10,000 Birds

The Effects of Wildfires on Wildlife

Larry — Sat, 30 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

This post is republished in our “From the Archives” series, featuring highlights of our vast back catalogue of more than 10,000 birding-related posts published over the last 15 years or so. The photo above shows the beginning of the Carr Fire east of Redding with the Sundial Bridge in the foreground. This is about 35 miles West of my home. According to a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study, human-induced climate change has doubled the area affected by forest fires in the western U.S. over the last 30 years. According to the study, since 1984 heightened temperatures and resulting aridity have caused fires to spread across an additional 16,000 square miles than they otherwise would have—an area larger than the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined1. Fires in western forests began increasing abruptly in the 1980s, as measured by area burned, the number of large fires, and length of the fire season. Click on graph for large sized image. Wildfires are unplanned and very damaging fires, nine out of ten carelessly started by people. If a wildfire starts in the dry season, it can burn extremely hot and destroy all vegetation for miles. Once the rains begin, the destruction from the fire also causes soil erosion which degrades stream water quality, and mudslides which cause more environmental damage. So what do these facts mean for our wildlife? Some animals are injured and killed by wildfires. While larger animals like deer and elk are usually able to escape the fire’s path, smaller animals like squirrels, foxes and snakes are not always so lucky. Birds are able to fly away, but their nests and eggs can be destroyed. Fire can also cause wildlife to be burned, dehydrated and malnourished. In the months after a fire, wildlife populations can suffer substantial losses due to habitat alteration and destruction. Since their habitat has been destroyed, wildlife become displaced and must spend more time searching for food, water and shelter. Displaced wildlife may travel to areas not affected by the fire, which puts stress on the displaced wildlife, as well as the wildlife that was already there, due to increased competition for available food, water and shelter. This past March I helped a Girl Scout troupe build and install 15 Bluebird nest boxes on the Sacramento River Trail. Here’s a photo of the troupe and myself after the install. The Carr Fire jumped the Sacramento River within a few days after it began, at the very location we had installed the nestboxes. I went back yesterday to see the devastated area where the fire jumped the river and destroyed several homes. The river trail was closed, the entrance being fenced off with keep out signs. I was able to visualize six of the bird houses that survived. Here is what the area looks like now. An excellent Audubon article states “What do birds do when wildfires break out? No surprise here: They fly away. A fire might kill weak birds or, depending on the time of year, claim nestlings. But at least in the Western forests that U.S. Forest Service research biologist Vicki Saab studies, birds evolved alongside fire and flee in the face of conflagrations. ‘Direct mortality is not a big concern,’ Saab says.” The article goes on to mention that fires are not all bad. Vicki states that fire benefits several bird species, like the Black-backed Woodpecker which feeds off the bark and wood-boring beetles that lay eggs in the charred trees. This was the case in the 23,958 acre Reading Fire that burned in Lassen Volcanic National Park in 2012 where I photographed this Black-backed Woodpecker. So far this year, CalFire has responded to 3,981 fires which have destroyed 629,531 acres. Nearly three times the acreage burned in the same timeframe last year. There is no doubt, the emerging influences of climate change are now resulting in longer burning seasons and a greater land base that is susceptible to wildfire. Here are some facts about climate change. More resources on this topic: Wildfire! Toward Understanding Its Effects on Wildlife, How will California’s devastating fires affect wildlife for years to come?, What Do Wild Animals Do in a Wildfire?, References: 1Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Rarities Galore in Bundala National Park, Sri Lanka

