10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

The islands of the Caribbean are home to 176 species of endemic birds unevenly distributed across the region. Some islands host one or two species, others more than twenty. For some species, conservation actions are well underway and we are seeing some measure of positive impact as a result.

Grenada 130

Grenada Parrots Trinidad 2010 130

10,000 Birds

JULY 27, 2023

When you have birded a single area as much and for as long as I have birded Michoacán, it becomes progressively harder to find first-time species (“lifers”) there. I had seen several species turn up in new and unexpected places there, but none of them were birds that I had never seen before. This photo is Nacho’s.

Bats 130

Bats Mexico ALA 2020 130

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 19, 2019

And here in Europe, they are the real deal, an indigenous species and not domesticated animals gone wild. When I reached the levee earlier that morning, I met an elderly hunter from whom I learned that there was an ongoing duck and pheasant hunt, but no one was shooting from, nor towards the embankment, hence I should be safe there.

Serbia 246

Serbia Otters Boars Eagles 246

10,000 Birds

MAY 22, 2019

And yet, on the bridge the birds are relatively protected from the dogs, beach-goers, and predators that frequent their traditional habitats along dunes. Though the terns actively feed throughout the day, the skimmers wait until dawn and evening to hunt for prey in small flocks, flying low and fast across the water.

Protection 113

Protection Florida Eggs Hunting 113

10,000 Birds

JULY 9, 2015

Further down the road, we reach a derelict building with a large veranda hidden among the trees – an abandoned hunting lodge (if I were in a situation to invest, I would choose to upgrade this into a luxury wildlife lodge). Birds included common species such as Black Drongos , Jungle Babblers and a Hoopoe.

Tigers 245

Tigers Dogs India Snow Leopard 245

10,000 Birds

MARCH 24, 2014

I am not anti-hunting. The “Crow Down” is a “hunting contest” where both adults and children slaughter as many crows as they possibly can in two days. Obviously killing contests have nothing to do with traditional hunting, and “animal abuse” is normally used when describing domestic animals.

Killing 272

Killing Slaughter Slaughtered Animal Abuse 272

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 30, 2023

The Ashy Tailorbird is a good example of the different perspectives of describing a bird – while the English name focuses on the body of the bird, the Latin species name ruficeps refers to the rufous head. The split makes the bird one of the six species endemic to Sabah, Borneo ( source ), four of which I saw during my week at Sepilok.

Woodpeckers 222

Woodpeckers Birds Eggs India 222

10,000 Birds

MAY 3, 2011

But, as with so many other species, these birds have been left to do their own whistle blowing. West Indian Whistling Ducks are the largest of the eight different whistling duck species. With assistance from the Negril Area Environmental Protection Trust (NEPT) a boardwalk and nature centre have been established.

Antigua and Barbuda 232

Antigua and Barbuda Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Jamaica 232

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

The Aruban Burrowing Owl hunts primarily from the ground, hopping and running after lizards, insects, and small mammals. The added publicity – the bird now appears on Aruba currency and stamps – will draw attention to needed conservation and protection efforts.

Prairie Dogs 101

Prairie Dogs Tortoises Owls South America 101

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2017

I had never seen this species of kite before, but Guhin explained that they often hunted in the natural acres of the reserve. The ES NERR is a world-renowned biodiversity hotspot, drawing birders from around the country and around the globe, all happy to see as many of the over 200 species recorded here as possible.

Research 101

Research Birds Virginia Protection 101

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2022

Colorful bills and heads seem quite popular among Letaba’s bird species – see the African Jacana (blue and black) … … the Striated Heron (yellow and blue) … … and the Yellow-billed Stork (yellow and red). The Latin species name vermiculatus (worm-like) refers to the markings on the upperparts.

Zimbabwe 147

Zimbabwe Birds South Africa Benin 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2016

Individually, many NWRs protect crucial bird habitat. Farallon NWR , a group of islands near San Francisco, hosts the largest colonies of breeding seabirds south of Alaska. But when taken as a whole, the impact of the Refuge System is truly profound, supporting population-level numbers of numerous bird species.

Wildlife 189

Wildlife Grizzly Bear Puerto Rico United States 189

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2015

It can’t have escaped your notice lately that the blog has been overrun with articles about North America’s pseudo-warblers (or wood warblers, as some people, apparently unaware the name is taken by a proper European species, call them), and, even worse, no small amount of poetry. And they are always a pleasure to see.

Africa 175

Africa Feral Ethiopia Tanzania 175

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2015

I was in contact with a group of birders for whom I arranged and guided an annual tour to Africa. Blue-moustached Bee-eater is rainforest species occurring in just a few scattered sites in Ghana, it was previously considered a subspecies of Blue-headed Bee-eater. During each trip we would discuss a destination for the following year.

Ghana 199

Ghana Hunters Guinea Gambia 199

10,000 Birds

MARCH 14, 2011

home about advertise archives birds conservation contact galleries links reviews subscribe Browse: Home / Birds / Sandhill Crane Hunt in Kentucky?! Sandhill Crane Hunt in Kentucky?! Tomorrow, MARCH 15, 2011, is the deadline for public comment on a proposal to hunt sandhill cranes in Kentucky. Kentucky Dept.

2011 254

2011 Kentucky Tennessee Hunting 254

10,000 Birds

JUNE 26, 2013

The survival of songbirds depends in part upon eliminating illegal hunting. That means passing over the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East, where you’re liable to get shot, trapped, or otherwise hunted. Fearing that a natural disaster, introduced species, or disease could wipe this fragile population out, the U.S.

