10,000 Birds

MAY 5, 2015

Karlson and Dale Rosselet in Birding by Impression: A Different Approach to Knowing and Identifying Birds, the latest addition to the Peterson Reference Guide series and a book likely to revive the continuing discussion about the merits of GISS (the term used in the book, as opposed to the popular jizz ) versus traditional bird identification.

Birds 169

Birds New Jersey Science Groups 169

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 207

Birds Egypt Family Eagles 207

10,000 Birds

JULY 4, 2023

Jennifer Ackerman points out in the introduction to What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds , that we don’t know much, but that very soon we may know a lot more. What the Owl Knows: The New Science of the World’s Most Enigmatic Birds is a joyous, fascinating read.

Owls 203

Owls Science Barn Owls Penguins 203

10,000 Birds

MAY 7, 2019

But, sometimes an appreciation of birds and birding requires more than a reference book with images of birds and facts about their identifying field marks. I’m not sure if “the Ugly” refers to the cormorant itself or human reaction (catfish farmers are officially allowed to shoot the birds). “Get a field guide!”

Birds 114

Birds North America Breeding America 114

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2015

How to choose bird feeders; how to make nutritious bird food; how to create a backyard environment that will attract birds; how to survey your feeder birds for citizen science projects; how to prevent squirrels from gobbling up all your black oil sunflower seed (sorry, none of that works). million people in the U.S. in 2011*) came about.

America 224

America Industry Squirrels Birds 224

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

The Latin species name vermiculatus (worm-like) refers to the markings on the upperparts. While hoopoes are in their own family, DNA studies suggest that the hoopoe diverged from hornbills, and the wood-hoopoes and scimitarbills from the hoopoe. Of course, the second explanation makes a lot more sense.

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Birds South Africa Benin 147

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2011

The post stimulated some great discussions but not really any additional commentary on the science behind these proposed relationships. Last month, I wrote about hypothesized relationships between passerines, parrots, falcons, and seriemas , noting a need for further research on the subject.

Parrots 188

Parrots Falcons Indonesia Rodents 188

10,000 Birds

JULY 12, 2012

After experiencing the Rachel Carson Commemorative in Duxbury, MA, she was moved to share some little-known facts about this tremendously influential nature writer’s interest in birds… I was thirteen when my mother and I took turns reading aloud the new bestseller, Silent Spring , on family vacation the summer of 1963.

Pennsylvania 229

Pennsylvania Massachusetts Sanctuary 2009 229

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2013

This just doesn’t seem like rocket science to me. References: 1 U.S. Our National Wildlife Refuges need our help to remain a viable entity promoting wildlife conservation. We have a simple solution to raise more money for the National Wildlife Refuge System. A lot more money! Let’s look at some facts. million hunters.

Ducks 175

Ducks Wildlife Hunters Hunting 175

10,000 Birds

MARCH 3, 2020

This is more than eBird reports–a checklist generated from the citizen science database lists only 1,413 species. Each species is numbered, with the numbers referring to the illustrations on the right. This unfortunately happens with the large Tanager (Thraupidae) family here. Clearly, this is an under-birded country. .

Bolivia 169

Bolivia Birds Brazil Switzerland 169

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Artists rendition of Inkayacu paracasensis There are 17 living species of penguins, which make up their own Linnean family (Spheniscidae), which is the only family in the order Sphenisciformes. Fossil Evidence for Evolution of the Shape and Color of Penguin Feathers Science, 330 (6006), 954-957 DOI: 10.1126/science.1193604

Penguins 189

Penguins Seals Peru Science 189

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 9, 2011

I was happy to see that there is a Sources section with references to major bird conservation web sites. The Atlas of Birds may succeed where other, more serious books fail at communicating the call for citizen action because it incorporates the message within this lively graphic format. Princeton University Press, 2011.

Albatross 193

Albatross Birds Campaign Protection 193

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2012

For example, I was going to add “no tail” to the list of features above, what all frogs share, when I remembered that there are indeed a small family of Tailed frogs, four species in New Zealand and two in North America (though, the tails are quite tiny). If you don’t live near a science museum, then read this chapter.

Reptiles 182

Reptiles Madagascar Family New York City 182

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 1, 2022

I happen to be particularly fond of turtles because my family has taken care of a small box turtle for 30 years (beware–turtles are extremely low-maintenance pets but will outlast your child’s youth and probably your life). Or that tortoises and terrapins are considered part of the turtle family. Lovich and Whit Gibbons.

Turtles 191

Turtles Tortoises Family Terrapins 191

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

Clearly, members of the birding community and their families–thanked in the opening Acknowledgments section–played a strong role in getting this project done. . An identification guide for an overlooked bird family? This is a project that clearly spanned decades. And for good reason. More field guides?

