10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2015

He yelled a relatively unintelligible explanation as he ran to the car, abandoning his family, and sped to Jamaica Bay where he parked and ran out to the breach of the West Pond where he relied upon the kindness of other birders, who let him use their scopes while he got his breath back. How about you? What was your best bird of the weekend?

2015 162

2015 Jamaica Canada Abandon 162

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2022

I was surprised that this species is named for its vocalization – which sounds like laughter. For example, the Diamond Dove is the world’s second-smallest species of the columbidae order ( source ). The Latin species name haematonotus (“blood-backed”) sounds a bit more exciting but not necessarily more accurate.

Australia 147

Australia Birds Parrots Ostriches 147

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

And, though I think you can argue that the Bronx Zoo, with its numerous buildings and landscaped wildlife areas is not purely ‘natural space,’ I have wonderful memories of traipsing through its wooded areas when I was a girl. (I Most birders will go straight to the “Species Accounts.” It’s a very mixed chapter.

New York City 152

New York City New York Birds Breeding 152

10,000 Birds

JULY 20, 2019

If a list also shows the status for each species, birders on their way to Costa Rica would realize that they shouldn’t really expect vireos with white eyes nor blue heads (but would hopefully know that they should very much report those species on eBird so local birders can chase them!). Toucan species with new names.

Costa Rica 201

Costa Rica Birds Owls South America 201

10,000 Birds

APRIL 12, 2022

So armed with some knowledge from the “ Access Considerations for Birding Locations ” page on the Birdability website and some research, I twice visited the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge near Portland, Oregon with accessibility in mind. eBird checklists are here and here.). 2 miles) from the visitor center to the bus stop.

Portland 197

Portland Oregon Laws Experience 197

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2016

Peterson Field Guide to Birds of Northern Central America covers 827 species, including resident, migratory, and common vagrant birds. The end result is that the whole “biographic” area (NCA plus southern Mexico and northern Nicaragua) is home to 41 endemic bird species.

El Salvador 234

El Salvador America Costa Rica Honduras 234

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 2, 2014

Did I dare dip my toe into this catalog of tantalizing species? Not a great place for a family vacation, though I think Duncan will disagree. The Indexes show images of the most common birds of the area against a painted background, with page references to species accounts. Now, I’m not so sure.

Brunei 177

Brunei Birds Asia China 177

10,000 Birds

APRIL 5, 2011

By age 2 she could identify over 10 species of birds in our Johannesburg, South Africa, yard by call alone. Astounding because she picked up birding before she could speak and surprising because this ability was definitely not inherited from anyone in my family, myself included. And perhaps 20 others by sight. GAMES AND APPS.

Birds 279

Birds Game Wildlife Family 279

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2014

It’s relatively easy to classify birds into family groups based on physical characteristics. We view them as our enemies when they eat our crops and as an extension of our family when we see them at our feeders. Remarkably, there are 59 bird families that have very little cultural significance; these are listed in Appendix III.

Birds 218

Birds Egypt Family Eagles 218

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

Ackerman surrounds each individual story with background facts and studies on other birds who mimic, play, parasitize nests, engage in complex cognitive routines, parent in unusual ways–presenting a complex mosaic of avian behaviors amongst bird families and the scientific histories of trying to understand them.

Research 230

Research Birds Science Costa Rica 230

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2015

We saw a smaller member of the potoo family, Northern Potoo , Nyctibius jamaicensis , at Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, boating and birding the Salado River. Our group got to see another species that is a master of camouflage on our trip for the Honduran Emerald. Later on, we saw a second one that was actually moving!

Honduras 253

Honduras Birds Costa Rica Groups 253

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2011

Fish and Wildlife Service desperately needs your feedback as they craft a new vision for our National Wildlife Refuge System. The results will inform a vision document to be adopted in July 2011 at a national conference to guide the NWR system for wildlife protection into the next decade and beyond.

2011 140

2011 Wildlife Birds Deer 140

10,000 Birds

MARCH 8, 2011

Firstly, shorebirds present a significant ID challenge. Getting to know the subtleties in differences between closely related species takes years of dedication and practice. Filming the plovers of Estero Lagoon Plovers are a significant part of the shorebird family, comprising 66 species worldwide.

