10,000 Birds

MARCH 23, 2014

Big news about a small bird broke earlier this month when bird researchers from several nations announced that the species formerly known as Spotted Wren-Babbler ( Spelaeornis formosus ) — a tiny, secretive bird of montane forests from the eastern Himalayas to southeast China — is not a Spelaeornis wren-babbler at all.

Family 271

Family Comoros Asia Birds 271

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 28, 2014

The use of tool by animals is surprisingly rare. I find fascinating the fact that Egyptian Vultures , New Caledonian Crows and Woodpecker Finches learned to use a tool with tremendous success. This is similar to the fact that all birds, even first time breeders within a species build identical nests. The behavior was inherent.

Fish 163

Fish Woodpeckers Ostriches Eggs 163

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 24, 2016

There’s no indication yet that the American Ornithological Union is considering lumping Blue-wings and Golden-wings into one species, but according to the researchers, a conservation case can be made for doing so, as both birds favor similar habitats. Breeding range map by David Toews/Cornell Lab). But do keep an eraser handy.

Guatemala 106

Guatemala Research Morals Science 106

10,000 Birds

MARCH 29, 2017

But as Bill Bryson notes, he did make one great contribution to the world (beyond his anatomical contributions of course), his reconceptualisation of museums from places only of research to places of research and public entertainment and education. Data from museums helps the IUCN make decisions about threatened species.

Collecting 146

Collecting Science Louisiana Research 146

10,000 Birds

MARCH 2, 2021

This second edition covers 685 species found in the continental U.S. and Canada, including some species as far north as Alaska, an increase over the 500 species covered in the first edition. To get an idea of how many mushroom species are around us, in 2018, the journal Mycologia published a checklist of North American fungi.

North America 267

North America America Species 2018 267

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 11, 2015

Conservationists at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have been using remote controlled drones to watch the nests of endangered breeds and monitor the progress of reintroduced species. It’s quite possible that further research into the internal stress indicators of birds may reveal similar findings.

Birds 187

Birds Protection Idaho Bears 187

10,000 Birds

MARCH 6, 2018

It’s not often that we have the opportunity to glimpse the home life of albatrosses, nor of any seabird species. An array of tools ranging from geolocators to satellite trackers to depth measurers to miniature cameras have been employed by ornithologists and biologists over the past twenty years, yielding scads of information.

Albatross 114

Albatross Penguins Research Breeding 114

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 18, 2012

A number of research projects have sought to determine if some of these human brain abilities are found in other animals. Even among our primate relatives, whoa are generally very smart, “Theory of Mind” is found in only a few species. But that’s another story. The graph shows the results.

Abandon 237

Abandon Abandoning Abandonment Research 237

10,000 Birds

JUNE 1, 2021

Pough “with illustrations in color of every species” by Don Eckelberry, Doubleday, 1946. The National Audubon Society Birds of North America covers all species seen in mainland United States, Canada and Baja California. The press material says it covers over 800 species, so you know I had to do a count.

North America 279

North America America Birds California Condor 279

10,000 Birds

JANUARY 5, 2016

And so, I turn to Better Birding: Tips, Tools & Concepts for the Field , the new book by George L. It is an intriguing choice of species. These are extremely detailed, covering distribution, behavior, and plumage by age and gender (when relevant) and comparisons with other species in and external to the group.

Birds 190

Birds Groups 2015 North America 190

10,000 Birds

MARCH 15, 2017

I was looking for a new project to write about on Wikipedia, something unusual, and this species appealed for reasons I can’t quite define. eBird has a range of data exploration tools that, to my mind, exist help birders bird. ” I can’t just put this into Wikipedia – it’s original research.

Science 110

Science Argentina South America Uruguay 110

10,000 Birds

APRIL 30, 2017

Way back in the days when blog posts still got a lot of comments, I wrote a piece on why field guides that arrange species in a more or less strict taxonomic order regularly frustrate me. Taxonomy is constantly changing and so does the order of species in field guides. It was a nightmarish thing to do.

