10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 11, 2012

Thankfully the days of visiting Africa purely for slaughtering its wildlife have mostly come to a merciful end, and safari operators have adopted the Big Five term to market tours that offer sightings of the fortunate remanants of Africa’s once teeming great herds.

Buffalo 201

Buffalo Rhinoceros Elephants Leopards 201

4 The Love Of Animals

FEBRUARY 18, 2011

I recently got the chance to read the book, 100 Heartbeats: The Race to Save Earth’s Most Endangered Species , written by Jeff Corwin. In this book, Corwin shares what he has learned as he travels the world to see first hand the species that are endangered. He currently resides with his family on an island in Massachusetts.

Endangered Species 100

Endangered Species Rhinos Massachusetts Science 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 25, 2015

Early starts are the rule when monitoring endagered species in Mkuze Game Reserve, in South Africa, but there’s a particular urgency to this morning’s start. And the two species were not inclined to get on, by which I mean that Lions will kill other large predators including Painted Wolves. Her concern was well founded.

Wolves 189

Wolves Lions Dogs Vet 189

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 271

Asia Malaysia Papua New Guinea Thailand 271

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 1, 2016

And one that is easy to use, because, let’s face it, you want to spend most of your time looking at wildlife, not searching for information. Species that belong to the famous “Big Five” get special badges. And, with weight allowances what they are, it’s best to take a guide that is light in weight.

Rhinos 238

Rhinos Mammals Animal White Rhinos 238

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2016

Great wildlife preserves, reserves and parks exist for a number of reasons. I was planning a trip to South Africa, I had about five days to fill, I wanted to get a bunch of desert species (particularly the Springbok – not a bird) in a way that wasn’t too hard to reach from Johannesburg. And lo, it was good. Or Cheetahs.

South Africa 147

South Africa Leopards Giraffes Africa 147

10,000 Birds

JUNE 28, 2018

Lacey of Iowa introduced the nation’s first wildlife-protection law, which banned the interstate shipping of unlawfully killed game. Even with today’s environmental laws, we are losing species at an alarming rate, and with Ryan Zinke as Interior Secretary it’s no wonder. People don’t respect wildlife.

Hunting 110

Hunting Hunters Gorillas Wolves 110