10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2012

Citril Finches used to be rather common on the sub-alpine meadows of the Black Forest, but their population is undergoing a serious decline and it is currently feared they will soon be extinct in Germany outside the German Alps. Therefore, a grim reminder to all birders in Europe: look after your songbirds!

Europe 162

Europe Germany 2011 Rights 162

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

Quite recently, it has started to expand inland, along the river Rhone and to the South of Germany, where it is now an uncommon but conspicious breeder. I’ll start with the Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis. So there you have it: conservative taxonomy leads to unfortunate common names.

Europe 140

Europe Spain Italy Ireland 140

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 6, 2022

the development of field-based ornithological research in Europe and Great Britain; a quick step back through the history to look at bird protection, conservation, and our precarious future, with a focus on Birkhead’s long-term (50 years!) Birkhead knows that these are sensitive topics. Great Flamingo tongues & heads: p.

Dissection 249

Dissection Birds Research Europe 249

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2013

Therefore I have decided to right my wrong by providing first and foremost some avian eye candy, and not talk. It breeds in a broad and not quite coherent band from Iceland in the west through central Europe and southern Scandinavia all the way to eastern Russia, wintering in Africa, parts of India, and Southeast Asia to Australia.

Germany 184

Germany Russia Iceland India 184

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2015

You see, the Great (White) Heron/Egret is a polytypic species with four subspecies: alba in Europe, egretta in the Americas, melanorhynchos in Africa, and modesta in Asia and Oceania. Until a friend sends you pictures of a very small Great Egret in Germany in winter – with bright pink legs, a black bill and a turquoise cere.

Asia 193

Asia Europe Germany Breeding 193

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016

Presuming that you live somewhere in Europe and plan a car trip to Greece, let me suggest a couple of routes that will increase your tour list. Driving from France or Germany to Greece, you are likely to pass through my hometown of Belgrade and continue south following the E75 through the FYRO Macedonia.

Greece 180

Greece Albania Macedonia Europe 180

Critter News

DECEMBER 28, 2009

The inspectors found nothing wrong, but at least they responded to the issues raised by Animal Angels, based in Germany. My 2010 resolution is to try and track animal rights issues in the homelands of Spain and Portugal. Tags: europe portugal farm animal welfare.

Portugal 100

Portugal Animal Welfare Farm Animal Farmed Animals 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 10, 2015

The genus Passer has several well-recognized and recognizable species in Europe, and still holds several enigmas. It therefore comes as no surprise that it has been regarded as a subspecies of the Spanish Sparrow or the House Sparrow, or as a species in its own right.

Sparrows 240

Sparrows Italy Asia Austria 240

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 23, 2021

Originally restricted to Africa, it is now also well-established in parts of Europe and South Africa. I grew up in a small town in Northern Germany. In fact, this is probably a species that has substantially expanded its original range through the pet shop route and the resulting escapees. A pity I cannot draw.

South Africa 257

South Africa Africa Lesotho Nigeria 257

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2016

Thanks to those pesky revisionist-taxonomists who thwarted their imperialistic ambitions, they are now confined to the coasts of northern and north-western Europe, basically inhabiting all coastal regions north of the Spanish-French Atlantic border. argentatus in Scandinavia.

Germany 105

Germany North America Europe Game 105

10,000 Birds

APRIL 9, 2011

If you are mildly interested, proceed and read the caption. Despite being taken in Europe, this image exemplifies why forest birding in North America might soon be rated NC-17. David Sibley (yeah, the one ) recently raised the question visiting birders (particularly from Germany, not so much from the UK – I am told!)

North America 145

North America Europe America Asia 145

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2013

It’s either that or the Hindus are right, that our existence is a continuing chain of lives through re-birth, a system of action and reward, and Corey Finger’s former life was that of a panda bear whose biggest mischief was eating bamboo, while I was Pol Pot. What could possibly go wrong?

Germany 145

Germany Birds Pandas Kittens 145

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 7, 2011

The Common Swifts have left Germany behind as their journey South has begun. The Common Swift holds a unique position amongst the birds of Europe, a position that makes it particular and peculiar beyond its astounding adaptations to an aerial life: It defines a season. That is early. But to me, their departure means a lot. And summer?

Elephants 171

Elephants Neglecting Europe Birds 171

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2016

The key to solving the puzzle of Germany’s large white-headed gulls was banding juveniles of all forms in their breeding colonies and the fact that some humans find immense joy in driving around garbage dumps, looking at birds with pricey scopes and trying to decipher tiny codes on plastic or metal rings of various shapes and sizes.

Kazakhstan 126

Kazakhstan Germany Ukraine Asia 126

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Still, the romantic notion of beery terroir remains persuasive and in some corners of Europe, rustic beer styles persist, despite the homogenizing effects of – or perhaps in reaction against – modern industry. Historically, saison was a beer tied to time as much as it was to place.

Vermont 124

Vermont Belgium Farming Europe 124

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 19, 2012

Europe… with such low herp diversity the locals split any sub-population of a species that occurs on either the Iberian Peninsula or Italy as a new species just to make them feel better out themselves, naturally is the continent that rose to the top of my trip list. Either that or having family friends in Germany.

Salamander 143

Salamander Germany Birds Blackbirds 143

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2020

Following this early example, weathervanes in classical antiquity often assumed the form of animals and mythological beings – often deifications of the four compass winds – traditions that carried on in Europe long past the fall of Rome. And living birds still seem to appreciate weathervanes as perches!