Brunei 162

Brunei 2009 2016 2014 162

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 15, 2011

Artists rendition of Inkayacu paracasensis There are 17 living species of penguins, which make up their own Linnean family (Spheniscidae), which is the only family in the order Sphenisciformes. Penguins are flightless, but some species locomote over long distances on antarctic ice to travel between breeding grounds and the sea.

Penguins 197

Penguins Seals Peru Science 197

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 5, 2013

A little bit of research when I got home unraveled the ways of publishers here and in Great Britain. First published in 1973 in association with the Asa Wright Center, the book focuses on species descriptions, with illustrations grouped together in plates positioned in the center of the book. The AOU has not accepted that split.

Trinidad 203

Trinidad Birds South America Research 203

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 17, 2014

Developed in the post-frontier era, the NAMWC helped put a stop to wanton wildlife destruction in an era where many species were being hunted and trapped ruthlessly to the brink of extinction. Wilderness Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air and Water Acts, and similar acts in Canada.

Wildlife 246

Wildlife Coyotes Hunters Wolves 246

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

There are 35 raptor species that have a presence in the United States and Canada, 56 (more or less) if you count by subspecies, and they are all covered in admirable, exhausting, unbelievable detail in B irds of Prey of the East: A Field Guide and Birds of Prey of the West: A Field Guide by Brian K. Species Accounts.

North America 197

North America Birds Mississippi Bald Eagle 197

4 The Love Of Animals

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Shark finning is the practice of removing fins from live sharks with sharp tools, and then tossing the shark back into the ocean. Claims for shark fins include relieving joint pain and curing cancer, though no research is available to back any of these claims. However, watching these shows on DIRECT.TV

Sharks 100

Sharks Asia Endangered Species Hunters 100

10,000 Birds

APRIL 3, 2018

“The Purpose of Field Guides: Taxonomy vs. Utility,” co-authored with Brian Sullivan, Michael O’Brien, Chris Wood, Ian Lewington, and Richard Crossley ( Birding , November 2009) proposed a standard avian species order for field guides, apart from the ever-changing AOS taxonomic order. Species are useful handles (p. 16, below).”

Birds 151

Birds North America 2012 America 151

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 2, 2016

where and when the species is likely to be seen on the east coast, flight style, size and structure as compared to similar species. I realized a curious thing while researching some of the creatures in this guide–some of the common names given for the flying fish appear to have originated with co-author Steve N.G.

Pennsylvania 174

Pennsylvania Texas Whales Whaling 174

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

But getting a grip on gulls can be rewarding, and even within a large group of seemingly drab-colored, dump-loving trash eaters, there are spectacular species, like the dramatic Sabine’s Gull, the nearly mythical Ivory Gull, and easily one of the most sought-after species in North America, the mysterious Ross’s gull. (p.

Birds 263

Birds North Carolina North America Science 263

4 The Love Of Animals

MARCH 17, 2011

Scientific research shows that many animals are very intelligent and have sensory and motor abilities that dwarf ours. More research is needed, but initial studies by the Pine Street Foundation and others on using dogs for diagnosis are promising. They get much of their food using tools, and they do this better than chimpanzees.

Emotional 100

Emotional Animal Whales Whaling 100

10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 16, 2012

Without adequate funding, habitats are not restored, invasive species are left unchecked, poaching and other illegal activities occur and our nation’s wildlife suffers 1. Additional issues include a shortage of law enforcement officials, as well as invasive species problems on 2.5 million acres of Refuge lands.

Wildlife 209

Wildlife Hunters Ducks Hunting 209

10,000 Birds

MARCH 5, 2013

The Eastern guide covers 545 species and the Western guide covers 636 species. Each species is depicted in as many or as few photographs as is necessary for identification. I think the quotes do give an idea of the high degree of detail incorporated into each species description.

Birds 166

Birds North America Groups Falcons 166

10,000 Birds

MARCH 31, 2014

For decades researchers have made annual trips out to the Tortugas to catch Sooty Terns, attach tiny silver bands to their legs with unique identification numbers, and then set them free again. The park is home to not one, not two, but large three colonies of breeding seabirds: the Brown Noddy , Magnificent Frigatebird , and Sooty Tern.

