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Pel’s Fishing Owls, Phantoms of the Okavango

10,000 Birds

For many birders, the Pel’s Fishing Owl roosts in a lofty position on just such a list. One of the most highly desirable birds in the world, the Pel’s Fishing Owl is a true phantom. Found patchily in sub-Saharan Africa, this large, ginger-colored owl can never be guaranteed on a trip to the continent.

Owls 240
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Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls

10,000 Birds

“Do they have owls?” I immediately phoned the manager and enquired if the property had any Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls. I immediately phoned the manager and enquired if the property had any Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls. “Indigenous pig sows?…Sure, ” was the first question I asked Mike Freiberg.

Owls 144
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Extinction Week on 10,000 Birds

10,000 Birds

Sure, we try not to introduce snakes, rats, cats, goats, pigs, and a host of other creatures to isolated islands. Most people oppose large-scale, indiscriminate, hunting of birds but it still happens all over the world. Mauritius Owl. And it is a rate of extinction that is speeding up! Black-fronted Parakeet. Pagan Reed Warbler.

Mauritius 171