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. Vultures famously feed on carrion. Dead things. Here’s the kicker though.

California Condor 185

California Condor Turkey North America Jordan 185

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2013

Sure, they may lack the audacious colors of jays or the imposing attitudes of raptors, but it is wrens, with jaunty tails and brazen attitudes and ringing, rambling voices, that re on anyone’s short list of favorite garden birds for almost as long as humans have paid attention to birds. Bicolored Wren , photo by Scott Winton.

Jordan 201

Jordan Birds North America Tenant 201

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

An op-ed in the Washington Post by Gabriel Foley and Jordan Rutter is a fine summary of the arguments, and there is a good background article at Birdwatching magazine. The species was named after John P. I suspect there is little opposition to changing the names of species with particularly sordid namesakes.

Birds 244

Birds Laws 2020 Jordan 244

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2013

It’s clear that ibis have been part of human civilization for as long as there has been civilization of which to be part. The group has a worldwide distribution; 28 species living and two additional extinct. It draws a more or less firm line between those species in the Old World and those in the New, however.

Birds 217

Birds North America Charlotte New Jersey 217