10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2021

The arrival of those migratory species was my motivation for spending a Monday around our church last week. It was kind of this Clay-colored Sparrow (left) and Chipping Sparrow (right) to position themselves so well for comparison purposes. Happily, nobody would struggle to identify a Lark Sparrow.

Sparrows 200

Sparrows Falcons Woodpeckers Species 200

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 3, 2023

It covers 403 species: 172 nonpasserine species and 231 passerine species in the Species Accounts, 198 species beautifully illustrated by the author in the Plates section. The scarcity of information on the young of some avian species is astounding.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 253

Wildlife Rehabilitation Birds Family Collecting 253

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2023

The official Ontario bird checklist, produced by Ontario Field Ornithologists , June 2022 listed 506 bird species**, putting it in the top tier of U.S. Small Species Accounts: Each species is allotted one page (with certain exceptions) offering basics–bird names and size, one or two photographs, and a one-paragraph description.

North America 207

North America Birds Owls Canada 207

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2021

21 species is less than 6% of the total number of hummingbird species in the Americas.) All but one of those times, the ID occurred because I got a brief glimpse of this species’ unmistakeable long-tailed male. Here’s another female Broad-billed Hummingbird , and a Dusky Hummingbird for comparison.

Mexico 205

Mexico Species America Groups 205

10,000 Birds

APRIL 22, 2021

Just last year, 5 new bird species and 5 new subspecies were discovered in a few short weeks of fieldwork on the islands of Taliabu, Peleng and Batudaka. In recent years Indonesia has been competing with the Andes as the region giving rise to the biggest number of undescribed bird species (naturally, all of them endemics).

Indonesia 264

Indonesia Timor Brunei Guinea 264

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 189

North America Birds Mississippi Bald Eagle 189

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

From Nature, “ Discovery of species-wide tool use in the Hawaiian crow “: Only a handful of bird species are known to use foraging tools in the wild. Two of these species could be detected only in the interior region in 2012 surveys. Here we show that another tropical corvid, the ‘Alal? ( Although the ‘Alal?

Hawaii 162

Hawaii Research Center 2012 2000 162

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 193

Equatorial Guinea Costa Rica Guyana Central African Republic 193

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 30, 2020

The juvenile Pied Oystercatcher gives you a glimpse into its development when it stretches a wing out and when it stands close to its parents for size comparison. Pied Oystercatchers are not a species that we observe flying very often at all. Adult and juvenile Pied Oystercatcher. Juvenile Pied Oystercatcher having a stretch.

Eggs 165

Eggs Breeding Family Protection 165

10,000 Birds

JULY 15, 2020

But, in comparison with most of my sightings, these Anis looked almost gaudy. Black-chested Sparrow is one of Paso Ancho’s flagship species. And I, for one, choose not to let the lack of a few species ruin my enjoyment of many more. Later in the morning, the light got better, and so did my photos. A Golden Vireo showed up.

Sparrows 162

Sparrows Cooking Squirrels Owls 162

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

We all have invasive species on our minds this week, which should serve as an inspiration to those of us interested in expanding our personal range. Whatever Corey will be doing surely pales in comparison, so let’s not even talk about it. Maybe invasion is on my mind because I’m on the eve of an amazing voyage.

Colombia 160

Colombia 2014 Breeders Birds 160

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2015

This means that any comparison of results obtained in different years may not reflect the success of a birder’s endeavours but rather the variation of the overall birding conditions of the respective years, which are outside the sphere of anyone’s influence. Frustration all around. Which is fair enough.

Feral 194

Feral Species Asia Rights 194

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2015

You can see some of my older Lassen Park posts featuring several other species from this beautiful park here. This week I am reporting on the Cassin’s Finch ( Haemorhous cassinii ), another western species found nesting in Lassen Volcanic National Park. This is the male of the species (click on photos for full sized images).

North America 166

North America Research America Species 166

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2021

It was an unexpected bird tour, without too much planning and aimed at a few target species, of which we saw most, but the main one eluded us… Early morning, leaving the last houses behind… and a Little Owl awaits us on a traffic sign. To allow for a better comparison, all three soared in the same thermal.

Serbia 235

Serbia Birds Romania Eagles 235

10,000 Birds

APRIL 26, 2016

Since then their range has spread across the United States and southern Canada, and they remain a sought-after game species. While the females are much drabber by comparison, their gold/tan color and black spotting makes them stand out from other species as well. During some seasons, millions of male pheasants are killed.

South Dakota 100

South Dakota Hawaii United States North America 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2019

I don’t think we ever saw the second one but the first one twice, as photo comparisons between my sightings seem to show the same individual. Then again, I’ve seen one there this fall, back in September of a passage bird, and it was a new species for me somehow in Nassau County. So, this was better?

New York 130

New York Hunting Birds Species 130

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2022

Finally in 1799, the first visitors on this volcanic land were a group of French seal hunters who were after the fur seals that can be found hauled out on the beaches for fur and oil, which almost wiped out the local population of the species. Marion has a fascinating history with invasive species.

South Africa 263

South Africa Mice Albatross Africa 263

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 17, 2015

Combined, I netted eighteen species of shorebirds in the two days, a tally that included my favorite shorebird, featured above, a juvenile Short-billed Dowitcher. Here a Semipalmated Sandpiper helpfully provided a comparison shot with the White-rump. One of these days this will be a picture of a much more rare species… …

Jamaica 162

Jamaica New York City Wildlife New York 162

10,000 Birds

JULY 29, 2015

I figured that it is only fair and right to include the male Mountain Bluebird ( Sialis currucoides ) for comparison. Lassen Volcanic National Park is also home to approximately 57 species of mammals ranging in size from the tiny shrew to the North American black bear. Click on photos for full sized images.

