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Birds of Belize & Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide Review Doubleheader

10,000 Birds

An associated issue is that the Belize and Costa Rica guides share many of the same descriptions of species, written by Howell. Similarly, descriptions of species repeated across volumes do not lose their accuracy with each publication. Other species are splits and lumped and have had their names changed. Why are these issues?

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Weird Towhees

10,000 Birds

They belong to either the Pipilo or Melozone genera, or perhaps both, as their taxonomy is still a point of contention. Earlier this month, I came across a family of Spotted Towhees (Olive-backed) with a couple of other strange aspects. Towhees are large, ground-hugging sparrows that occur only in North America.

Mexico 200
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Pycnonotidae: A Critical Review

10,000 Birds

A typical description of the family is that of “a tropical African and Asian songbird that typically has a melodious voice and drab plumage”, another is “small, dull-colored passerine birds of Asia and Africa”, yet another states that they are “often rather plain” Individual species get even harsher reviews.

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Wood-Wrens

10,000 Birds

We share seven resident species with different parts of the United States: the Rock , Canyon , Cactus , (Brown-throated) House , Marsh , Sedge , and Bewick’s Wren can all be seen within a half hour of Morelia. (I The raucous Spotted and Gray-barred Wrens are in the Cactus Wren family. First, they answered “my” song.

ALA 164
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Quarantine Twitch for the Best Backyard Bird

10,000 Birds

Typical of the species. The only harassment came from the resident Red-tailed Squirrel family – which seemed to be more curiosity than anything else, as their nest was just about two feet away. Both species seemed content to observe each other though. This young male Summer Tanager didn’t linger or waste time.

Trinidad 197
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National Audubon Society Birds of North America: A Guide Review

10,000 Birds

Pough “with illustrations in color of every species” by Don Eckelberry, Doubleday, 1946. The National Audubon Society Birds of North America covers all species seen in mainland United States, Canada and Baja California. The press material says it covers over 800 species, so you know I had to do a count.

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The Amusing Case of the Gulf Breeze Zoo Canada Geese

10,000 Birds

While I harbor mixed feelings about zoos in general, this facility seems to make the best effort possible to keep animals in interesting enclosures, move them to different areas of the zoo to maintain novel surroundings, and invest money and space into a 30 acre mixed species enclosure, where the animals can move freely.

Geese 113