10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 9, 2013

Kiwi, New Zealand icons par excellence , are rather endangered. The suite of predators introduced to New Zealand, on the whole, can’t do to much damage to adult kiwi. The stoats, weasels, rats and the like, are unable to kill the big guys but can make short work of the chicks. So what was going on?

New Zealand 160

New Zealand Raised Endangered Species Rats 160

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 29, 2014

The disease had killed a tourist like ourselves. The bacteria that laid me low earlier this year is a zoonosis, causing problems for New Zealand’s endemic seals as well as visitors to Borneo. A sobering thought, but it would be dangerous to read too much into that. This lake is close to the cave.

Humane 161

Humane Animal Africa Ukraine 161

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 28, 2015

No doubt he reads that bio and goes “It’s good, but what I really want to do is kill some f ing birds” Linda doesn’t waste any time in deciding which camp Chris belongs to. I used the collections in Australasia to examine how climate and isolation affected the sized and shape of birds across New Zealand.

Collecting 157

Collecting Papua New Guinea Science Birds 157

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 30, 2013

Also known as the Flyeater, this tiny bird is the only representative of the Australasian warbler family found in mainland Asia, and very similar to my own Grey Warblers in New Zealand, even their songs. If you have some time to kill, or better yet a tour of Thailand planned, be sure to include it!

Thailand 102

Thailand New Zealand Family Bats 102

10,000 Birds

JULY 11, 2012

This is a very serious business here in New Zealand. New Zealand has been the recipient of a higher than average number of introduced species, in particular a range of mammals from elk to mice. The initial solution in New Zealand was to move species to islands where mammals hadn’t reached.

Animal Rights 257

Animal Rights Rights New Zealand Animal 257

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 6, 2012

For example, I was going to add “no tail” to the list of features above, what all frogs share, when I remembered that there are indeed a small family of Tailed frogs, four species in New Zealand and two in North America (though, the tails are quite tiny).

Reptiles 182

Reptiles Madagascar Family New York City 182

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 26, 2011

On the islands that make their home, they are rock stars compared to parakeets that dig up storm-petrels to eat ( Antipodes Parakeet ), parrots that kill sheep in order to eat (the incomparable Kea ) and parrots that chew my guttering in the hope that it has turned edible since the last time they tried ( Kaka ). At any rate Kakapo matter.

New Zealand 177

New Zealand Parrots Sanctuary Family 177

10,000 Birds

APRIL 10, 2013

It also helps that when the whales are feeding in the black abyss they use sonar (a sonar so powerful it could kill you at full volume), so if a whale is around but not at the surface it is possible to triangulate where it is and work out where it will eventually emerge. Marine Kaikoura marine mammals New Zealand whales'

Whales 196

Whales Whaling Albatross New Zealand 196

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 21, 2013

I often like to poke fun at how dangerous the wildlife of Australia is, as ever since the giant man-eating Haast’s Eagle went extinct the land life on New Zealand has been mostly harmless. But the thing is, while the animals may not want to kill you, it sometimes feels as if the land itself does. Only time will tell.

New Zealand 164

New Zealand Vanuatu Australia Hawaii 164

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 14, 2015

The species was in the news because some scientists had finally managed (or bothered – it’s much the same thing) to locate the population high in the mountains of the Solomon Islands, and catch and photograph one. New Zealand Bitterns. I’m not going to rehash the arguments for scientific collecting here.

Collecting 214

Collecting Solomon Islands New Zealand Fiji 214

10,000 Birds

JULY 24, 2012

Nonnative species have huge impacts on wildlife species everywhere… mice kill seabird chicks in their burrows, rats eat endangered bird eggs, overpopulated deer clear the understory of forests, pigs root out native plants and terrestrial animals, cats kill anything they can get their paws on. The logic of this is ridiculous.

Animal Rights Movement 203

Animal Rights Movement Animal Rights Rights Wildlife 203

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

I also watched a red fox bury her mate after a cougar had killed him. On a beach in New Zealand, a dolphin came to the rescue of two pygmy sperm whales stranded behind a sand bar. One, then another, flew off and brought back pine needles and twigs and laid them by his body. Photo by Paul Huber. Photo by Flickker Photos.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 13, 2014

The Mysterious Starling – “Killed Hopping About in a Tree”. Mega Rarity Tour of New Zealand – Extinction Special. The complete guide to Dodo relatives, living and dead. A Remembrance of Birds Past: The Lost Bird Project. The Passenger Pigeon & A Message From Martha: One Pigeon, Two Book Reviews. Comebackers.

