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I and the Bird: What is a Swallow?

10,000 Birds

Taxonomically, swallows are one of the few families of birds that has seen little change in its ranks. For centuries, it seems that ornithologists and naturalists have correctly pegged swallows to the right family. The family is global in its distribution, with 83 species of around 19 genera. Barn Swallow , Hirundo rustica.

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A Most Unexpected Encounter

10,000 Birds

Some of this tourism occurred because we were supposed to visit Jordan, but recent geopolitical events have made Americans rather unwelcome in that corner of the world. The addition of a family of Least Grebes was a nice touch. This trip included seven international flights, between six countries, on three continents.

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A Modest Proposal for a Wildlife Conservation Stamp

10,000 Birds

Just ask whoever greenlit the A&E reality show Duck Dynasty , about a family that sells duck calls.) A mockup of what a Wildlife Conservation Stamp might look like. Duck hunting is big business in the United States. But what about those of us who’d rather just look at ducks than shoot them? Where’s our duck stamp?

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I and the Bird: What is a Vulture?

10,000 Birds

Old World Vultures are nestled within the family Acciptridae along with the hawks and eagles. It’s actually a pretty classic example of convergent evolution, wherein two unrelated families of lifeforms evolve to fill the same niche independently. Turkey Vultures Get No Respect – Larry Jordan, 10,000 Birds.

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Brown Creepers Nesting at Lassen Volcanic National Park

10,000 Birds

Brown Creeper ( Certhia americana ) photos by Larry Jordan A few weeks ago I headed up to Lassen Volcanic National Park to photograph a family of Water Ouzels that one of our Audubon members sighted near the visitor center there at Manzanita Lake.

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In defense of county listing

10,000 Birds

With a full-time job and a toddler at home, I find that paying attention to counties offers the opportunity to fill that competitive jones that so many birders feel without running deficits in time and money that would see me pushing the boundaries of my family’s patience. This has been a challenging, but immensely fun, endeavor.

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A Few Jordanian Birds

10,000 Birds

My wife and I had the privilege of visiting Mexican friends in Jordan in early October. Even upon our departure from Jordan, I was informed that my ever-so-dangerous binoculars could not go in my carry-on bag. However, Bethany-on-the-Jordan, the site of Jesus’ baptism, was my first shot at some real habitat.

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