Cambodia 145

Cambodia Slaughter Slaughtered Cyprus 145

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2012

Many of these refuges and associated Conservation Areas, which have the potential to protect more than 1 million acres of vital wildlife habitat, have been forged through creative partnerships with sportsmen, conservation groups and private landowners. President Obama has added 10 new refuges in his first term.

Wildlife 211

Wildlife Hunters Ducks Hunting 211

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2014

Many may find the inclusion of the Osprey into a post on German eagles odd, but the German name of the Osprey translates to “Fish Eagle”, and German birders would find it self-evident to include the species here. They were protecting the last three pairs that were left in West Germany from egg thieves!

Eagles 170

Eagles Germany Breeding Hunting 170

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

Wildlife conservation is concerned with protecting wildlife at the level of species or perhaps population. With the exception of species that number in the hundreds, conservation biologists are not as concerned with the fates of individual animals, it is only when such fates of many individuals are added up do they begin to worry.

Animal Rights 267

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 267

10,000 Birds

MAY 23, 2023

Birders often venture into various habitats, such as forests, wetlands, grasslands, or coastal areas, to encounter different bird species. The primary objective of birding is to identify bird species based on their physical characteristics, behavior, and vocalizations.

United States 147

United States North America Birds America 147

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2011

It may be as sick as deliberately targeting an endangered species for death. With the proposed hunting seasons on sandhill cranes being discussed in Tennessee, Kentucky and Wisconsin, we must not forget the whooping crane, which travels and winters in the big sandhill crane flocks. Speculation is useless in acts of vandalism.

2011 243

2011 Hunting Kentucky Hunters 243

10,000 Birds

MAY 20, 2014

En route they will be “birding in nearly every country in mainland North and South America,” and, as they say on their excellent blog , “Our journey is about collecting valuable data on bird species, their status and distribution, current conservation issues, and more along the way. Horned Guan (Click for a bigger version.).

Guatemala 166

Guatemala Mexico San Diego South America 166

10,000 Birds

APRIL 6, 2021

I was especially interested in “To Hide From God,” the chapter on songbird slaughter and protection in Cyprus. Has it really been 21 years (almost) from the publication of Jonathan Franzen’s New Yorker article, “ Emptying the Skies ,” six years since the documentary with the same name?

Cyprus 259

Cyprus Slaughter Slaughtered Research 259

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

The Crossley ID Guide: Waterfowl covers every residential, migrating, vagrant, exotic, and introduced swan, goose, dabbling and diving duck in North America (Canada and the United States): 62 Species Accounts on four swan species and one vagrant subspecies; 15 goose species; 46 duck species; plus accounts for hybrid geese, ducks and exotics.

Ducks 124

Ducks North America Geese Hunters 124

10,000 Birds

JUNE 11, 2013

This was the local name meaning “ugly” used for these primates by the people of the Gonder area in northern Ethiopia when the German naturalist Rüppell “discovered” this species for science in the 1830’s. Males that do not have attached females also form bachelor groups that usually associate around the periphery of the bands or herds.

Ethiopia 161

Ethiopia Primates Mammals Fur 161

10,000 Birds

APRIL 13, 2015

Its great diversity of habitats hosts an incredible bird count of over 900 species, including Africa’s 2nd highest list of endemics and near-endemics (after South Africa). Over a dozen distinctive ethnic groups exist here, many of whom live lives little touched by the modern world. Yellow-billed Stork.

Ethiopia 249

Ethiopia Sudan Leopards Birds 249

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2015

birders have been able to visit Cuba as part of survey groups and cultural exchanges for years, but those trips have been few in number and not always easy to find. Navarro’s exceptional drawings illustrate the species accounts. Forty-eight species. Cuban Trogon, the national bird who wears the colors of the Cuban flag!

Cuba 238

Cuba Birds United States 2000 238

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2014

It’s relatively easy to classify birds into family groups based on physical characteristics. We worship birds, we hunt birds, we protect birds, and, yes, we eat birds. Additional back of the book material includes a Glossary, Biographical Details, a Select Bibliography, Notes, Credits, an Index to Species and a General Index.

Birds 224

Birds Egypt Family Eagles 224

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. We’ll take these two similar, yet very different groups of birds separately.

California Condor 190

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 190

10,000 Birds

JUNE 17, 2011

Besides the American bison that the refuge was founded to protect, there are pronghorns, elk, bighorn sheep, mule and white-tailed deer, and black bears. To my disappointment the biggest and most visible species I saw was the introduced Common (Ring-necked) Pheasant , and my first lifer was the equally introduced Gray Partridge.

Rattlesnake 164

Rattlesnake Bald Eagle Mules Mammals 164

10,000 Birds

MAY 8, 2012

Africa has more than its fair share of storks, with 8 of the world’s 19 species gracing the continent. Storks are typically viewed as wetland species and whilst some storks are restricted to aquatic habitats, others are not. This is another wetland species that nests in sometimes huge colonies atop trees bordering rivers and lakes.

Africa 246

Africa Tanzania South Africa Uganda 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 17, 2013

Nonprofit pet protection groups would manage the program and be responsible for ensuring that cat caretakers take the required steps. … Matthew Anderson [of Audubon] said proponents of colonies are putting the interests of one invasive species — cats — over the hundreds of other native ones that are their prey.

Feral Cats 219

Feral Cats Feral Cats Minneapolis 219

10,000 Birds

MARCH 9, 2011

Like Kapiti the island is an offshore refuge for many species extinct on the mainland, with a lot of the work being done by the voluntary Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi. On my first visit to the island a few years ago I even found one hunting for sandhoppers and other assorted treats in the washed up seaweed on the beach.

New Zealand 149

New Zealand 2011 Deer Cats 149