10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 17, 2022

I am taking a sip of coffee, my eyes following an impossibly colourful Kill-Bill ( Keel-billed) Toucan , flying against the background of the Irazu Volcano slopes and, farther to the right, water-vapour ‘smoking’ Turrialba Volcano on the horizon. Quite a few mammals come out in the open to steal bananas left for the birds.

Costa Rica 262

Costa Rica Rats Parrots Raccoons 262

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

That bald head, so odd and homely, is actually an adaptation for sticking one’s head deep inside the gut of a deceased mammal. Old World Vultures are nestled within the family Acciptridae along with the hawks and eagles. They primarily prey on the large mammals of the African plains, grasslands stretching from horizon to horizon.

California Condor 202

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 202

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

’s bird family tree in a new tab and follow along as you read. The extinction event that wiped out the pterosaurs, the non-avian dinosaurs, and so much other life created enormous opportunity for new organisms to diversify and thrive (lucky for us placental mammals!), In 2008, Nick Sly published a review of Hackett et al.

Family 279

Family Birds Parrots 2014 279