10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

We humans, being the environmental cue-driven, chronologically constrained creatures that we are, look out a frost-rimed window at a wasteland of ice and snow and think, “I cannot WAIT for winter to end.” Though it is a common species the fact it made Corey wait until late February made it his Best Bird of the Weekend.

United States 154

United States Birds Sparrows Humane 154

10,000 Birds

JULY 6, 2023

This leaves Shanghai in June with basically just the year-round species and the summer breeders, maybe with a few added ultra-lazy individuals of migratory species. Fortunately, there are a few more such breeding species than most Shanghainese are aware of. Such as the Black-winged Cuckooshrike.

Birds 130

Birds Eggs Breeders Breeding 130

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Chief among these are three trees, known here as Huizaches (Sweet Acacia, Vachellia farnesiana), Granjenos (Spiny Hackberry, Celtis ehernbergiana), and Nopales (Prickly Pear, various species). But the area would not be home for more than 120 species, if it were not for those thorny trees. Humans like me enjoy eating them, too!

Shelters 230

Shelters Mexico Sparrows Species 230

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 10, 2020

On the northern birding calendar, October is a time for sparrows, cool weather, and tired fall leaves. It’s when Orange-crowned Warblers share the Goldenrod with lisping and chirping sparrows, when hardy Yellow-rumped Warblers dominate the Parulid scene. Us humans need that habitat too. Cuckoos are up There.

Costa Rica 273

Costa Rica South America Colombia Paraguay 273

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

The HBW even mentions the importance of Ruoergai for this species: “Key sites for migrants include the Ruoergai Plateau (China), which is also an important breeding area” Common Mergansers also seem to use these wetlands as breeding area. The raptors of Ruoergai deserve a separate post.

China 180

China Mongolia Birds Russia 180

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 11, 2019

Catbirds seem very quick to adapt to the reality of foraging in busy Bryant Park, fearlessly approaching humans while foraging and often eating whatever is being fed to the House Sparrows and Rock Pigeons. I did see one species of wood-warbler that’s yellow: in fact I saw four Common Yellowthroats !

New York City 124

New York City Birds Sparrows New York 124

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 3, 2021

There was a time when I thought each bird species had its own individual song. Then I found out that there was this vocalization called a ‘call,’ so I thought each bird species had its own individual song (but just the males) and individual call. There’s more than one song per warbler? There is so much here!

North America 279

North America Research Birds Groups 279

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2012

The bird was a sparrow, that much was clear, but it didn’t seem to fit any of the easily boxes the other North American sparrows can be fairly easily sorted into. Superficially, it resembled the Black-chinned Sparrow of the southwestern United States with its gray chest and chestnut streaked with black back.

New Jersey 231

New Jersey North Carolina Sparrows Connecticut 231

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 22, 2019

After getting to the letter C last week in a roughly alphabetical order, I will show the second 10 species today. Start with Eurasian Tree Sparrow , an unlikely high-ranked target for anybody watching birds in Shanghai. How they manage to avoid that is a bit of a mystery to me, as they look fairly similar.

Latvia 126

Latvia Birds Sparrows Abandon 126

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 10, 2020

A metaphor for life, I am tempted to say, if this wasn`t such a meaningless thing to say … November is a good time for several species of buntings, of which I am quite fond of. Would probably wear heavily patterned fisherman`s wool sweaters if turned into a human. Here is a Little Bunting. Cute, isn`t it?

Stray 250

Stray Asia Industry Family 250

10,000 Birds

JULY 13, 2016

Apparently humans aren’t the only creatures that engage in booty calls—the prospect of getting some on the side leads Field Sparrows to sing for mates at nigh t. Speaking of valuable services, some New Zealand researchers depend upon the trusty nose of a “conservation dog” to sniff out species for study.

New Zealand 100

New Zealand Research Sparrows Florida 100

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

I don’t consider my little garden to be a terribly birdy patch, although years of observation have resulted in my seeing 59 species there (64, if you count the White-throated Swifts , Black and Turkey Vultures, Red-tailed Hawks and Common Ravens that may fly high overhead). Días de precipitación = Days of precipitation.

Nashville 173

Nashville 2015 Mexico Turkey 173

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2016

Agonizing quandaries concerning invasive species are well-known to wildlife biologists. Arriving in North America around the time of Columbus, they have become “one of the most successful invasive species on earth.”. There is evidence that toxoplasma leads, in humans, to an elevated risk of mental illness and depression.