Florida 194

Florida South Africa 2011 Africa 194

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 14, 2011

Long before I moved in New Zealand, or visited or even knew much about the wildlife here, way back then I knew about the Poor Knights. Also present off the wall were the large predatory Kingfish. I knew about them because I was a scuba diver. Thanks to her, Abi, Gareth and Tron for a great trip!

New Zealand 183

New Zealand Belize Vanuatu Fish 183

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2011

In spite of this New Zealand does have an iconic family of birds that has served as an emblem for the country for over a century, the kiwi. There are are presently thought to be five species of kiwi with a possible sixth extinct species, all of which have suffered varying degrees of range contraction since the arrival of humans.

New Zealand 147

New Zealand 2011 Deer New York 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2011

Corey encountered a bunch of winners, but 24 Common Redpolls at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, in almost the exact same spot he saw them a couple of years ago, feeding on birch inflorescence by the East Pond, were easily his best birds of the weekend. On Sunday at Kissena Park I saw five species of sparrows. No time to take a picture.

2011 155

2011 New York Deer Birds 155

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 29, 2023

More precisely I wanted to learn how to draw wildlife. As I flipped through the pages I was once again amazed by the quality and lifelikeness of the birds presented. Until recently, it was considered to be the same species as the Eurasian three-toed Woodpecker (P. I guess it’s a gift you either have or you don’t. tridactylus).

Birds 222

Birds Woodpeckers Canada Collecting 222

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2011

Among these white-headed/dark-winged gulls formerly lumped into the genus Larus , there were 18+ recognized species the last time I checked, sharing similarities that make telling them apart for the amateur birdwatcher very difficult. 1998), then the proper name for this species is L. fuscus – should be separated as species.

2011 157

2011 Cyprus Deer Species 157

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2011

When I began birding with people from parts farther north I became familiar with the term “ Half Hardy “, which refers to those species of birds who are generally present in small numbers during mild winters, but usually can’t handle the rough patches of extreme cold temperatures and snow that are less frequent.

North Carolina 140

North Carolina 2011 St. Louis Baltimore 140

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2020

Knowing that there are reserves with long lists of 600 or more species, I set my threshold at more than 600 birds… and found only a few such hotspots. In early November 2020, there were 15 countries with more than 1000 species eBirded so far. Other than that, there are barely a few hotspots with over 500 species.

Asia 274

Asia Malaysia Papua New Guinea Thailand 274

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 26, 2021

And apart from local people, primate researchers sometimes spot it, but it is a species seen by fewer than ten living birders. The rest of the 216 pages long book is devoted to various African bird families and half a dozen individual species. He has authored several other books and many articles, largely on natural history.

Congo 264

Congo Africa South Africa Kenya 264

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

” Writing about owls means writing about roughly 250 species (I counted 245 on the 2022 Clements spreadsheet, but I might have missed a few, and we all know that each classification system is different). These are behaviors that are most likely to vary across species and topics that make for compelling stories.

Owls 217

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 217

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 22, 2020

Despite depicting 540 species/56 families, it is a lightweight book of 173 pages, easy to pack and carry. Mammals of South Asia follows the latest taxonomy, describes all the species recorded within the region and provides a range map for each species. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales.

Asia 178

Asia Mammals Sri Lanka Bhutan 178

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

I tried to get a better idea of what exactly the definition of cuckoo-dove is but am still not very clear about it – Wikipedia only offers the rather formal definition “any of several species of bird in the genera Macropygia , Reinwardtoena, and Turacoena of the pigeon family.” But I may well be wrong.

Birds 147

Birds Geese Fish Industry 147

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2022

Gisela Kaplan has written a book about the species, and how they seem unperturbed by humans: “It’s one of their most successful defense strategies. ” The Australasian Swamphen used to think of itself as a subspecies of the Purple Swamphen but then started a self-improvement program and ended up as a full species.

Birds 234

Birds Australia Ducks Mountain Goats 234

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2016

I opened the year in California and even though I flew out in the evening on New Year’s Day I did see some species out there that I would otherwise not have seen for the year. Winter birding around New York City was just so-so but I did add one species to my Queens list. Black-billed Magpie , 31 July, Golden, Colorado.

