10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2013

As most people know cats, both feral and domestic, have a pretty big impact on wild birds and other wildlife, and the effect of mammals is particularly profound in New Zealand. Even wiping out a majority of mammals from the third biggest island is a challenge, and not just logistically.

New Zealand 117

New Zealand Possums SPCA Cats 117

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Africa is famous for its large, charismatic mammals, and the Big Five epitomize the most sought-after of these fantastic beasts. As visitors’ and the public’s interests expanded from the Big Five, and an appreciation for lesser mammals, birds and smaller wildlife has became more widespread, the term Little Five was coined.

Buffalo 200

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 200

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2013

Seeing 525 species was nice, as was the fact that I birded in four countries, nine of the fifty states in the United States, and fifty-one counties. I want to reach 500 birds in the ABA, get my Queens list to 295, see a total of at least 500 species, and get my World Life List to 1,100. But how did I see so many species this year?

2012 143

2012 Czech Republic Hedgehogs Hungary 143