10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2013

And now we enter into a family of birds more or less unknown to non-birders. And truth told, over the years they’ve been something of a square peg for ornithologists too, not fitting precisely into any of the known families of birds. But that’s a group for a different time. Horned Grebe , photo by Julie Gidwitz.

Jordan 197

Jordan Guatemala Birds South America 197

10,000 Birds

JULY 14, 2011

The following points stood out to me: “Metaves,&# a collection of disparate and puzzling birds recently grouped by the position of a few molecules in one nuclear gene, is probably not an actual clade. This group includes the Suliformes , Pelecaniformes (as newly redefined), storks, tubenoses, penguins, loons , and perhaps tropicbirds.

Madagascar 164

Madagascar Birds Louisiana Groups 164

10,000 Birds

MAY 12, 2013

Its mostly found on the ground in thickets or the edges of dense vegetation and usually in small family parties. Puffbacks belong to the bush-shrike family Malaconotidae and this group are called puffbacks due to several of the species forming a habit of puffing out their fluffy white back feathers during display.

Africa 217

Africa Somalia Pelicans Mozambique 217

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2012

But, within the frog group there is a tremendous range of diversity. For example, I was going to add “no tail” to the list of features above, what all frogs share, when I remembered that there are indeed a small family of Tailed frogs, four species in New Zealand and two in North America (though, the tails are quite tiny).

Reptiles 188

Reptiles Madagascar Family New York City 188

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

The Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching offers two types of information: Species Accounts–descriptions of 112 birds within 15 families as they appear over and on the water, and Where to Watch, brief descriptions of 47 sites on the North American eastern coast and interior recommended for seawatching. No rails or gallinules.

Ducks 238

Ducks Groups Species North America 238

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2012

Madagascar has 2 species of weaver, Sakalava in dry country and Nelicourvi Weaver from the rainforest zone. Image taken by Adam Riley in Perinet, Madagascar. Dinemellia – White-headed Buffalo Weaver The White-headed Buffalo Weaver’s plumage is unique within the weaver group and the sexes are alike.

Tanzania 228

Tanzania Buffalo Kenya Namibia 228

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

Not, as Linneaus thought, an ostrich, nor even, as later scientists concluded, a distant cousin of pigeons deserving of family rank, it was an honest-to-goodness pigeon, deeply embedded within the family Columbidae. The Dodo lived on Mauritius, an island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It gave up flight long, long ago.

Solomon Islands 278

Solomon Islands Guinea Mauritius Humane 278

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2017

and the Introduction offers descriptions of each habitat type and the three other bird groupings. Within each habitat section, birds are grouped by genus or other unifying trait (strange waterbirds, common camp residents, canopy gleaners). The authors also discuss the best time to visit Kruger N.P.,

Ecuador 178

Ecuador Wildlife Reptiles Birds 178

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Furthermore we have another very special stork-like bird, the regal Shoebill , previously known as the Whale-headed Stork but now placed in its own family. They are often found roosting in small groups along the edges of lakes and riverine sandbars. Its range also extends to nearby Madagascar.

Africa 244

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 244

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2011

Filming the plovers of Estero Lagoon Plovers are a significant part of the shorebird family, comprising 66 species worldwide. This is an endemic breeding bird in North America and much is now being done by various federal and non-profit groups to ensure and foster its conservation.

Florida 196

Florida South Africa 2011 Africa 196