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. A 5% grade is steeper than I thought, but research suggests that 5% is acceptable.

Portland 185

Portland Oregon Laws Experience 185

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 10, 2012

The family Picathartidae consists of two very unusual birds; White-necked or Yellow-headed Picathartes , endemic to the Upper Guinea forests of West Africa; and Gray-necked or Red-headed , restricted to Lower Guinea forests of Central Africa. However this classification is no longer widely accepted, and in my opinion quite correctly so.

Sierra Leone 264

Sierra Leone Ghana Cameroon Equatorial Guinea 264

10,000 Birds

JUNE 27, 2017

For three weeks in June, I traveled up and then down the eastern seaboard visiting ecological research sites. From Florida to Maine and back again I toured urban forests, marshes, estuaries, and more, stopping along the way to visit family and friends. Unsurprisingly, I am very fond of this small piece of natural habitat.

Virginia 100

Virginia Branding 2013 Blackbirds 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

Over a decade from 1993 to 2004, conservationists released 289 captive-raised Whooping Cranes into Osceola, Lake and Polk counties in Central Florida. I have compiled the family trees of both birds below: Ancestry Chart of 1781, born in the wild in Central Florida. How far would I have to go back to find a wild ancestor?

Florida 219

Florida Buffalo Louisiana 2004 219

10,000 Birds

MARCH 18, 2011

It was decreed a national symbol of Honduras on 28 June 1993 by the National Congress of Honduras as a way to raise awareness of the varied avifauna of Honduras. Hes only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasnt working as a union representative or spending time with his family.

Honduras 150

Honduras 2011 Deer Birds 150

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

Ackerman’s new book is about owls and owl research–the knowledge recently and currently being discovered through DNA analysis, new-tech tracking and monitoring, and old-fashioned fieldwork under the auspices of organizations like the Global Owl Project and the Owl Research Institute.

Owls 203

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 203

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. Some are incredibly rare and hard to find.

Congo 264

Congo Africa South Africa Kenya 264

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Even the Latin species name soror (“sister”) indicates the similarity to another pitta species (blue-naped). The eBird description of the Small Niltava starts with the surprisingly dull statement that “size distinguishes this species from other niltavas” Who would have thought.

China 220

China Birds Pythons Eagles 220

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

processed the entire genomes of 48 bird species and compared nearly 42 million base pairs of DNA (Hackett et al. ’s bird family tree in a new tab and follow along as you read. Now we move on to the Neognathae , which also has two very deep branches that lead to all the other living species of birds. Open Jarvis et al.’s

Family 279

Family Parrots Birds 2014 279

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2020

This is a delightful book, large (8-1/2 by 11 inches), filled with Sibley’s distinctive artwork and an organized potpourri of research-based stories about the science behind bird’s lives. They portray the nesting cycles of Mallard, Red-tailed Hawk, and American Robin, illustrating the various ways in which birds create families.

2020 263

2020 Birds Groups North America 263

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Scientific research shows that many animals are very intelligent and have sensory and motor abilities that dwarf ours. Chimpanzees and elephants grieve the loss of family and friends, and gorillas hold wakes for the dead. Paul’s family noticed that whenever he was about to have an attack, Tinker would get agitated.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

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

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

According to reports in the media , a recording from 1987 recently rediscovered by researchers has captured a Musk Duck ( Biziura lobata ) in Australia repeatedly uttering the phrase “You bloody fool” as part of its courtship display, apparently having picked up this impolite exclamation by mimicking overheard human speech.

2019 216

2019 Australia Ducks Fowl 216

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

For my new book, due out in 2012 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, I’ve been researching sandhill crane hunting. Hunting sandhill cranes in Kentucky is a bad idea from a public relations standpoint, considering the growing cadre of birders and nature enthusiasts for whom cranes are a touchstone species.

2011 241

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 241

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2012

A few families have a small number of eggs in the clutches, like gulls or cormorants. One North American species I am very familiar with is the Cassin’s Auklet , which ranges from the end of the Aleutian Islands to California. Some birds pump em out by the dozen in the hope that at least one or two survive. So why do it?

Eggs 164

Eggs Puffins Breeding Raised 164

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2011

Nice. ((** all names have been changed to protect identities and have been substituted with (almost) randomly chosen substitutes suitable for a family of Alpine Accentors.)) While studying, he also worked on various conservation/research projects (parrots, wagtails, vultures, and anything else that flew) and ringed thousands of birds.