2016 134

2016 Puerto Rico New York City New York 134

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2011

It may be as sick as deliberately targeting an endangered species for death. Eventually, I found the lone whooping crane present at the refuge by its call. Birders know that the light’s not always perfect or even particularly good when you’re trying to tell one species from another. Speculation is useless in acts of vandalism.

2011 243

2011 Hunting Kentucky Hunters 243

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2011

They are rock stars in their family (or group of families, depending on what taxonomists have been smoking lately), a family that includes Scarlet Macaws , Crimson Shining-parrots , Golden Parakeets and Rainbow Lorikeets , and that is no mean feat. He appears on BBC shows doing unmentionable things to presenters.

New Zealand 185

New Zealand Parrots Sanctuary Family 185

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 29, 2016

In the time we spent on Culebra I saw 49 species of birds, not bad for an island outside of the wintering grounds for most neotropical migrants and only measuring eleven miles square. I can’t imagine the damage they must inflict upon the native wildlife. I spotted eight species in my time on Culebra.

Puerto Rico 109

Puerto Rico Birds Sea Turtles Chickens 109

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 21, 2016

Following on from last week’s post about Langi Crossing and all that it has to offer in the way of wildlife with an emphasis on crocodiles I thought I should now expand on the birds that you may encounter during a visit! There is ample shade along the banks of the Fitzroy River to sit and enjoy the environment or go for a walk.

Birds 100

Birds Pelicans Eagles Ducks 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2012

Certain sections of Birds and Bibles in History have already been done, and done better: the pocket history of ornithology covers mostly material that has been more artfully presented elsewhere, and the brief history of the Bible as text is likewise too compressed to present anything new.

Denver 168

Denver Birds 2000 Collecting 168

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 16, 2015

Each year Hog Island offers programs, taught by a stellar staff of naturalists and artists, to groups of all kinds (teenagers, adults, families). Bird Studies for Teens was running simultaneously, which allowed the adult group to share meals, certain boat trips, and after-dinner speaker presentations with sixteen 14- to 17-year-olds.

Puffins 259

Puffins Birds Groups West Virginia 259

10,000 Birds

JUNE 7, 2017

And I’m glad we did because it’s a great wildlife destination that merits a look from anyone with a passion for the wild. I have wanted to see a representative of this family for twenty years so it was quite a day as far as lifers went. And anyone that likes birds too! Shark Bay is pretty. Really really pretty.

Sharks 100

Sharks Monkeys Dolphins Turtles 100

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2021

Decades later, Richard Pough’s Audubon Bird Guide, Eastern Land Birds (I happily own the 1948 edition) included nest and egg descriptions for each species as well. And photographs of feathers in the species accounts, which surprised me. Text retrieved from the Hathitrust Digital Library. The first is accomplished well.

Eggs 237

Eggs Birds United States Sparrows 237

10,000 Birds

MARCH 10, 2013

Another bird that was present in several forest areas that we visited was the Forest Kingfisher with its distinct spots on its wings when in flight. We saw several of the kingfisher family whilst on our trip, including Azure Kingfisher, Red-backed Kingfisher and Sacred Kingfisher. Pair of Tawny Frogmouth. One lovely campsite!

Birds 151

Birds Cattle Litter 2012 151

10,000 Birds

JULY 19, 2021

I’ve already added two species to my burgeoning Queens life list , seen another for a second time ever, and the month is just over half over. Starting a month with a new species for Queens was awesome, but it was just the beginning! Sandhill Crane , species number 330 in Queens! What other species remain to be seen?

Jamaica 264

Jamaica Birds New York City New York 264

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2015

Nineteen days later we had racked up an amazing list of 436 species, including some of Africa’s least known birds such as Congo Serpent Eagle , Yellow-footed Honeyguide , Tessmann’s Flycatcher , Yellow-bearded Greenbul , Black-collared Lovebird and much besides. We also knew we had discovered Africa’s next hot birding destination.

Ghana 195

Ghana Hunters Guinea Gambia 195