New York 159

New York Farming Belgium Fowl 159

10,000 Birds

MAY 11, 2014

Now, having the female-thing fly in between two Garganeys made it easy to be sure it was of the exact same size, and there are only two species of dabbling duck the size of a Garganey in Germany: the Teal and – well – the Garganey. I mean, the Gadwall is one of the most common ducks in Germany. The bird is a male Gadwall.

Ducks 160

Ducks Germany North America Species 160

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Some time after the Spanish encounter with the Turkey, birds were brought back to Europe where they were raised and became an important source of food and fancy feathers. Dates of first arrival listed by Schorger (1966) are: Italy 1520, Germany 1530, France 1538, England 1541, Denmark and Norway 1550, Sweden 1556. According to R.D.

Turkey 221

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 221

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2014

Germany is underrated as a birding destination. Nestled right in the middle of Europe, we have a little bit of everything, a nice cross section of Europe’s avifauna. Greater Rheas, a species the Germans call Nandu, are very popular in Germany and frequently kept in zoos as well as private enclosures.

Germany 260

Germany Birds 2000 South America 260

10,000 Birds

MARCH 11, 2011

So right now I’m feeling pretty good about Eurasian Collared-doves. Originally from India and the vicinity, it is believed that they had already undergone two major expansions – through Asia Minor in the 1600s, and then across Europe in the 1900s – when they first appeared in North America. Wicked, right?

Montana 144

Montana 2011 New York Bahamas 144

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2014

Germany is blessed with a single species of crossbill, the Red Crossbill Loxia recurvirostra. We do get two other species on rare occasions, with Parrot Crossbills from NE Europe usually showing up with a few observations each year and a Two-barred Crossbill (a species some call White-winged ) once every couple of years.

Germany 177

Germany Parrots Bats Europe 177

4 The Love Of Animals

NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Instead, he simply points at the cup on the right. and Europe. What’s at play here, she concluded, is not some inner sense of right and wrong but a learned ability to act submissive when an owner gets angry. As for the doglike ones, “they did just as well as puppies right out of the box,&# Hare says.

Wolves 100

Wolves Fox Dogs Puppies 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2011

It is also familiar at inland sites in winter, especially reservoirs and refuse tips, and breeds in the relatively-Northerly regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. Germany had lost one of its most promising ornithological researchers, and one of its most active birders. Wicked, right? I am clearly not. Hat-tip to Stella.

2011 157

2011 Cyprus Species Deer 157

10,000 Birds

JUNE 20, 2019

When I came here for the first time, the Kerkini Lake was the only place in Europe where Dalmatian Pelicans were increasing their numbers. I followed the eastern levee once again, in the late afternoon, when I had a Golden Jackal crossing it right in front of me, stopping for a few seconds to observe me.

Greece 203

Greece Pelicans Buffalo Fish 203

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2017

It’s not that I wasn’t in the right spot. After all, neither Bill nor Jeff had ever seen one before despite having each birded in Europe more than I had. It is not right what they have done to me and I will have my revenge. And if I dip again? Well, that doesn’t even bear thinking about. What happened?

Woodpeckers 100

Woodpeckers Austria Europe Hungary 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Beautiful Blue Backyard Bird Beautiful Blue Backyard Bird By Jochen • March 10, 2011 • 9 comments Tweet Share There is a lot of whining associated with colours and Europe’s birds. Wicked, right?

2011 176

2011 Birds Deer Europe 176

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 19, 2017

Yet, they were around, all right, only by then they were called Yellow-legged Gulls. Valentine’s Day , one of them visiting Poland and Germany in the meantime). About that time, the only non-birder among us asked what happened with Herring Gulls? In previous years, there were so many of them and today we haven’t seen a single one?

Serbia 187

Serbia Croatia 2000 Costa Rica 187

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2020

Chamois is an agile goat-antelope with short hooked horns, found in mountainous areas of Europe from Spain to the Caucasus. Predictably, it contained few surprises (and no lifers either) as Germany took lock-down regulations seriously and travel, even locally, was next to impossible throughout most of the year. Preposterous!

2020 256

2020 Birds Costa Rica Germany 256

10,000 Birds

MAY 1, 2016

I recently saw and photographed what appears to be a Baikal Wagtail ( Motacilla alba-or-not baicalensis ) in Germany. Now, if you quickly call to mind the pattern of Asian species reaching Europe as vagrants, you will remember that most are from Siberia. So it may turn out to be a bit of a big deal. Why is that so?

Germany 100

Germany Sharks Morocco Europe 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 8, 2017

Birding in Germany was okay during the first half of the year but essentially came to an end in June due to several issues, most significantly a move to a different appartment within Heidelberg. You can see my birding activities abroad and within Germany on the maps at the top of this post. Great Bustard , Havelland, Germany.

2016 102

2016 Germany Italy Netherlands 102

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 1, 2024

Then again, why would anyone name a bird after a botanist, let alone one I only just made up right now? In the right light, the male Common Pheasant can look ridiculously attractive. But not in Europe either. Not an in-vitro photo.

Birds 221

Birds Research Science Europe 221

10,000 Birds

MARCH 1, 2018

Yet, it takes great logistical effort to organize the census all the way from Germany to Austria, Hungary and Serbia in the same day, to count on numerous volunteers and hope for the best February weather. Far, but not too far to spot them with binoculars, still, not close enough to study them in detail in a drizzling rain.

Hungary 170

Hungary Serbia Austria Eggs 170

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

After my grim exposing you last month to Europe’s fifty shades of brown, I felt it incumbent upon me to right my wrong by introducing you to Europe’s most attractive bird, the Red-billed Leiothrix. Celebrated awesomeness: Trips Europe invasive species Italy' Back view awesomeness!

Italy 190

Italy Europe France Family 190