10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Yesterday morning was simply one of those incredibly eventful birding sessions, about which I may expound upon in parts within the coming weeks. Rising above all within my psyche however, is the following sequence of events that unfolded before breakfast. Upon arrival, activity seemed slow.

Elephants 274

Elephants Ducks Humane Family 274

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2018

One of those animals was the Giant Elephant Bird (including, but not limited to, Aepyornis maximus ). But now, there have been possible cut marks fond on extinct elephant bird bones dated to about 10,000 years ago. That would change our thinking on Madagascar, as well as human movement in the Indian Ocean, considerably.

Madagascar 126

Madagascar Humane Elephants Bahamas 126

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 23, 2023

If you want to know what happened on August 31, 1984, I can name at least one event: In the Padang-Sugihan Wildlife Reserve in South Sumatra province, a Large Frogmouth was mobbed by a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, as described here. Here is one: when taking photos of elephants, an 800 mm tele lens is not the best equipment.

Birds 224

Birds Eagles Elephants Rhinoceros 224

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Some birders told me they had no birding community in their home areas, which, for me, encapsulated the best reason behind the Safari (and other ABA big events)–the development of a national birding community. There are elephants down there!” I’m sure there are states that I missed, but you get the idea.

South Africa 254

South Africa Africa Leopards Penguins 254

Animal Person

APRIL 24, 2009

We are a far bigger problem on this planet than the (over)population of feral cats, elephants, Canada geese, or any other creature we "manage" or want to manage, "humanely" or otherwise.

Project Treadstone 100

Project Treadstone Feral Cats Spay Spaying 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

A slightly more surprising threat for the vultures comes from elephants. Elephants destroy the trees the vultures live and nest in. Vultures, therefore, tend not to nest in areas with high elephant populations ( source ). Maybe the bird thinks this will drive the elephants away?

Elephants 147

Elephants Birds Congo Africa 147

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

It’s when we lost the mammoths, the sabre-tooth cats, the giant ground sloths, the elephant birds, the marsupial lions, and other iconic giants. And some of the extinctions were of small animals, like the many dwarf goats and elephants in the Mediterranean. How many have we lost, have we never even known?

Marsupials 171

Marsupials Costa Rica Elephants Cuba 171