Feral Cats 263

Feral Cats Cats Tnr Feral 263

10,000 Birds

JULY 22, 2014

When you think of invasives, you think of the birds that have been helped by human beings to get where they are, such as House Sparrow or European Starling. Other species have certainly expanded their ranges, but never in such a rapid and global scale. Cattle Egret has been introduced by humans to Hawaii and the Seychelles.

Cattle 170

Cattle South Korea Suriname Seychelles 170

10,000 Birds

MAY 24, 2013

Over the years you may have learned to know better but it’s spring and you’re hopeful and maybe this time it’s an unfamiliar sparrow of some kind… but after maneuvering carefully around to a line of sight, it’s that furry little air-raid siren the Eastern chipmunk again. You sigh and move on.

Chipmunks 185

Chipmunks Squirrels Rodents Montana 185

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

However, this is a watershed moment for this species of bird in the US. The human world is on the move to where the money is. Destroy the native prairies and lose Henslow’s Sparrows , Bobolinks , Upland Sandpipers , and Greater Prairie Chickens. This species is in trouble. They are not working for people or wildlife.

Chickens 214

Chickens Illinois Campaign Nebraska 214

10,000 Birds

MARCH 20, 2015

Each sketch profiles a species notable for its behavior, physical adaptations, and/or the scientific questions it poses – although occasionally Couzens departs a bit from this formula to use the bird as a lens to focus on habitat, as in the sobering discussion of extinction in the Hawaiian Islands.

Birds 193

Birds Morals Hunting Sparrows 193

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 4, 2012

Birders in Northern California have been treated to rare sightings of several species, sending avid twitchers from all over the west in our direction. I was able to find the Common Redpoll among the flock of Lesser Goldfinches and Savannah Sparrows. They also can be easily attracted to nest boxes (plans available here ).

Owls 183

Owls California Jordan Sparrows 183

10,000 Birds

JULY 18, 2014

Is this a Song Sparrow ? Spring through summer is baby season, and the human population ventures outside and finds little creatures in their backyard, their garden, their porch, the edge of the trail, the sidewalk, the train platform, etc. Tiny little pre-fledgling — nearly fully feathered. Quiet little “chip” for begging call.

Wildlife Rehabilitation 232

Wildlife Rehabilitation Birds Georgia Kentucky 232

10,000 Birds

JULY 10, 2012

Every part of the world has it’s suite of parking lot staples, those urbanish species that seem to prefer to linger about humanity subsisting in no small amount to the magnanimity, or more likely the laziness, of humankind. Here in the non-Floridian Southeast we have sparrows and starlings and pigeons.

North Carolina 189

North Carolina Fast Food Sparrows Birds 189

10,000 Birds

MARCH 21, 2014

My Dark-eyed Juncos are trilling in preparation to retreat to quieter breeding grounds, the Black-Capped Chickadees sing their two notes, and the Song Sparrows absolutely will not shut up. Snow Geese overgrazing their breeding grounds, displacing other Arctic-breeding species and setting themselves up for a fall.

Geese 182

Geese Montana Breeding Pelicans 182

10,000 Birds

MAY 2, 2014

Sure, Miami and the Florida Keys do not boast any endemics ( ‘Cape Sable’ Seaside Sparrow is close) at the species level. Many visitors who come through Orlando or Tampa see maybe eight or ten species on a winter trip. However, few realize how unique and how good the birding can be here.

Florida 172

Florida Miami United States Stray 172

10,000 Birds

MAY 17, 2020

To humans, birdsong is akin to Joycean language, isn’t it? It’s not a field guide, as such. Indeed, all of that was part of Joyce’s purpose and method: he said that the book would “keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant.”.

Virginia 252

Virginia Boston North America 2020 252

10,000 Birds

MARCH 19, 2013

In 1898, Hermon Bumpus published a paper about change in the morphology in a population of House Sparrows that he proposed was an example of Darwinian Natural Selection in action. House Sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) are introduced birds over most of their very large range. Where has all the road kill gone? 2013.02.023.

Killing 202

Killing South Africa Nebraska Collecting 202

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2015

The vast majority of you reading this accept it is happening, and for the time being it is caused by humans. That said, there are many species we should be extremely concerned about. The Pika’s story is shared with a number of montane bird species. Climate Change. They may disappear from some mountain ranges all together.

