10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

Both the male and female of the species have a bright red crown. You can get a brief look into their comical behavior from this video showing two females at my woodpecker feeder. You can get a brief look into their comical behavior from this video showing two females at my woodpecker feeder. www.youtube.com/watch?

Woodpeckers 183

Woodpeckers Breeders Groups North America 183

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 217

China Birds Pythons Eagles 217

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2020

It didn’t occur to me till I started reading The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird that there was also a possible threat to the eagle herself: poachers, who steal raptor eggs and chicks. McWilliam realizes he’s dealing someone special, a career falcon egg-thief.

Falcons 200

Falcons United Kingdom Zimbabwe Eggs 200

10,000 Birds

MARCH 7, 2011

This happened to me recently on a birding trip, with somewhat egg-on-the-face results. We were driving up to northwestern Michigan from our homes in Ohio (me) and West ByGod Virginia (Geoff) in search of a bird species that would be a lifer for both of us: the Bohemian Waxwing. I was on a birding quest trip with my friend Geoff Heeter.

2011 211

2011 Birds Michigan Ohio 211

10,000 Birds

APRIL 4, 2022

According to an article in the Guardian , “nearly a quarter of black swan families are parented by homosexual couples, the males sometimes mating with a female simply to have a chick. Once the egg has been laid, the female is chased away and the males hatch it.” No wonder species definitions are so problematic.

Birds 197

Birds China Pythons Breeding 197

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 31, 2011

They are part of a family of New World Quail which includes Gambel’s, Mountain, Scaled and Montezuma Quail, as well as the Northern Bobwhite. In California, coveys break up and pairs begin forming in February or March, followed by nest building and egg laying in May or June.

California 212

California Eggs Gophers Rattlesnake 212

10,000 Birds

JULY 17, 2012

Or the time in Suriname that we drove 3 hours to film Capuchinbirds only to learn that he left our video camera back at the lodge (next to an empty vodka bottle!). A displaying Sunbittern close to Selva Verde Lodge, Costa Rica Secondly, Sunbitterns belong to a monotypic family, Eurypygidae. But I digress.

Costa Rica 250

Costa Rica Suriname Eggs Hunting 250

10,000 Birds

MARCH 25, 2024

videos (see Birding Hongbenghe part 1 to understand this obscure and not very good joke). Unfortunately, juvenile White-hooded Babblers do not look cool and hedonistic enough yet, so they are usually excluded from these videos. If you want to see how this species builds its nest, see here.)

Burma 181

Burma Birds Vietnam Laos 181

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 26, 2022

This is a rather photographer-friendly species, staying on the same branch for quite a while and even returning to it after catching some insects – you can see this on video here and here. Somehow I feel this is a bit degrading to the species, but it probably does not care. Ok, it could be a first-year male as well.

Finland 147

Finland Birds 2016 McDonalds 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2011

In southern Africa, there are two species. As I watched, it slowly moved into a patch of dried vegetation and I noticed that it was settling over a single egg. Two or three eggs may be laid and either bird may incubate. I too am fascinated by the name of this species. Go check it out! How do we know this? Have a nice day.

2011 160

2011 Deer Africa Peru 160

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 15, 2012

This bird represented only the second documented record of this species in Florida. 2012 has certainly been a bumper year for me with an estimated year list of around 3,000 species after extensive travels to South Africa, Ethiopia, South Korea, Indonesia, the Russian Far East, United Kingdom, Peru, Guatemala and Panama.

2012 143

2012 Birds Guatemala Florida 143

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2011

Orlando is so rich in roadside and overhead birds that I kept a list of species seen from the car which ran to 30+ on the first morning and included a Bald Eagle nonchalantly sitting on a street lamp by a Target store. Boat-tailed Grackles count eggs and chicks as part of their diet and they were well represented here today.

2011 116

2011 Alligators Florida Deer 116

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

That year Congress passed the Lacey Act, followed by the tougher Weeks-McLean Act in 1913 and, five years later, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protected not just birds but also their eggs, nests, and feathers 1. Last but not least, I will leave you with a VERY disturbing video of Sandhill Crane hunting in western Oklahoma.

Hunting 108

Hunting Hunters Gorillas Wolves 108