2011 205

2011 Breeders Breeding Deer 205

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Birders have a natural tendency to appreciate variety in form, from the bewildering range of colors displayed within a single avian family, to minute distinctions between otherwise similar birds wholly inscrutable to the untrained eye (or even to those of many birders!). Birders are generally happy when this happens.

Ohio 113

Ohio India Hawaii United States 113

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2012

Although designed as a field guide, it is a hefty book, 376 pages long, covering 336 species. Many species are dimorphic, with females looking different from males. Many species also differ with age. And, there are some odonate species that include andromorphs, females which look like the males. Yes, 675 photographs.

United States 227

United States Costa Rica Massachusetts North America 227

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2011

Between staying warm/cool, finding food, avoiding predators, migrating thousands of miles every year, finding mates, raising chicks and doing all this at the mercy of the elements, it makes sense that they have more brainpower than just simple instinct to run on. I look forward to more research being done in this field.

Emotional 200

Emotional Science Birds Mammals 200

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2017

Can a family-focused trip—even to one of the world’s most biodiverse countries—deliver enough opportunities for avian observation to satisfy this serious world birder? With enough planning, you can enjoy a family-friendly, bird-rich vacation in the Panama Canal zone. If you have kids, you’re probably as curious as I was.

Panama 100

Panama 2017 Monkeys Family 100

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2011

Even if you don’t live in the summer range of a particular species, you may have opportunities to observe it while it passes through, especailly if you live in an active flyway, like I happen to. Way back when I started what turned out to be my thesis research (on humans), it became important for me to learn about bird migration.

Research 188

Research Humane Compassion New York 188

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. It is mostly a question of economics – raising just one is troublesome enough given the resources required to feed and educate the chick. No surprise then that the species is listed as Vulnerable.

Birds 130

Birds Iraq China Ireland 130

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 189

Ghana Hunters Gambia Guinea 189

Animal Ethics

FEBRUARY 15, 2009

Scientific research and expertise are needed here. The question can be raised: Why should these organisms be killed and others not be killed? One might first ask, “Why does higher intelligence mean that one species is more valuable than other species?” KBJ: I agree that this is a factual question.

Morals 40

Morals Vegetarian Meat Killing 40

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021

There is much to enjoy and appreciate here and I only wish I could have tested out some of these species accounts in pelagic waters before writing about them (sadly, the 10,000 Birds pelagic to Antarctica was canceled this year). SCOPE & SPECIES ORGANIZATION. It covers 434 species across 9 orders and 18 families of birds.

Albatross 278

Albatross Penguins Groups Family 278

Animal Ethics

NOVEMBER 29, 2006

According to Dr. Spock: Most families have become more conscious about the fat content of meats, and many are choosing the lower-fat cuts. Researchers have also learned that the cancer-causing chemicals that form in beef as it cooks also tend to form in chicken. There is no need for infants to be raised on cow's milk formulas.

Animal 40

Animal Meat Cows District of Columbia 40

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

Every section is excellent, Going from back to front, the Species Natural History section is where to go for answers to all your questions about penguins and then some. The introductory Penguin Who’s Who introduces each species visually. And that’s just the top section!

Penguins 193

Penguins New Zealand South Africa Albatross 193

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 28, 2015

During my previous five trips to Indonesia, I only heard but never caught a glimpse of three species. Now my tally stands at four species seen and a fifth heard-only. At least in the northeastern United States, their rate of so doing is high, according to research I summarized here. Hummingbirds are awesome! A country-first?

2015 182

2015 Costa Rica Birds Sparrows 182

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 4, 2020

It’s a book about ornithological research yet reads almost like a novel. Kroodsma identifies specific birdsong puzzles about which no researcher yet has answers, including problems where diligent amateurs can make discoveries. That’s the point, and the charm, of Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist: Your Guide to Listening.

2020 190

2020 Birds North America Italy 190

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 1, 2022

I have written about the interesting sex life of these jacanas a few times already (short version: female mates with male, lays a bunch of eggs for him to incubate and raise the chicks, leaves him, finds another male, repeat). Swinhoe’s White-eye was just promoted to the rank of a full species in 2018.

Birds 147

Birds China Eggs Breeding 147