North America 224

North America Birds San Francisco Suffering 224

10,000 Birds

JUNE 6, 2012

He allegedly proposed to introduce every species of bird mentioned in the plays of William Shakespeare to the United States. Starlings are a super competitive cavity nesting bird that aggressively evicts other species from nesting cavities. This is one of the reasons why so many bird lovers dislike the European Starling.

North America 197

North America United States New York City New York 197

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 6, 2015

Even sparrows, if you choose the right species and play your cards right, can be elevated to ‘cute’ status. Gulls are generalists, as a group, and unfortunately that does not get a lot of respect from humans, even though we’re the greatest generalists of all. And what about lifestyle?

Seals 229

Seals Lifestyle Turtles Parrots 229

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 30, 2012

Despite, or maybe because of the active human intervention, quite a few species can be seen in a couple hours in the morning. (I I averaged forty species on my visits and I imagine that if my ear was more attuned to the chip notes of southern California birds I could come up with more.) Have you had a cool Coyote encounter?

Coyotes 101

Coyotes California Mammals Sparrows 101

10,000 Birds

JULY 2, 2013

Bluebird Man is about Alfred Larson, but you can be one of the film’s heroes by contributing to its production… There is something special about bluebirds, and it isn’t just because the world’s three species are only found in North America. There is something more. Preparing to band 3 Mountain Bluebird chicks.

Idaho 195

Idaho North America America Science 195

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 16, 2012

We humans often understand things by exploring their relationships. Evening Grosbeak ( Coccothraustes vespertinus ) by putneypics The finch family, Fringillidae, comprises more than 200 species distributed throughout the Western Hemisphere and across Eurasia, Africa, and Indomalaya. And back to finches. But not all.

Family 179

Family Guatemala Stray Groups 179

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2013

I pass over the bridge on my way to class and a Song Sparrow is starting to defend a clump of bushes along the river. That said, I can use ear birding to tell me when something is nearby that I am not familiar with — whether it’s an entirely new bird or a familiar species trying out a new tune is up to my eyes to figure out.

Canada 175

Canada Sparrows Humane Breeding 175

10,000 Birds

JULY 23, 2014

There are the endemics, which are odd in their own way, and then there introduced species, which are so varied in their type and origin that you get the feeling you’ve arrived at the aftermath of a small zoo that escaped. What is surprising is quite how many species did end up here, and how economically unimportant they were.

New Zealand 162

New Zealand Possums Rabbits Ferrets 162

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 7, 2020

The book is divided into three parts: “Introduction,” “Avifaunal Overview,” and “Species Accounts.” Not all habitat change is due to humans; there is Chestnut Blight destroying American Chestnuts in the early 1900s, and the more recent Dutch Elm disease. Most birders will go straight to the “Species Accounts.”

New York City 155

New York City New York Birds Breeding 155

10,000 Birds

JULY 28, 2011

While we continue to decimate our short and tall grass prairies many species reach their inevitable peril. Furthermore, with the rapid expansion of oil and gas development in the norther tier states like North Dakota, birds like Sprague’s Pipit and Baird’s Sparrow become more at risk.

Prairie Dogs 164

Prairie Dogs Colorado North Dakota Soreing 164

10,000 Birds

APRIL 15, 2014

There’s something very matter-of-fact about seeking out non-native target species. If we have to endure yet another invasion from some or another Old World species, at least this one is pleasant to look at. once could conceivably make the argument about House Sparrows too, but I think they’ve worn out their welcome.

San Diego 183

San Diego California Unwanted Texas 183

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 10, 2022

For some reason that I do not quite understand myself – given that I really rather dislike children and am not too positive about the rest of humanity either – I recently put up a little display of bird photos inside my Shanghai compound, which I share (as the only foreigner) with about 1700 Chinese.

Birds 162

Birds Fish Germany China 162

10,000 Birds

JULY 8, 2017

If you are doing any sort of year list, you know what I’m talking about and also know that now is the time to take a moment, count up the species, and go over strategies to reach those birding goals for 2017. Of course, while we see those friendly, expected common species, sharp eyes and ears also pick up uncommon birds.

Costa Rica 101

Costa Rica 2017 Birds Tigers 101