10,000 Birds

JUNE 23, 2022

A Barred Cuckoo-Dove showed somewhat atypical behavior or had not read its eBird entry about it being “seldom seen out in the open … quick to flee when approached” Of course, Hongbenghe, Yunnan is quite far away from Chicago. The Crested Serpent Eagle is another species bound to suffer from a naming error in perpetuity.

Birds 147

Birds Myanmar China Chicago 147

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2017

But does the value of a particular trip come from the number of birds seen, viewing a particular species, seeing an endangered species, catching a glimpse of a rarity, adding a lifer, or something else? I emailed the authors and asked about their research and their use of eBird data. Birders derive “value” from birding.

Oregon 180

Oregon Washington Birds Chad 180

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2015

I’d seen nine warbler species, Baltimore Orioles , a brilliant Scarlet Tanager , and what seemed like dozens of catbirds when an odd warbler caught my eye. ” Upon close review of my photographs and some additional research, that theory makes sense to me.

Minnesota 180

Minnesota New York City New York Baltimore 180

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 17, 2015

If this was America, we might not be concerned because starlings are an invasive species, at least in North America. Researchers are wondering if the die-off might spread to other birds or even fish. This is not something I needed to tell you but there is some new research. In the US, of course, we have meteorologists for that.

Science 151

Science Iraq Research Birds 151

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2012

Getting intimate with a species over the course of the breeding cycle is one of the more rewarding aspects of birding, and field research too. Over the course of three months of field work I monitored dozens of parrotlet nests from start to finish, taking care to snap some pictures now and again.

Eggs 268

Eggs Venezuela Porcupines 2008 268

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. Here, according to the research , there is.

2018 101

2018 Science Humane Species 101

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

The book is divided into three parts: “Introduction,” “Avifaunal Overview,” and “Species Accounts.” The authors trace the creation of swamps, wetlands, and meadows by farmers, and then the destruction of wetlands by the building of golf courses, the loss of meadows by the construction of train tracks. It’s a very mixed chapter.

New York City 151

New York City New York Birds Breeding 151

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2019

I like observing them, reading about them, grappling with species and subspecies identification, and even—on a good day—talking about sparrow taxonomy. Peterson Reference Guide to Sparrows of North America covers 61 species of the New World sparrow family Passerellidae that breed in Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico.

North America 149

North America Sparrows America United States 149

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2012

Recently it has also been documented as breeding in Wisconsin, Ontario, and the Upper Michigan Peninsula, but those birds are few and not always accessible. It’s the warbler that is often the last unchecked species on birders’ life lists and, whether you list or not, for most of us observing it is a once in a lifetime experience.

Michigan 231

Michigan Bahamas Endangered Species Research 231

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 193

North America Birds Mississippi Bald Eagle 193

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2016

where and when the species is likely to be seen on the east coast, flight style, size and structure as compared to similar species. I realized a curious thing while researching some of the creatures in this guide–some of the common names given for the flying fish appear to have originated with co-author Steve N.G.

Pennsylvania 168

Pennsylvania Texas Whales Whaling 168

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. This is not entirely unknown among domestic animals, but many domesticates have no living wild version.

Turkey 204

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 204

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2013

For birders, it’s the extremely large book, shelved in a place where it can’t crush the field guides, used to research the history of a bird in their area. You can see the Species Account for Henslow’s Sparrow above, in the banner photo. The second page is the map page. Let’s hear it for the return of the forest!

Pennsylvania 231

Pennsylvania Breeding Birds Sparrows 231

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Even the Latin species name soror (“sister”) indicates the similarity to another pitta species (blue-naped). The eBird description of the Small Niltava starts with the surprisingly dull statement that “size distinguishes this species from other niltavas” Who would have thought.

China 231

China Birds Pythons Eagles 231

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2012

The New Jersey Bird Records Committee (NJBRC) documents 465 species of natural origin. Used in conjunction with the species distribution maps, this is a helpful feature in evaluating field observations. There are, sadly, entries for extinct species. It is also, of course, more up-to-date.

New Jersey 192

New Jersey Birds 2009 Bald Eagle 192

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2013

The story of the cahow, a “Lazurus species” that was thought to be extinct for over 300 years and then discovered to be breeding on a tiny remote island in Bermuda, is part of modern birding legend. A particularly good type of fertilizer, for example, drastically increased the population of crabs, spoiling Bermuda’s golf courses.

Birds 168

Birds Rats Breeding 2012 168

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2021

In 2012, I reviewed The Jewel Hunter , an absorbing narrative in which author Chris Goodie travelled throughout Asia, Africa, and Australasia to observe and photograph every Pitta species in the world. Hummingbird species, on the other hand, number in the hundreds. Is all that material on Selkirk needed?

Costa Rica 264

Costa Rica Brazil Ecuador Bolivia 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2020

The speaker turned out to be Tim Laman, and the topic was the incredible research he and Ed Scholes had spent years doing on birds of paradise in New Guinea. The introductory material is organized and written clearly, giving both background on the bird families and an explanation of how species-level is organized in the next two sections.

Guinea 263

Guinea Birds Papua New Guinea Family 263

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2022

It’s a unique bird, even its scientific name is wonderful, so it’s not surprising that Gerard Gorman, Woodpecker Expert Supreme, has written a book all about the species. I was surprised to learn that there are two Wryneck species in the Jynx genus: Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla, and Red-throated Wryneck, Jynx ruficollis.

