10,000 Birds

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

I quickly got a good view of an Orange-breasted Honeyeater , a local endemic, and the Vanikoro Flycatcher , a geographically disjunct oddity that occurs only in Fiji and the Solomon islands. The Kadavu race is now placed in the White-throated Whistler , along with birds from Gau and Lau in Fiji and some birds in the Solomon Islands.

Fiji 168

Fiji Solomon Islands Parrots Los Angeles 168

10,000 Birds

DECEMBER 27, 2023

He was very alert now, scanning the right bank with his eagle eyes. In short, I truly believe that there still are, maybe not plenty but a good number of species that to this day go unnoticed to the scientific eye, but are surely known to the indigenous peoples (the best example is the newly discovered giant rat from the Solomon Islands).

Solomon Islands 215

Solomon Islands Ecuador Colombia Brazil 215

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

The large, crested Choiseul Pigeon ( Microgoura meeki ) inhabited Choiseul and perhaps nearby islands in the Solomon Islands. Solomon Islanders say that the species was driven to extinction by cats and dogs introduced by Europeans. Choiseul Pigeon ( Microgoura meeki ) by J.G. What a horror! What a disaster!

Solomon Islands 275

Solomon Islands Guinea Mauritius Humane 275

10,000 Birds

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

On one memorable occasion, I recall a birder breaking his cover while I was watching the movie, “The Thin Red Line” Given that the director of that war film is into nature and might also be a birder, I guess it was expected that a few fantastic looking birds from the Solomon Islands would appear on the screen now and then.

Costa Rica 168

Costa Rica Solomon Islands Wisconsin Farming 168

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. So it was the right decision for the scientist to bring it up.

Collecting 219

Collecting Solomon Islands New Zealand Fiji 219

10,000 Birds

AUGUST 8, 2012

For starters New Zealand didn’t seem to have or have ever had the right type of wetlands to sustain a population of this large piscivore. The answer should be obvious to any birder that enjoys a bit of twitching; they were lost.The species is actually prone to that; they regularly turn up in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

New Zealand 179

New Zealand Pelicans Solomon Islands Palau 179