10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2022

The Blue-crowned Laughingthrush (Wuyuan) is listed as Critically Endangered, as there are only about 250-280 birds spending the breeding season in Northeastern Jiangxi (and according to the HBW, it is not clear where they spend the non-breeding period). There probably is a Billy Bragg song about them.

San Diego 219

San Diego Malaysia China Zoos 219

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 30, 2012

It was not a flycatcher at all, but an exotic (and equally bizarre) from Africa, which certainly escaped from someone’s cage or perhaps even migrated from the small breeding population of escapees in southern California. Pin-tailed Whydah at Sutro Heights Park, San Francisco, CA.

San Francisco 173

San Francisco San Diego Connecticut South America 173

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2018

In 1987, only 27 were left in the wild and drastic action was taken to save the species: all remaining birds were captured, the California Condor was declared extinct in the wild, and a captive breeding program was begun, initially carried out by the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo.

California Condor 106

California Condor Oregon California Zoos 106