10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2024

When Jonathan Slaght did his research on Blakiston’s Fish Owl in Russia’s Far East – which he describes in his excellent book “Owls of the Eastern Ice” – he had to cope not only with extreme cold but also with rather bad music: “Katkov filled our commutes with loud music. How ironic.

Fish 187

Fish Owls San Diego Russia 187

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

As soon as I looked at it more closely it was quite clear that it wasn’t a scaup of any species, despite its resemblance to a North American Lesser Scaup. I hadn’t considered the possible parentage more than the two probable species involved, but intriguingly a Pochard drake x Tufted duck looks quite different.

Geese 178

Geese Ducks Falcons Latvia 178

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.

Endangered Species 160

Endangered Species Protection Delaware Species 160

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2018

It divides countries into categories, where the next category has 200 more species. In some cases the data are outdated, e.g. Costa Rica has 900 and not 800 species, but I made no corrections, remaining faithful to the original map data. Shown as a list, it looks like this: Less than 200 bird species: Antarctica; oceanic islands.

Equatorial Guinea 187

Equatorial Guinea Costa Rica Guyana Central African Republic 187

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2016

There are three species of ptarmigan, all found in Alaska. The Willow Ptarmigan, which is the most numerous, can also be found in Russia, Finland, Scandinavia, and Canada. Unlike other grouse species, the male Willow Ptarmigan remains with the female throughout the breeding season to help raise the chicks.

Alaska 102

Alaska Finland Indiana Russia 102

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 26, 2024

The black geese – Brent/Brant, Canada, Barnacle – show a little more variety, but there’s only one goose that really stands out for its striking plumage, and that’s the appropriately named Red-breasted. As the BTO notes, wild vagrants are usually found mixed in with Brent and Barnacle – both typical carrier species.

Bulgaria 130

Bulgaria Geese Romania Estonia 130

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 11, 2017

In some cases the males strayed from their Alaska home base for a bit of far-flung sex tourism in Canada and Russia.). The scientists speculate that this combination of promiscuity and stamina may actually do the species good , spreading genetic diversity throughout the total population.

Russia 101

Russia Rights Stray Alaska 101