Marsupials 165

Marsupials Costa Rica Elephants Cuba 165

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 20, 2014

Seriema at the deepest branch of Australaves could be considered to belong to a raptorial taxon because they kill vertebrate prey and are the sole living relatives of the extinct giant “terror birds,” apex predators during the Paleogene. Jarvis et al.

Family 279

Family Parrots Birds 2014 279

10,000 Birds

MAY 6, 2018

Tom’s odyssey continued through New Zealand and passes on to Australia. April’s number are below; 11 countries were visited by 9 beats; Australia, USA, UK, India, Serbia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Brazil, New Zealand and Argentina. New Zealand Scaup – Aythya novaeseelandiae.

2018 100

2018 Australia Los Angeles Albatross 100

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

We’ll also keep our eyes open for several members of the New Zealand wren family. One of the oldest families of songbirds, which broke off before the oscines and sub-oscines split – and before New Zealand and Antarctica did! New Zealand Bittern. It certainly has no known relatives.

New Zealand 194

New Zealand Ducks Australia Mountain Goats 194

10,000 Birds

JUNE 2, 2018

New Zealand Scaup – Aythya novaeseelandiae. New Zealand Grebe – Poliocephalus rufopectus. New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). New Delhi City. New Zealand Falcon – Falco novaeseelandiae.

2018 100

2018 Australia Los Angeles Albatross 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 3, 2018

New Zealand Grebe – Poliocephalus rufopectus. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus. New Zealand Kaka – Nestor meridionalis.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 6, 2018

New Zealand Grebe – Poliocephalus rufopectus. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus. New Zealand Kaka – Nestor meridionalis.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 113

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 4, 2018

New Zealand Grebe – Poliocephalus rufopectus. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus. New Zealand Kaka – Nestor meridionalis.

2018 101

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 101

10,000 Birds

JULY 7, 2018

New Zealand Scaup – Aythya novaeseelandiae. New Zealand Grebe – Poliocephalus rufopectus. New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). New Delhi City. New Zealand Falcon – Falco novaeseelandiae.

2018 100

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 100

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2019

New Zealand Scaup – Aythya novaeseelandiae. New Zealand Grebe – Poliocephalus rufopectus. New Zealand Pigeon – Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2018

New Zealand Scaup – Aythya novaeseelandiae. New Zealand Grebe – Poliocephalus rufopectus. New Zealand Pigeon – Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus.

2018 113

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Sparrows 113

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

I start today with an update from last week, were I spoke about New Zealand’s muted reaction to the official shortlist of tea towels… I’m sorry, flags , that have been picked as part of a longwinded and dull process to not pick a new flag. This awesome bird actually tried to kill me.

Australia 175

Australia Chickens Birds Seals 175

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 27, 2013

There are times when acting in the conservation interest of a species or ecosystem means that the welfare of specific animals is compromised, which is a fancy way of saying that conservationists sometimes have to kill animals for the greater good. There is no solidarity among the big cats.

Lions 181

Lions Killing Hunting Hunters 181

10,000 Birds

APRIL 7, 2015

She’s produced seven photographic books about the Galapagos Islands and books on the Andes, Antarctica, and New Zealand (her current home). Its title in the Great Britain and New Zealand editions is Penguins: Their World, Their Ways, a better title in my opinion.). and used for travel of the soul. ISBN: 9780691162997.

Penguins 191

Penguins New Zealand South Africa Albatross 191

10,000 Birds

APRIL 1, 2013

Tibbles did contribute, but it was a population of feral cats that did the bulk of the killing. Enter Dr. Felix Daemon, a brilliant New Zealand biologist, and a man with a rather unique vision and approach, who wants to bring back and reintroduce the Stephen’s Island Wren and is on the verge of doing so. Gone forever.

Feral Cats 191

Feral Cats Eggs Cats Feral 191

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2018

New Zealand Grebe – Poliocephalus rufopectus. 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). 301 N Virginia Dare Trl, Kill Devil Hills US-NC (36.0166,-75.6573). New Zealand King Shag – Phalacrocorax carunculatus. New Zealand Kaka – Nestor meridionalis.

2018 100

2018 Australia Woodpeckers Los Angeles 100