10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2015

Picidae, Woodpecker, is one of those charismatic bird families that everybody gets excited about. Woodpeckers of the World: A Photographic Guide is the first major guide to family Picidae in 20 years. The Species Accounts vary in length from one to three pages. The taxonomy is tricky, as Gorman notes in the introduction.

Woodpeckers 249

Woodpeckers 2002 Europe Research 249

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2018

It’s not often that we have the opportunity to glimpse the home life of albatrosses, nor of any seabird species. Think about it–how do you document the behavior of birds that spend years flying (or swimming) and feeding and, apparently, sleeping above or within the deep sea? Technology to the rescue! What about incubation shifts?

Albatross 114

Albatross Penguins Research Breeding 114

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2018

The hope and claim is that transferring this process to gull identification works more easily and just as accurately (at least for species) as an examination of plumage and molt patterns. Species Accounts. Gulls Simplified covers 25 species. And, then there is a Hybrid Gulls chapter, covering five well-documented hybrids.

North America 205

North America America El Salvador Nicaragua 205

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. Of the 426 species on the official state checklist, this guide covers 252. Attention is also paid to when and where each species is likely to be seen in the state.

Pennsylvania 173

Pennsylvania Texas Whales Whaling 173

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

For example, on finding gulls: Close study of gulls is not for everyone, and birders shouldn’t feel obligated to get deep into it if you prefer colorful, less-confusing, families of birds. The focus is on learning by doing, with 12 Activity sections integrated within the eleven (ten plus a “bonus”) chapters.

Birds 263

Birds North Carolina North America Owls 263

10,000 Birds

APRIL 16, 2017

It was a beautiful April day, and the park—part salt marsh preserve and part recreational—was crowded with families celebrating the holiday week. Lisa had climbed down too, and the Nature Center worker had gone for tools. But, it is a documented bird threat! The warbler had gotten stuck. It is a filter feeder, not a bird eater.

California 178

California New York New York City New York Times 178

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

So, for example, Essay #15, “Individual Variation,” uses Herring Gulls to introduce the concept that one species, even one species at a specific age, can vary widely in appearance. The Checklist is more than a taxonomic listing of species and chapter number and title; it also contains useful notes on each bird family.

Birds 115

Birds North America Breeding America 115

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2013

I couldn’t wait to give names to all my new species. I tried using the Internet, but found it frustrating for all the usual reasons; websites either didn’t include all species or were difficult to use for identification. Each species account is 2-pages long, one page of text and one page of photographs.

Ireland 177

Ireland France Breeding Eggs 177

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2018

In some cases, he took all adult males of the species or subspecies held by the museum. The skins were invaluable tools for ornithological, ecological, environmental research. I can’t end this review without talking about how impressed I am by Johnson’s research and documentation. The Flame Bowerbird, for example.

Collecting 104

Collecting Iraq Ostriches Science 104