Luca — Sat, 30 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Most birding tour companies schedule a stop in Bundala National Park on a tour to Sri Lanka. The reason is simple: despite its small size, the park’s multiple habitats including wetlands and dense thickets host a huge number of birds. This is also where many rare migrants are found annually, adding the excitement of possibly finding a vagrant. I’ve only been to Bundala once, which is scandalous for somebody who has lived in Sri Lanka for several years. However, the single visit already proved the great diversity of birds to be found here, although this post’s title may be somewhat misleading the low number of rarities I recorded – and that are therefore represented in this post – does not do the place justice. The White-throated Kingfisher in this post’s featured image – one of the most common birds in Sri Lanka – is a good indicator for this contradiction. Even when you aren’t looking for rarities, you will always be entertained by Green Bee-eaters perched on exposed branches right next to the road. These birds are common in much of Sri Lanka but their tame nature and stunning colours make them impossible to resist. Green Bee-eater The salt works in the national park are great for waders, despite their probably expansive negative effects on surrounding ecosystem health. One highlight hear is the annual occurrence of a few Red-necked Stints. I was not treated to this honour, bur still enjoyed good sightings of common waders such as Ruddy Turnstone. Like most waders, this species feeds on small invertebrates like most waders. Like the name suggests, they often flip over rocks to eat the invertebrates hiding below them. Their strength is really remarkable; I remember watching in awe as they turned around rocks nearly the size of their own body. Surprisingly, it seems that they do have quite a broad diet and sometimes also take small bird eggs, which these authors claim resulted in the abandonment of a tern colony. Ruddy Turnstone The Sand Martin is a rare migrant to Sri Lanka, and Bundala is once again one of the best places to come across this species. This is also the only proper rarity I saw during my visit, in the form of two individuals in a small flock of Barn Swallows. While I know this species from South Africa and Europe, it’s always fun to see migrants in different places. Sand Martin has recently been split to Riparia riparia (Sand Martin) and Riparia diluta (Pale Martin) and I’m sure that the latter species may also occasionally winter in Sri Lanka. Sand Martin I did feel as if I could not adequately explore the park given that there are so many species that can be seen here. I would definitely say that two full days would do this park justice, especially as mammals such as sloth bear and leopard are also always a possibility.

Menorca – Birding in the Balearics I

David T — Fri, 29 May 2026 15:59:00 +0000

Spain’s Balearic Islands have long been popular with British birdwatchers, but it’s the biggest of the Mediterranean islands, Majorca, which attracts most of the birding visitors. Majorca is more than five times larger than its north-easterly neighbour, Menorca, and has mountains that rise to over 4700ft. In contrast, Menorca lacks any mountains, and its bird list is notably smaller than that of…

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Interviews with 10,000 Birds Writers: David Tomlinson

Editor — Fri, 29 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

I’ve been interested in wildlife in general, and birds in particular, for as long as I can recall. At the age of five, I acquired my first bird book, The Observers’ Book of Birds, and soon knew every bird in it. For my ninth birthday, I was given A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe, by Roger Tory Peterson, Guy Mountfort, and Phil Hollom. This widened my interest in birds to include Europe, which was timely as that was when my parents started taking me on holidays in Europe. As a teenager, I kept a small collection of wildfowl (Red-crested Pochard, Wigeon, Mandarin, Wood Duck, and Red-billed Whistling Duck) on a pond in my parents’ garden – I’ve been a duck enthusiast ever since. David birding in The Gambia in the mid-1980s In my late teens, I did quite a bit of volunteering for the RSPB at the society’s premier bird reserve, Minsmere in Suffolk. At the time, I fancied becoming a bird reserve warden, but I discovered that I was much better at showing people birds than I was at practical things, such as building roads and repairing hides, so I gave up on that idea. I’d always been interested in writing, and had my first articles (on birds) published when I was in my teens. I was also interested in shooting: my first job was on Shooting Times & Country Magazine, a title I still write for today. After three years on ST, I moved to Country Life, where I remained for 19 years until going freelance, writing about the subjects that interested me – birds, conservation, even tennis and cars. I was fortunate enough to be paid to do the things I enjoyed. During this time, I started running birdwatching courses for the Field Studies Council, and from this I went on to organise my own birdwatching holidays. My company was called Gourmet Birds: I tried to combine good birds with food and wine, not always an easy combination. Birding in Portugal’s Alentejo I ran Gourmet Birds for nearly 40 years, in which time I organised and led holidays throughout Europe, and to such distant destinations as Australia, Costa Rica, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Borneo, and many countries in Africa. However, freelance writing was my profession, and I never aimed to become a full-time tour leader. I’ve been lucky enough to have been supported by a long-suffering wife, Jan, who has survived being charged by a bull elephant when we were birding on foot in Botswana, though she would probably cite sleeping on grubby nylon sheets in a rainforest in Thailand as an equally bad experience. Though birds have remained my principal interest throughout my life, I have always been keen on racket sports (tennis, squash, and badminton), and played all three to a reasonable standard until my knees cried enough. I’ve enjoyed cars, too, and have driven a great variety, from Fords to Ferraris. Dogs (spaniels) and horses remain a passion, and I enjoyed foxhunting until Prime Minister Tony Blair banned the sport (something he later admitted was a bad decision). Birdwatching with Emma the spaniel Through my work, I was fortunate to meet many of the most influential figures in British birding in Britain. I interviewed, for example, Sir Peter Scott (founder of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the World Wildlife Fund), the broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, and Guy Mountfort (one of the authors of the Field Guide). Dr Jean Delacour was one of the most fascinating people I met – I was 26 and he was 84 when I interviewed him at his château at Clères in France. He was a Frenchman who later became an American and was a serious ornithologist and aviculturist. He was, I believe, the last person to have Pink-headed Ducks (now extinct) in his wildfowl collection, but it was destroyed during the Second World War. As a professional writer, I always said that I would never write for an outlet where I wasn’t paid. However, writing for 10000 Birds is an exception, as I can write about whatever I want to, which is fun; I do have a compulsion to write, as it’s one of the few things I find easy. It’s satisfying to see my photographs appear in my articles, too. However, I remain a birdwatcher who photographs birds, not a bird photographer, and I appreciate the latest lightweight camera equipment, which makes this possible. I believe that Merlin is a brilliant invention, as it has introduced birds and birding to a whole new audience. Horses have always been a passion Though I may no longer lead birding holidays, I still travel widely, while I also do a great deal of birding close to home (I always take binoculars even when I walk my dog). I haven’t added up my life list for a long time, but it’s somewhere over 4,000 species. There are still birds that I’d love to see, with Torrent Duck and Cock of the Rock high on the list, so a trip to South America is really needed while I’m still fit enough to contemplate it. Cover Photo: Meeting a Bald Ibis in Italy