Birds 183

Birds Florida Groups Breeding 183

10,000 Birds

MARCH 16, 2014

The talk described eBird’s origins in 2002 and traced its history as a project aimed at using “citizen science” to help researchers and conservationists learn more about birds. The Merlin app (already available on iPhones, due out for Android in June) is a bird ID tool based on eBird’s observation data.

Science 200

Science 2002 Chicago Adoptable 200

10,000 Birds

FEBRUARY 27, 2020

BOC has 95 colour plates illustrating more than 400 species (three country endemics, Cyprus Wheatear , Cyprus Scops Owl and Cyprus Warbler , among them), with text and distribution maps on facing pages. His work in Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey remains inspirational to researchers throughout the region.

Cyprus 258

Cyprus Saudi Arabia Europe Birds 258

10,000 Birds

JULY 3, 2018

In some cases, he took all adult males of the species or subspecies held by the museum. The skins were invaluable tools for ornithological, ecological, environmental research. The Flame Bowerbird, for example. The hope was that they would be recovered with the tags attached. Frustrated with the U.S.

Collecting 104

Collecting Iraq Ostriches Science 104

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 6, 2018

Personally, I love exploring new hotspots and discovering new or unusual species when visiting a country. This phase is to familiarize with the species that can be seen. Search for species (or subspecies) endemic to the area visited. Search for my target species (i.e. research papers). There was none in Serbia.

Serbia 142

Serbia Switzerland Farming Birds 142

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. Unsurprisingly the ones that most stick in the mind were the lost species. Box after box of egg. Bush Wrens.

Collecting 228

Collecting Solomon Islands New Zealand Fiji 228

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

The Peterson Reference Guide to Seawatching offers two types of information: Species Accounts–descriptions of 112 birds within 15 families as they appear over and on the water, and Where to Watch, brief descriptions of 47 sites on the North American eastern coast and interior recommended for seawatching. No rails or gallinules.

Ducks 239

Ducks Groups Species North America 239

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 7, 2014

The second edition of the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition has one of the longest book names in bird bookdom: National Geographic Complete Birds of North America, 2nd Edition: Now Covering More Than 1,000 Species With the Most-Detailed Information Found in a Single Volume. This volume is no exception.

North America 178

North America America Birds Family 178

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 25, 2011

Unless you are nothing but the lowly diehard lister, for which you should feel much shame and embarrassment for, birders and biologists alike frequently want to understand birds on a deeper level than how to identify the age, sex and species of a certain individual. I look forward to more research being done in this field.

Emotional 214

Emotional Science Birds Mammals 214

10,000 Birds

MAY 19, 2011

Even if you don’t live in the summer range of a particular species, you may have opportunities to observe it while it passes through, especailly if you live in an active flyway, like I happen to. Way back when I started what turned out to be my thesis research (on humans), it became important for me to learn about bird migration.

Research 199

Research Humane Compassion New York 199

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Nate introduces the tools, skills, and knowledge base of birding with friendly encouragement, combining text with activities that range from field sketching to using eBird. Mack tells the story of how he set up a research station, and a life, in Papua New Guinea. Mack (Cassowary Conservation and Publishing, 2014) for Birding.

Papua New Guinea 186

Papua New Guinea 2014 Penguins Birds 186

10,000 Birds

OCTOBER 5, 2021

Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica: A Field Guide covers 113 damselfly species and 170 dragonfly species, a total of 283 species. Wait–that adds up to 290 species, but the book only covers 283. .* Wait–that adds up to 290 species, but the book only covers 283. Paulson, William A. INTRODUCTION.

Costa Rica 263

Costa Rica North America Family America 263

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 7, 2021

Decades later, Richard Pough’s Audubon Bird Guide, Eastern Land Birds (I happily own the 1948 edition) included nest and egg descriptions for each species as well. And photographs of feathers in the species accounts, which surprised me. Text retrieved from the Hathitrust Digital Library. The first is accomplished well.

Eggs 241

Eggs Birds United States Sparrows 241

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 5, 2017

The 7th edition of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America covers 1,023 species that reside, migrate, or have been documented as accidentals or exotics in North America. Species Accounts: With 1,023 species, National Geographic 7 continues to cover the most species of any North American field guide.

North America 187

North America America 2017 Birds 187