10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

This is the time of year that we rightfully contemplate the noble Turkey. The very first thing we notice about this large member of the Galliformes is that there is a wild version and a domestic version, and although the two are rather different, they are both given the same species name, Meleagris gallopavo. And it isn’t.

Turkey 197

Turkey Columbus Spain Fowl 197

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2020

149 checklists were submitted, accounting for 465 species. You may notice a few non-commital “sp” entries and/or a few domestic/feral/hybrid forms. Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). 7 beats contributed their sightings from 7 countries (Hong Kong, UK, China, USA, Serbia, Australia and, of course, Costa Rica).

2020 151

2020 Sparrows Niger Woodpeckers 151

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 3, 2023

My book of choice for this time of year is Jerry Liguori’s Hawks At A Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors, a brilliant tutorial on how to recognize raptors by shape and flight style, distilling years of experience and expertise into 216 pages. The number of plates per species varies, which makes a lot of sense.

2011 100

2011 North America 2005 Eagles 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

Sure, they’re beautiful and powerful, a reminder of the feral freedom of the skies. The number of plates per species varies, which makes a lot of sense. There are 2 plates for Turkey Vulture and 13 plates for Red-tailed Hawk. I confess, I don’t always love hawks. I am a big silhouette fan.

Eagles 181

Eagles 2011 North America Utah 181

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2011

Many a birding trip starts with a longish drive from the airport to the first birding site with these common roadside birds being the first taste you get of a country’s wildlife, and I feel that many bird trip reports, interested mostly in mega-rarities, gloss over the amazing experience this first drive can give.

New Zealand 172

New Zealand Birds Thailand Falcons 172