10,000 Birds

JULY 15, 2015

The history of Tembe Elephant Park in South Africa is a slightly unusual one. But it wasn’t founded to serve as a refuge for human refugees, but animal ones, specifically elephants. And elephants are always overwhelming anyway. Tembe Elephant Park is a mosaic of savannah and forest.

South Africa 148

South Africa Elephants Africa Lions 148

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2014

These all had their own sub population of one or more species of large land bird, and these populations, in turn, give us the large lane birds we have today, except on Madagascar where the Elephant Bird went extinct (recently). Birds Elephant Bird evolution kiwi ratites Vicariance' Or maybe it was just the Kiwi that did this thing.

Madagascar 210

Madagascar Ostriches Elephants New Zealand 210

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 18, 2013

Rather, my trip to the American Museum of Natural History last week was enlivened, however slightly, by spotting a Rock Pigeon perched on top of the elephants in the Hall of African Mammals, safely out of the elements and unexposed to Central Park’s hawks. Not in any espionage sense. So what does it really mean?

Elephants 158

Elephants Mammals Buffalo Gorillas 158

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 22, 2022

On the other hand, their preferred food is blood, and they also feed on it directly, pecking at a mammal’s wounds to keep them open ( source ). On this trip, this forced me to participate in a side trip to the nearby Tembe Elephant Park. Mostly just oversized grey mammals there, not too many birds.

South Africa 147

South Africa Africa Birds Research 147

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

The magnificent history and diversity of birds on Earth came into sharper focus this month with the publication of 28 new scientific papers in Science and other journals. So do parrots, some songbirds, humans, and a few other mammals. American Flamingo photo by Dick Culbert). .’s Ratites, Tinamous, and Fowl.

Family 279

Family Birds Parrots 2014 279

10,000 Birds

MARCH 13, 2012

After one 3 year stint, they left with 131,405 specimens including birds, mammals, reptiles, plants and even human remains (which were only recently repatriated for burial in Africa!) The famous Verreaux family who made several expeditions into the province through the 1820’s and 1830’s procuring specimens for rich collectors.

Mozambique 195

Mozambique South Africa Africa Collecting 195