.

Pelicans 157

Pelicans North America Peru Fish 157

10,000 Birds

JULY 30, 2015

They fly from extreme northern North America to the southern tip of South America and are seldom seen perched during migration. Another cool fact was learning that the Barn Swallows has started to breed in South America since the 80s. What prompted this amazing change is still unknown. Photo: Alfredo Begazo.

South Dakota 168

South Dakota South America North America America 168

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2018

Of the 300 hummingbird species across the globe, North America only sees fewer than two dozen of them. Then, I learned that over 400 species of birds have been identified in and around these islands. With a bit of luck the Texas Gulf just might have several of our favorite hummingbird species.

Texas 176

Texas North America Alaska America 176

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2015

The Blue-winged Teal ( Anas discors ) is not that common in California except along the coast, so I was pretty excited to discover several pair and a few non-paired individuals of the species at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on the day I had reserved photo blind #2. References: 1 Birds of North America Online.

Sacramento 151

Sacramento Wildlife North America Ducks 151

10,000 Birds

JULY 8, 2020

One of the ways I could describe the unique mix of birds I can see here in southwestern Mexico, would be to divide our species into five categories. The invasive species are few, but, unfortunately, very numerous. But there is a final group of species here, about which I have not written very much.

Mexico 193

Mexico Birds Honduras United States 193

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

The Bank Swallow ( Riparia riparia ) is North America’s smallest swallow. The report identifies 33 species that do not meet the Watch List criteria but are declining rapidly in many areas. The main reason for this rapid decline, as in the case of most species, is loss of habitat.

North America 188

North America 2014 California Birds 188

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 18, 2019

Between our many residents and migratory species, birding in central Mexico is a joy. For example, I have commented before on how common names in English may make sense up north, but do not down south. But in the winter, both species head for Mexico. But it can also be a challenge.

Mexico 139

Mexico United States North America Ethics 139

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

This being an uncommon species in upstate New York, I appreciate having an abundance of Cliff Swallows to look at. Bank and Barn Swallows also migrate through in huge numbers, maybe even the majority of the individuals of these common species that breed in North America. Swallows Everywhere.

Costa Rica 320

Costa Rica West Virginia New York South America 320

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2015

At some point in evolutionary times one Avocet colonized the high Andes and the other North America. American Avocet in breeding plumage. The Andean Avocet breeds in small groups in loose colonies scattered along the shallow saline lagoons at high elevation. Photo: Dan Dzurisin. Andean Avocet, Photo: Sergey Pisarevskiy.

Bolivia 165

Bolivia Chile Argentina North America 165

10,000 Birds

MAY 18, 2012

When they are not getting ready to breed they are a pretty bland brown-and-white bird. Actitus macularius , as spotties are known to the scientific set, are widespread across North America and winter across Central and South America, even as far south as Chile. They are, of course, spotted, but only in alternate plumage.

New Jersey 174

New Jersey North America Chile South America 174

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

Since its introduction, this dove has spread quickly across the North American continent. The northwestern spread of this non-native species made it to my yard a few years ago. In North America and the Caribbean, they are found mostly in suburban, urban, and agricultural areas where grain, roost, and nest sites are available.

Breeders 178

Breeders 2002 North America Bahamas 178

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2016

I purchased my first Sibley— The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America —in 2003. David Sibley notes in the Introduction that the order has been changed in some places so similar species could be placed next to each other for comparison purposes. ” Thank you, David Sibley!

North America 160

North America 2003 Birds America 160

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 191

North America Birds Mississippi Bald Eagle 191

10,000 Birds

MAY 9, 2012

Here in Northern California I am fortunate to have at least three of the western hummingbirds of North America visiting my yard. The least common species of hummingbird I see here is the Calliope Hummingbird ( Stellula calliope ). She will begin breeding in April. He also sports a brilliant orange-red gorget.

North America 210

North America Breeders America Breeding 210

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 23, 2016

Instead, they are summer visitors, moving up to Colorado in the warm months to breed before returning to wintering grounds in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. During the summer breeding months, Lark Bunting males – a sparrow species – are jet black, their white wings contrasting beautifully with the dark bodies.

Colorado 102

Colorado Legislature North America New Mexico 102

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2014

Green-tailed Towhee s breed in species-rich shrub communities within shrub-steppe habitats, and disturbed and open areas of montane forest, often created by forest fires 1. References: 1 Birds of North America Online. Click on photos for full sized images. Birds Green-tailed Towhee Mountain Bird Festival towhees'

North America 198

North America Oregon Birds Owls 198

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 176

Hunters Hunting North America Game 176

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

How to Know the Birds talks about 200 commonly found birds in North America (including one extinct bird, the Passenger Pigeon) in 200 brief essays, each exactly one page long. Each essay is entitled with the “big idea,” subtitled with the name of the bird species (common name and scientific name), and numbered.

Birds 115

Birds North America Breeding America 115

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2015

Birds included common species such as Black Drongos , Jungle Babblers and a Hoopoe. During the Pleistocene, Dholes were found across the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe and North America, sharing their space with sabre-toothed cats. These days, the species shares habitats with Tigers, Snow Leopard, Bears, etc.

Tigers 238

Tigers Dogs India Snow Leopard 238

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2015

Many species that are currently common may stay that way, and some species will likely increase…and hopefully species besides House Sparrows , European Starlings , Rock Pigeons and Eurasian Collared-Doves , which those in North America know as the four avian horsemen of the apocalypse. Whats in it for birds?

North America 215

North America Birds San Francisco Suffering 215