Woodpeckers 237

Woodpeckers Hungary Thailand 2014 237

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

The story of the White-winged Guan , in some ways resembles the re-discovery of some species thought to be extinct. Some remained stored for decades before a researcher would pick them up and inquired about these poorly documented specimens. The decades of storage in a museum came after it was regarded as an extinct species.

Collecting 269

Collecting Peru Neglecting Hunting 269

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2015

A new research project using Zebra Finches in semi-wild conditions indicates that for some bird populations a certain aspect of climate change may have a negative effect on the viability of populations by causing increased mortality in a subtle but significant way. Original document available here. Briga, Michael and Simon Verhulst.

Killing 208

Killing Zebras Birds Research 208

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

By the time they were looked at as a primary document it seems that most who saw them did not recognize the connection to the Mysterious Starling or their value in general. Not only that, but another species of starling was already called Calornis inornata.). Rats did it in, as they did so many species. Most species go extinct.

Killing 170

Killing Rats Cooking Norway 170

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2012

It covers 70 seabird species, explaining specific identification points with over 900 photographs and highly detailed descriptive text, all backed by an expertise based on years of research in the field, examination of museum specimen, and knowledge of ornithological literature. First of all, what are tubenoses?

North America 158

North America Albatross America Species 158

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

She doesn’t know the species till it emerges, almost dreamlike, from the heavy glare of the sun. This is the story of Fox’s experiences on board the Achiever, the research vessel of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Fox encounters 69 species, some singly, some in huge feeding or migrating flocks.

Fox 100

Fox Albatross Geese Bald Eagle 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Mack tells the story of how he set up a research station, and a life, in Papua New Guinea. Brit birder Goodie didn’t do an ordinary big year; he decided he would see every Pitta species in the world (32 at the time) in one year. Mack (Cassowary Conservation and Publishing, 2014) for Birding. Press, 2012).

Papua New Guinea 183

Papua New Guinea 2014 Penguins Birds 183

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2017

But, of course, regular 10,000 Birds readers know this from beat writer, Australian birder Clare Morton , whose writings about the birds of Broome and other Australian areas have taught many of us about the joys of Australian birding. Each family group begins with a small box summarizing the characteristics of the family in Australia.

Australia 107

Australia Birds Penguins 2015 107

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 5, 2021

Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica: A Field Guide covers 113 damselfly species and 170 dragonfly species, a total of 283 species. Wait–that adds up to 290 species, but the book only covers 283. .* Wait–that adds up to 290 species, but the book only covers 283. Paulson, William A. INTRODUCTION.

Costa Rica 261

Costa Rica North America Family America 261

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2017

The 7th edition of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America covers 1,023 species that reside, migrate, or have been documented as accidentals or exotics in North America. Species Accounts: With 1,023 species, National Geographic 7 continues to cover the most species of any North American field guide.

North America 184

North America America 2017 Birds 184

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2019

And, I looked at my eBird list and realized I’ve seen nine species of Antpitta and one of Gnateater. Antpittas and Gnateaters covers 64 species in six genera and two families. (I The Species Accounts feature highly detailed text by Harold Greeley, distribution maps, and over 250 photographs by a number of photographers.

Research 142

Research Eggs South America Costa Rica 142

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2014

In this book, rare birds are species “for which, on average, only 5 or fewer individuals have been found annually in North America since around 1950.” Species that were once seen rarely and have now become more common, like Clay-colored Thrush, are not included. Rare Birds of North America covers 265 species within these parameters.

North America 255

North America America Birds United States 255

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

There is much to enjoy and appreciate here and I only wish I could have tested out some of these species accounts in pelagic waters before writing about them (sadly, the 10,000 Birds pelagic to Antarctica was canceled this year). SCOPE & SPECIES ORGANIZATION. It covers 434 species across 9 orders and 18 families of birds.

Albatross 279

Albatross Penguins Family Groups 279

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

” And, if you don’t believe them, just take a look at some of the photographic comparisons of species they present: Or, of albatross plumages: Or, read about the taxonomic confusions and scientific lapses in research on petrels, Albatrosses, storm-petrels, and diving-petrels. And, you need a boat.

Albatross 159

Albatross Birds North America Groups 159

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2015

The title is a bit deceptive, for while photographs are a huge part of the book, it is grounded in the 239 species accounts written by woodpecker guru Gerard Gorman. This background material is a good, succinct framework within which to read the Species Accounts, particularly for birders new to woodpecker study.

Woodpeckers 244

Woodpeckers 2002 Europe Research 244

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2015

During my previous five trips to Indonesia, I only heard but never caught a glimpse of three species. Now my tally stands at four species seen and a fifth heard-only. At least in the northeastern United States, their rate of so doing is high, according to research I summarized here. Clare went a chose a first for Australia.

2015 186

2015 Costa Rica Birds Sparrows 186

10,000 Birds

MARCH 7, 2023

Plume hunting raged supreme 150 years ago, when egret feathers were part of a worldwide trade in feathers and other bird parts, used for women’s hats and other articles of clothing (but mostly hats), delighting the upper classes and practically wiping out bird species. ©2023, Donna L. .”

Connecticut 147

Connecticut Washington Legislation Hunting 147