Species Spotlight: Black-throated Sunbird

Kai Pflug — Fri, 29 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

I have a completely unproven theory that many bird photographers are people who would love to create beautiful art—but combine this ambition with a distinct lack of artistic skill, and (fortunately) full awareness of that lack. Bird photography offers a convenient solution: the creation of beauty is outsourced to nature, while the minor act of capturing it provides just enough satisfaction to compensate for the essentially uncreative process of pressing a camera button. Take these photos of Black-throated Sunbirds (male and female—though, admittedly, the paragraph above applies more to the male). Give me art supplies, and I will struggle to do anything more than ruin a perfectly good piece of paper. Give me a camera and a sufficiently expensive lens, and I can produce something that might even convince a few unsuspecting viewers of my artistic vision. That said, in the interest of pretending there is more to this post than decorative photography, here are a few vaguely scientific facts about the Black-throated Sunbird. The scientific name Aethopyga saturata combines what sounds faintly like a medical condition with an appreciation of the male’s intense coloration—saturata meaning richly colored. The species is part of highland mixed-species foraging flocks in Peninsular Malaysia (source), typically outshining some of the more muted participants (it is difficult to build artistic credibility photographing Mountain Fulvettas). Juvenile males go through various stages of drabness before turning into the brightly colored adults photographers prefer—these stages are nicely illustrated in photos here. The authors of one paper note that “the throat appears black but in good light is metallic purple-blue”, something I could not confirm in my own photos. There is some blue on the sides of the throat, though—perhaps this is what they had in mind. Another paper features the species (along with other sunbirds and flowerpeckers) as a pollinator of aerial mistletoes. It does not attribute any particular aesthetic sensitivity to the bird, instead noting that “males are aggressive and territorial” and unwilling to share mistletoe bushes while feeding. At Baihualing in Yunnan, China, where these photos were taken, they visit bird hides—apparently, particularly the (vain?) males like bathing. Which, conveniently, allows photographers to outsource both beauty and effort.

