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Vagrancy in Birds: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

It also summarizes the vagrancy status of every bird family in the whole wide world, which makes it fun to read as well as superbly educational. The book is richly illustrated with contributions from a group of birders/photographers who were fortunate to see and document many of the vagrants covered. It’s not always easy reading.

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The Fallen Yellowlegs

10,000 Birds

Did the Black-bellied Whistling Duck represent his family, “showing face” as we say here in the Caribbean? Animals obviously see death and experience it as we do, so the question is not one of if, but of how. Elephants, peccaries, and corvids have all been documented processing the death of (as we put it) a loved one.

Elephants 277
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Some Birding News about Birders in Costa Rica

10,000 Birds

I savor the timeless experience of scanning these tropical waves for storm-petrels and lost jaegers. Local guide and birder David Mora Vargas has been spending much of his time at his family’s farm in the Sarapiqui lowlands. Check it out: Juvenile Tiny Hawk Show in Sarapiqui. If you are really into birds, I highly recommend it.

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

10,000 Birds

Steve Howell has spent decades of experience in the field studying the birds of Belize, Costa Rica, and especially Mexico. Appendix A lists “Rare Migrants and Vagrants,” 81 species, including birds for which there are no documented records, but which are listed in the literature or eBird. For context, the IOC version 13.1

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Birding the Drakensberg, South Africa

10,000 Birds

After my Przevalski experience, I now look up such names to check whether the person the bird is named after has made similar racist statements, or even done worse things. No photoshop was needed to document this bizarre creature encountered somewhere along the road. I was vaguely curious about the family name mousebird.

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Birds and People: A Book Review

10,000 Birds

It’s relatively easy to classify birds into family groups based on physical characteristics. We view them as our enemies when they eat our crops and as an extension of our family when we see them at our feeders. Remarkably, there are 59 bird families that have very little cultural significance; these are listed in Appendix III.

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How to Bird the Colibri Cafe at Cinchona, Costa Rica

10,000 Birds

Nor are there any birding authorities requiring folks to identify, count and document the nuthatches, titmice and Downy Woodpeckers that come to their backyard feeders. Watch birds however you please… but seriously, you gotta experience the Cafe Colibri! As for donations, there isn’t any prohibition there.