10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2017

Laysan albatrosses are ocean-dwelling seabirds who have 6-foot wingspans, weigh 7-8 pounds, occasionally sleep while flying, and rarely land except to raise their chicks. The oldest Laysan albatross was last seen raising a chick on Midway Atoll in 2016, at age 66. They are docile and devoted parents who will not leave their nests.

Albatross 214

Albatross Honolulu Hawaii Killing 214

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 10, 2022

I used to play Subbuteo as a kid … a kind of tip-kick football game that was named after this species (apparently, the inventors first wanted to name the game “Hobby” but that was rejected as too generic, or so the story goes). The Eurasian Hobby was another notable raptor of the month.

Birds 196

Birds China Eggs Owls 196

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

A few families have a small number of eggs in the clutches, like gulls or cormorants. Others, like the petrels and some of the auks, will lay a single egg per breeding attempt. Unique among the auks, indeed among seabirds, they will attempt to double brood, to lay another clutch after successfully raising the first chick.

Eggs 164

Eggs Puffins Breeding Raised 164

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2022

I have written about the interesting sex life of these jacanas a few times already (short version: female mates with male, lays a bunch of eggs for him to incubate and raise the chicks, leaves him, finds another male, repeat). Once I am moderately successful, I often find such photos quite pleasing. but they do. See the sequence below.

Birds 147

Birds China Eggs Breeding 147