United States 172

United States Mammals Squirrels New York 172

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2015

Birding by Impression is a conscious, deliberate method of identifying and recognizing birds based on the study and evaluation of “distinctive structural features and behavioral movements” and comparison with nearby and similar species. It is not a handbook, though it approaches species from a collective viewpoint. “BBI

Birds 169

Birds New Jersey Science Groups 169

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 21, 2018

Major extinction events that are geologically instantaneous have been followed by periods of time with reduction of species or unstable habitats that last for hundreds of thousands or millions of years. There are about 10,000 species of them, after all, which is a lot for a vertebrate. But, that is also a naive view.

2018 101

2018 Science Humane Species 101

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2013

Amphispiza bilineata is a species of the desert and it is found throughout proper habitat in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The bird in these pictures was the first of its species I had seen in six years and it more than made up for lost time. Click the image above for a bigger version.

Las Vegas 172

Las Vegas Sparrows Nevada United States 172

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2018

The flocks of shorebirds are huge and you can easily observe several species of shorebirds in a few minutes. The shorebird species are almost sorted for you! These large flocks of larger species may not produce all of the species in Roebuck Bay and you will need to check other beaches that have the smaller shorebird species in them.

2018 114

2018 2016 2015 Australia 114

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2013

And by similar, I mean the species and abundance of shorebirds and gulls. In Florida, there is a resident small gull, two species of large gulls, and one species of gull that is abundant. Whether this comparison is valid or has an ecological meaning is anybody’s interpretation. Photo: Dave Moran.

Chile 188

Chile Peru South America Florida 188

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 12, 2021

I tested the 12s at my usual stomping grounds where I am used to local species and landscape, at their usual distances from the observer, so I could immediately spot a different experience. So I asked myself would a higher magnification (than my usual 8x) prove to be a significant improvement?

Birds 264

Birds Raised Rights Experience 264

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 15, 2015

Wood Sandpipers- Tringa glareola are a shorebird species that are found on inland fresh water rather than along the coast. Wood Sandpipers can be very aggressive to others of the same species and it is not unusual to see a pair face off at each other and then fly up at each other to defend a feeding area.

Australia 155

Australia Breeding Species Rights 155

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2014

There is one thing however that makes the Sunda Teal a rather highly desired species, and the name is a bit of a give-away: the species’ magic is in its range. Now, for comparison’s sake, New York City has around 8 million people on 800 square kilometres, or 10,000 / km².

New York City 165

New York City Los Angeles Timor Indonesia 165

10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2020

A Field Guide to the Birds: Giving Field Marks of All Species Found in Eastern North America was published in 1934 by Houghton Mifflin (note–Peterson was 26 years old), after being rejected by four publishers. Adding the 76 new species in the Hawaii section, this makes coverage of approximately 884 species.

North America 205

North America America Hawaii Birds 205

10,000 Birds

MAY 4, 2014

It is a very easy species to find in the Broome area and present throughout the year. The closest similar species is the Banded Stilt , but it is a stockier bird with shorter legs. A good comparison photo can be found here.

Australia 158

Australia Raised Eagles Rights 158

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2011

As albies go they seem to be doing better than most species, and are only listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. For size comparison, a scrum of albies. Most breed in the Chatham Islands or in the islands to the south of South Island, but a few breed on the Three Kings Islands at the tip of North Island as well.

Albatross 206

Albatross New Zealand South America Breeders 206

10,000 Birds

APRIL 19, 2016

This example is important because it appears that the protector species, not just the protected species, gains a benefit, the latter having been documented many times before. For the many breeding birds facing high nest-predation pressure, enemy-free space can be gained by nesting near more formidable animals for physical protection.

Alligators 115

Alligators Protection Leopards Birds 115

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2016

The European Herring Gull is essentially the rump state of what was once an empire of a species ranging throughout the northern hemisphere. The listing was easy too since the world total of accepted species stood at a little over 8,000, meaning you could become a world birder by just putting up a backyard feeder.

Germany 102

Germany North America Europe Game 102

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 27, 2015

Like my two previous visits I spent one day that I didn’t have to lead any field trips doing a run through central Florida looking for some of the specialty species of the region. On my previous trips I was successful on each and every species except for the crane. I sat for quite some time, scoping the bird.

Cattle 194

Cattle Florida Bald Eagle Endangered Species 194

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2013

Rare species, like North Island Brown Kiwi , have been reintroduced. Run along the same lines as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, the site has had a large fence placed around it and the introduced mammals removed.

New Zealand 160

New Zealand Sanctuary Mammals Wildlife 160

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 22, 2018

But both species of swans present had enough neck to reach something to eat on the bottom of the pond. Then, lucky me, the Tundra Swan got out of the water and onto the ice near a Mute Swan for some nice side-by-side size comparisons. I didn’t see any of the dabbling ducks dabble. I assume the water was too deep.

Jamaica 104

Jamaica Wildlife New York City Ducks 104

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2017

Nonetheless, I was having a pretty good time and my list eventually had almost fifty species on it. The bill is way too long for a weird Snowy Egret, the all black feet rule out several species, and that patchwork plumage is bizarre. Then, scoping from the end of Seavey’s Landing Road, I spotted an egret. All black feet and legs?

Portland 113

Portland United States North America America 113

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2016

In addition to splits, selected rare visitors have been added (Lesser Sand-Plover, Zenaida Dove, Red-vented Bulbul and African Collared-Dove are some of the species new to the East book, Streaked Shearwater, Stonechat, Red-flanked Bluetail and Japanese White-eye are some of the West adds), and selected exotics.

North America 158

North America 2003 Birds America 158