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Consolation species

10,000 Birds

That trip was to take my wife and I to Turkey, Jordan, and southern Spain, with stopovers near Paris. I was soooo excited about getting to know the Middle East, as well as some of its exotic species. The Streak-backed Oriole shown at the head of this post is far from an uncommon species in Paso Ancho.

Species 159
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I and the Bird: What is a Swallow?

10,000 Birds

Many species build nests of sticks or mud or spit on human-made structures , or in houses we’ve constructed specifically for their use. The family is global in its distribution, with 83 species of around 19 genera. Bank-Swallows Digging Burrows and Building Nests – Larry Jordan, The Birder’s Report.

Jordan 184
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A Most Unexpected Encounter

10,000 Birds

Some of this tourism occurred because we were supposed to visit Jordan, but recent geopolitical events have made Americans rather unwelcome in that corner of the world. Fortunately, two species of Mergansers sometimes stray to Cuba, and so my friend suggested, correctly, that ours was a female Hooded Merganser. But which one?

Mexico 183
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California Peregrines Victims of Their Own Success?

10,000 Birds

This Peregrine close-up courtesy of Larry Jordan. And they point out that sometimes, endangered species rebound so strongly that they endanger other species (such as Golden Eagles which decimated the population of Island Foxes in California’s Channel Islands). What do you think?

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Mexico Beat BBOTY

10,000 Birds

If we hadn’t we might be there still — stuck, perhaps, in Turkey or Jordan. The Indigo was even on its way to becoming my default species for any indescript female LBJ. But, until 2020, I almost never saw it, which is frustrating with such a loud species. But then things went crazy, and we cancelled the trip.

Mexico 164
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I and the Bird: What is a Vulture?

10,000 Birds

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. New World Vultures.

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The Unique Black-necked Stilt

10,000 Birds

Black-necked Stilt ( Himantopus mexicanus ) photos by Larry Jordan Click on photos for full sized images. The male of the species has the upper portion of the head, back of neck, back and wings all glossy black. He also has longer legs than the female.