New York City 147

New York City New York Birds Breeding 147

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. Most importantly, this section provides an entry point to the major Portfolio of Birds section; each fact is followed by a page reference.

2020 263

2020 Birds Groups North America 263

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

Said Blue-throated Barbet – maybe lacking an altimeter – indeed could be seen very close to its family member at Tongbiguan. And yes, of course you missed my reference to somebody determining the mitochondrial genome of the species. Does that mean that families in Florida should on average be larger than in Colorado?

Birds 169

Birds China Woodpeckers Breeding 169

Animal Person

JUNE 8, 2009

For those who didn't read the five-part Slate series " Pepper, the stolen dog who changed American science " by Daniel Engber , I recommend it for the history, but also for the misconceptions and assumptions that you might want to discuss on the Facebook discussion about the series. Let's deconstruct: Part I: Where's Pepper?

Animal Welfare 100

Animal Welfare Monkeys Animal Welfare Act Vivisection 100

10,000 Birds

MARCH 4, 2011

Collectively, they’re referred to as the Herring Gull complex. References in original]: [T]he taxa regarded by Mayr as subspecies of these two are now regarded as distinct enough to be regarded as separate species. argentatus as reference. This wiki looks good too.] michahellis. michahellis Caspian gull L.

2011 157

2011 Cyprus Deer Species 157

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2022

But that is science in hierarchical institutions). Actually, the Latin species lutea name refers to the yellow throat rather than to the red bill of the English name. Confusingly, while there are more than 50 species in the fantail family, the Yellow-bellied Fantail is not one of them.

Litter 205

Litter China Species Abandon 205

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 13, 2012

Nonetheless, I thought it might be interesting and informative to review a DVD put out by Crowe’s Nest Media , a family owned and operated company, which is how I found a copy of Your Backyard: A young beginner’s guide to identifying 18 common feeder birds by sight & sound in my mailbox earlier this week.

Science 174

Science Owls Pennsylvania United States 174

10,000 Birds

JULY 25, 2022

Of course, if science is not for you, you can also look for the Spiritual Meaning of Willie Wagtail (“Unlock the amazing secrets of this spiritual symbol”) here. The Black-faced Monarch is a relative in the same bird family, the Monarchidae. Just please do not return to this website afterward.

Birds 220

Birds Australia Ducks Mountain Goats 220

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2020

Her children’s books–which include the charming Mama Build a Little Nest , other picture books, and chapter books–evince an easy familiarity with birds, their science and birding ethics. It’s an excellent resource for family and child-learning adventures. © 2019 Jennifer Ward, © 2019 Alexander Vidal.

Los Angeles 263

Los Angeles 2019 Birds 2014 263

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2011

Itcher birds, migratory members of the tern family. One way to organize these ponderous complexities is to refer to our Tinbergen. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1046 (1), 282-293 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1343.026 The idea was to see if those without magnets taped to their heads got less lost then those with the magnets.

Research 188

Research Humane Compassion New York 188

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 29, 2024

When talking about bird sizes, the frame of reference is everything – for eBird, the Green-backed Tit is a “small songbird” while for the HBW it is a “large … tit” Why oh why do abstracts so often start with totally meaningless sentences? A giant squirrel, actually. Attack of the giant squirrels from Mars.

Squirrels 136

Squirrels Birds China Bears 136

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 5, 2014

It omits Audubon’s uneven business history, his bankruptcy, and the fact that Lucy, his wife, eventually had to support the family through teaching. I think this essay on birding activities for youth could easily have included a reference to its North American counterpart, the ABA’s Young Birders programs.)

Mauritius 172

Mauritius Collecting Egypt Cyprus 172

10,000 Birds

JUNE 5, 2018

Describing gull plumage is a combination of science, graphic art, and visual metaphor. I suppose this works with such a small family, but it made my librarian brain ache just a little bit. I find the References section puzzling, incomplete, and inaccurate. Browsing through this book is tough. Common Gull Species Account.

2004 144

2004 North America America Europe 144

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2014

The first Sibley’s was hailed as the modern day successor to the Peterson guides, and his linking lines, refined with actual text at the other end of the image (the Peterson arrows are just there, you need to read the text on the next page to see what they’re referring to), were a part of that heritage. I wish we had the equivalent for color.

North America 232

North America Birds Species America 232

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

This is not your ordinary reference book, though it was cited as one of the best reference sources of 2014 by Library Journal. Science and Conservation , the second section, presents two-page summaries of the diverse research being done around the world about penguins. It is not an essential purchase.

Penguins 193

Penguins New Zealand South Africa Albatross 193

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2012

Originally they were all placed in the family Capitonidae , but over time taxonomists have determined that actual relationships between these barbets are far more complex. Gray-throated Barbet is one of the plainer members of the African Barbet family. Note the strange nasal tufts at the base of the bill.

Ethiopia 225

Ethiopia Tanzania Africa Uganda 225