10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Knowing that there are reserves with long lists of 600 or more species, I set my threshold at more than 600 birds… and found only a few such hotspots. In early November 2020, there were 15 countries with more than 1000 species eBirded so far. Other than that, there are barely a few hotspots with over 500 species.

Asia 267

Asia Malaysia Papua New Guinea Thailand 267

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2011

A question I am frequently asked by birders and wildlife enthusiasts is: “ if I only visit Africa once, where should I go ?” This country boasts over 1,000 bird species, vast wildernesses, a superb network of protected areas, the greatest concentration of large game and predators on the planet, excellent lodges and friendly people.

Tanzania 211

Tanzania Africa Stud Leopards 211

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

We –participants of the ABA South Africa Safari—were on a small plane when one Lori Conrad looked out the window and screamed, “There are elephants down there!” And one that is easy to use, because, let’s face it, you want to spend most of your time looking at wildlife, not searching for information.

Rhinos 235

Rhinos Mammals Animal White Rhinos 235

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2016

Great wildlife preserves, reserves and parks exist for a number of reasons. I was planning a trip to South Africa, I had about five days to fill, I wanted to get a bunch of desert species (particularly the Springbok – not a bird) in a way that wasn’t too hard to reach from Johannesburg. And lo, it was good.

South Africa 143

South Africa Leopards Giraffes Africa 143

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2022

Logging roads have opened up vast areas to commercial hunting, leading to industrial-scale poaching and a more than 60 per cent drop in the region’s Forest Elephant population in less than a decade. Mammals include Western Lowland Gorilla, Forest Elephant and Forest Buffalo, and eleven diurnal primates.

Central African Republic 282

Central African Republic Congo Gabon Gorillas 282

10,000 Birds

APRIL 2, 2014

The reason Borneo lends itself to this type of birding holiday is that tourism in Borneo leans towards outdoorsy, wildlife based tourism anyway. Contrast this in Asia to, say, Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok, all of which have great birding nearby but are destinations people go to for reasons other than wildlife. And the birds?

Birds 180

Birds Bats Elephants Family 180

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2020

As Bill Oddie noticed in his foreword to ‘Wild Sri Lanka’ (2nd edition) by Gehan De Silva Wijeyeratne, this island paradise is probably the only country in the world where almost all books on wildlife were authored by a single person. 465 species have been recorded and the list keeps growing.

Sri Lanka 193

Sri Lanka Whales Whaling Leopards 193

10,000 Birds

JUNE 30, 2022

In addition, it has over 450 bird species and more than 30 in-country endemics, of which it is possible to see every single species! It covers everything, but what puts Philip Briggs’s Sri Lanka into a class of its own is a special emphasis on nature and wildlife-watching tourism. Where to look for the birds?

Sri Lanka 147

Sri Lanka Ghana Uganda Eagles 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

Lacey of Iowa introduced the nation’s first wildlife-protection law, which banned the interstate shipping of unlawfully killed game. Even with today’s environmental laws, we are losing species at an alarming rate, and with Ryan Zinke as Interior Secretary it’s no wonder. People don’t respect wildlife.

Hunting 109

Hunting Hunters Gorillas Wolves 109