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Birding Ruili, Yunnan

10,000 Birds

The proximity to the Myanmar border is reflected in the presence of Burmese Shrikes here – on the wrong side of the border, but it is well known that this species has never been particularly good at geography. This photo explains the scientific species name haemacephalus (bloodheaded).

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Our Favorite Bird Books (and one pair of Binoculars) of 2022

10,000 Birds

Myers, a professional birding guide in “real life,” summarizes the etymology and history of all common bird names (of bird families and groups, not all 10,000-plus species). The guide covers 265 of Maine’s 461 bird species: common nesting species, common migrants, and wintering birds.

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White’s Thrush or Scaly?

10,000 Birds

Species searches on eBird reveal that both species might be found in Tokyo, though White’s is much more common, with a few contemporary sightings. Sri Lanka Thrush Zoothera imbricata [ map ] [ my records ]. Nilgiri Thrush and Sri Lanka Thrush are monotypic. So I resorted to the internet. The Ripley guide.

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Birding Sepilok, Borneo (Part 2)

10,000 Birds

It feels good to start a post with some truly attractive birds – such as two species of broadbills. Strangely, there do not seem to be many papers on this species. In one paper , you can find fascinating sentences such as “The new species is most similar to D. My cats refuse to even try Fiery Minivets.

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15 expat-friendly countries for a birder to move to

10,000 Birds

This map shows the distribution of the World’s bird species, based on overlying the breeding and wintering ranges of all known species. I used to live in Botswana, where there are about 450 bird species in an area a few dozen miles from the capital; then somewhat naively moved back to Serbia with mere 250 species around the capital.

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Where Tulips Come From (It Ain’t Holland)

10,000 Birds

It turns out that the steppe is one of the places tulips come from and is a center of tulip species diversity. When he returned to Portugal in disgrace after usurping his position from the rightful governor, Sampayo supposedly took tulip bulbs with him from Sri Lanka. No, no, and no! How did tulips arrive in Holland?

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Mammals of South Asia (Lynx Edicions)

10,000 Birds

Beside India, Lynx Illustrated Checklist of the Mammals of South Asia covers Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Despite depicting 540 species/56 families, it is a lightweight book of 173 pages, easy to pack and carry. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales. Highly recommended.

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