10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

One of these days, Jeopardy will feature a category called “Field Guides” and the first clue will be: “This landlocked South American country finally got its own bird field guide in 2016, but it wasn’t available in the United State until 2019.” Distribution maps are also different from other field guides.

Bolivia 194

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 194

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

The Hawaii vote made it clear that that the ABA Area is about political borders, not geographical or ecological ones, and the two Caribbean territories have long been part of the United States. The absence of the Caribbean means that ABA Area—and the ABA—excludes important aspects of the avian diversity of the United States.

Puerto Rico 176

Puerto Rico Virgin Islands Hawaii United States 176

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.

North America 202

North America Birds Mississippi Bald Eagle 202

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2016

At the same time, care has been taken to eliminate exotics no longer a presence, such as several of south Florida’s parrots. Images show the bird in flight, both underside and upperside, and in juvenile and adult plumages– breeding and nonbreeding, and, where appropriate, male and female.

North America 181

North America 2003 Birds America 181

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

What the Owl Knows is organized into nine chapters: introduction, adaptation (including vision and flight), research and researchers, vocalization, courtship and breeding, roosting and migration, cognition, and two chapters on owls and humans–captive owls (not zoos, educational owls) and owls in our cultural history.

Owls 237

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 237

10,000 Birds

JULY 26, 2012

Falcons split from hawks to join parrots and songbirds Unanimously, the committee voted to remove falcons (Falconiformes) and parrots (Psittaciformes) from their current positions in the list and place them before the songbirds (Passeriformes), more closely to reflect the relationships between these three great orders.

Falcons 176

Falcons Parrots California Breeding 176

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2015

The final species tally for the four day blitz was 186 ABA-countable species, an impressive total in winter for any location in the United States. Although they breed on the west coast of Florida, Snowy Plover is a rare stray to this part of the state. Orange-winged Parrot: 56. Spot-breasted Oriole: 2.

Miami 172

Miami 2015 United States Birds 172

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2016

Interestingly, the eagle featured in Panama’s coat of arms is not the Harpy Eagle, but a representation of an American eagle species, as the United States was the first country to recognize Panama’s independence. A Harpy Eagle. Like Woods, I can’t get over their talons.

Panama 101

Panama Grizzly Bear Porcupines Eagles 101

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

So, while waiting for evolution to produce new birds for our life lists is inadvisable, we sometimes catch a break and every few years get a new species or two when some genetic research or study of breeding distribution presents enough evidence to split what was once considered a single species into a few new ones.

Ohio 113

Ohio India Hawaii United States 113

10,000 Birds

JULY 26, 2019

Why this one city alone would be named for birds, in this country of 1,800 species, is unclear, but it could very well be a designation inspired by the nearby Islas Ballestas, an uninhabited island group just offshore from Pisco and home to enormous breeding colonies of Humboldt Penguins , Inca Terns , Peruvian Boobies , and many other species.

Peru 131

Peru San Francisco Parrots Chile 131

10,000 Birds

MARCH 12, 2011

Living in Colorado, I was practically next door neighbors to a Spix’s Macaw, “Presley,” who was discovered in an Evergreen living room—the only known Spix’s Macaw in the United States—and who was repatriated to Brazil before I even knew he existed. The Magnificent Frigatebird is the bird I would want to see.

Brazil 228

Brazil 2011 Birds Wildlife 228