10,000 Birds

JUNE 25, 2019

That fallacious family name seems to have encouraged all manner of knaves, dunderheads, and miscreants when time came to label species. Most of the warblers south of the border escaped this ignominy; those Basileuterus and Myiothlypis species generally appear exactly as advertised. NAMED FOR PEOPLE. NAMED FOR PLACES.

Rights 113

Rights Connecticut Tennessee Nashville 113

10,000 Birds

JULY 5, 2013

It’s among a handful of species — American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee , the unholy trinity of House Sparrow – Rock Pigeon – European Starling , a few others — that have been everywhere I’ve ever lived. We never would have gotten all those extra species of Red Crossbill that way.

Connecticut 170

Connecticut Baltimore North America New York City 170

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2014

A little research revealed that these are old names of birds that have been split into different species. Water Pipit is now known as a European species; the American subspecies became the full species American Pipit in 1989. Scientific names don’t reflect the massive changes to species in the warbler family.

2006 193

2006 2014 Connecticut North America 193

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

Many species build nests of sticks or mud or spit on human-made structures , or in houses we’ve constructed specifically for their use. Taxonomically, swallows are one of the few families of birds that has seen little change in its ranks. The family is global in its distribution, with 83 species of around 19 genera.

Jordan 181

Jordan Iowa Birds Africa 181

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 9, 2013

A filtration system that works on waterfowl pools without clogging,” wrote Linda in Connecticut. Why is there no state or federal money available to care for federally protected species? Monte in California agreed: “I’d like some time just to watch healthy wild families.”. I’d wish for respect for what we do.”.

Wildlife 242

Wildlife Wildlife Rehabilitation Oklahoma New York 242

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2012

There’s a little hint of white in the malar and throat too, which would seem to be a problem for the species Black- chinned Sparrow. Once you know that hybridization between these two species is, as the great ornithologist Charles Townsend relates, “extensive” , the possibilities are endless.

New Jersey 216

New Jersey North Carolina Sparrows Connecticut 216

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 2, 2012

Finishing a year with 372 species is nothing to sneeze at and the fact that I added twenty-five birds to my ABA list was nice. Last year I saw 372 species of bird , much lower than the previous two years of 602 species and 604 species. Such is a year without foreign travel. What did I see?

2011 169

2011 Puffins United States New York 169