10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2023

Its mood is not helped by the ambiguous review on eBird: “Although not actually pale, this brownish songbird is one of the plainer thrushes in its range” The Latin species name of the Dusky Thrush is eunomos (I guess that is Greek, but whatever) – meaning well-ordered.

Birds 195

Birds Blackbirds Indonesia Bhutan 195

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2022

For once, eBird gives a good description of the Asian Glossy Starling, calling it a “Fierce-looking, large songbird” As are humans, this species is fairly urbanized – it “sometimes enters urban areas to roost, e.g. in Singapore” (HBW). “Odd, me?”

Singapore 218

Singapore Birds Zebras Feral 218

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2011

It may be as sick as deliberately targeting an endangered species for death. Birders know that the light’s not always perfect or even particularly good when you’re trying to tell one species from another. Speculation is useless in acts of vandalism. It may be as simple as trying to hit the big white one. The big white one. It flies on.

2011 242

2011 Hunting Kentucky Hunters 242

10,000 Birds

MAY 13, 2024

Interestingly, the research found that both species primarily spend their time in trees (83% and 81%) and have the same main food source, hymenopterans (25% each, and no, I have no idea what hymenopterans are either – presumably something with wings). So, basically, the two species do exactly the same things.

Vietnam 130

Vietnam Zebras Birds Sparrows 130

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. However, all that changed when I saw a species that was both a long-awaited lifer and a very rare vagrant for Costa Rica. A country-first?

2015 184

2015 Costa Rica Birds Sparrows 184

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 8, 2022

Given the complexity of the research, the result feels like a bit of a letdown – “northern populations start migration earlier than southern populations, especially in autumn” The species name of the Chestnut-eared Bunting is fucata , from the Latin “fucare”, to paint red.

Birds 205

Birds Eggs Bangladesh China 205