article thumbnail

Armchair Splits in the Pacific

10,000 Birds

So, on seeing my lifer Bassian Thrush in Sydney, I was glad to have a) finally seen that species and b) finally glad to tick that arbitrary odometer up to a meaningless milestone. We seem to live in an age of splitting, only last week it was announced that another 460 odd species have been split. An armchair split, no less.

Tonga 176
article thumbnail

Meet Suliformes, one of the newest orders of birds

10,000 Birds

Frigatebirds (Fregatidae) Five species of frigatebird ply the planet’s tropical skies and seas. Ringer Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) Cormorants are more speciose than other families in the order; 30-40 species range widely on every continent and many islands. The proposal from U.S.

2011 154