10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2013

It’s kind of an odd spot, a mix of protected wetland and mangroves mixed with some manicured lawns and parking. Also known as the Flyeater, this tiny bird is the only representative of the Australasian warbler family found in mainland Asia, and very similar to my own Grey Warblers in New Zealand, even their songs.

Thailand 102

Thailand New Zealand Family Bats 102

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2013

The smellier the better, particularly as, unusually for birds, many species can boast a robust sense of smell. In any case, our hang-ups with vultures clearly stem from our own issues rather than any inherently bizarre trait of the species themselves. Vultures famously feed on carrion. Dead things. millions years ago.

California Condor 175

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 175

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 1, 2014

There were two species there, even, of a type I had never heard of. Pardalotes are actually their own family, and a family entirely endemic to Australia. Insofar as they relate to other bird families, they are perhaps closest to the thornbills, another family that is mostly Australian but reaches as far as Thailand and Fiji.

Australia 170

Australia Fiji Hunters Family 170

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

It’s my fantasy and it’s yours: Quit the job, say good-bye to the family, and bird. And, to give his dream year a little more oomph, he created a grand once-in-a-lifetime goal: to track down and see every pitta species in the world in one year. Dale Forbes wrote that there are Only 5 pairs Gurney’s Pitta left in Thailand last June.

Hunters 187

Hunters Sri Lanka Asia Solomon Islands 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2023

Not a cover species The Black Kite is not actually black, but of course, misleading bird names are not exactly rare. Maybe those should be protected too? No surprise then that the species is listed as Vulnerable. But then, sanity (or maybe respect for you, the reader) prevailed. Fortunately, they are quite common in Shanghai.

Birds 130

Birds Iraq China Ireland 130

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2011

So, inspired by a similar article on road birding in Thailand, I present road birding in New Zealand. Most threatened endemics are now restricted to protected areas, but I’ve passed a couple of Weka on a country road in Neslon and I saw my first Long-tailed Cuckoo flying across the main road out of Wellington.

New Zealand 172

New Zealand Birds Thailand Falcons 172