Rwanda’s Birdlife

a Guest — Thu, 28 May 2026 23:08:27 +0000

By Jacques Habimana Jacques is a passionate bird guide with strong experience guiding visitors through Rwanda’s diverse birding destinations. He can be reached at hajasjacques@gmail.com or Phone/WhatsApp: +250780654591. Chestnut-throated Apalis Rwanda is increasingly recognized as one of Africa’s most rewarding birding destinations, with more than 700 recorded bird species found across forests, wetlands, lakes, and savannahs. Its relatively compact size allows birders to explore a wide range of habitats within a short distance. Dusky Crimsonwing National Parks and Major Birding Destinations Nyungwe National Park Nyungwe National Park is among the best places to see Albertine Rift endemic birds. Its montane rainforest supports more than 30 endemic species. Notable species recorded in Nyungwe include Red-collared Babbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Kungwe Apalis, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grauer’s Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, Black-faced Apalis, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Dusky Crimsonwing, Strange Weaver, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, and Grauer’s Swamp Warbler. The Kivu race of Abyssinian Ground Thrush is also found here. Nyungwe’s combination of dense forest, bamboo zones, swamps, and mountain ridges creates habitat for many localized species that are difficult to find elsewhere. Important birding areas include Uwinka, Gisakura, Kamiranzovu Swamp, Bigugu Trail, Karamba Birding Site, Waterfall Trail, and Cyamudongo Forest. Birders visiting Nyungwe often combine daytime forest birding with night excursions in search of species such as the Albertine Owlet, Red-chested Owl, and Rwenzori Nightjar. Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher Akagera National Park Akagera National Park, in eastern Rwanda, holds more than 500 recorded bird species. Its mix of savannah, wetlands, lakes, papyrus swamps, woodland, and grassland supports a wide variety of birds. Waterbirds and Wetland Species Akagera is especially known for its lakes and marshes. Species regularly recorded include Shoebill, African Fish Eagle, Papyrus Gonolek, African Jacana, Malachite Kingfisher, African Openbill, Saddle-billed Stork, Great White Pelican, Goliath Heron, and Squacco Heron. Savannah and Grassland Birds The park’s open habitats support species such as Brown-chested Lapwing, Ring-necked Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser, Lilac-breasted Roller, Red-necked Spurfowl, White-headed Buffalo Weaver, and Northern Black Korhaan. Raptors Akagera is also notable for birds of prey, including Bateleur, Martial Eagle, African Hawk-Eagle, Palm-nut Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, and Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl. Key Birding Areas in Akagera Lake IhemaOne of the park’s main birding sites, especially for waterbirds, kingfishers, herons, and fish eagles. Boat trips can be particularly productive. Akagera SwampsKnown for papyrus specialists such as Papyrus Gonolek and White-winged Swamp Warbler. Northern PlainsGood for savannah birds including lapwings, francolins, bustards, and raptors. Mutumba HillsA useful area for woodland birds and raptor watching. Best Time for Birdwatching The dry season from June to September generally offers easier road access and concentrated bird activity around water sources. From November to April, migratory species are present and many resident birds are in breeding plumage. Bird activity is usually highest in the early morning and late afternoon. Akagera is unusual in Rwanda in combining large mammals, wetland birding, and savannah birdwatching within a single protected area. Black-throated Apalis Volcanoes National Park Volcanoes National Park is best known for mountain gorillas, but it also supports several high-altitude Albertine Rift endemics, including Stuhlmann’s Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, and Rwenzori Apalis. White-starred Robin Gishwati-Mukura National Park Gishwati-Mukura National Park protects recovering montane rainforest habitat and offers opportunities to observe forest birds and Albertine Rift species. Northern Puffback Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-Tourism Park Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-Tourism Park is an urban wetland in Kigali that has become an accessible birding site for residents and visitors. Rwenziri Batis Rugezi Ornithology Center The Rugezi Ornithology Center, near Rugezi Marsh, focuses on bird conservation, research, and ecotourism. Streaky Seed-eater Umusambi Village Umusambi Village is known for its work conserving the endangered Grey Crowned Crane. Chubb’s Cisticola Lake Kivu Lake Kivu offers birdwatching along its shoreline, with kingfishers, cormorants, herons, and other water-associated species. Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill Lake Muhazi Lake Muhazi is another productive site for waterbirds. Black-faced Apalis Other Birding Areas Additional birding locations in Rwanda include Rugezi Marsh, Nyabarongo Wetlands, Cyamudongo Forest, Buhanga Eco-Park, and the wetlands around Bugesera. Birdwatching in Rwanda offers a combination of Albertine Rift endemics, wetland species, and savannah birds within a relatively small geographic area. African Stonechat All photos except the cover photo by nshutioppo1987@gmail.com Cover photo “Nyungwe National Park” by Rwanda Government is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0. Malachite Sunbird

Five Great Indie/Alternative Songs Related to Birds

Kai Pflug — Thu, 28 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

I usually just write about birds, show some photos, add a few mediocre jokes, and try to sneak in one or two of my current favorite songs. No such pretending today — just five songs that I think are musically great (I will never really like a song just for its lyrics) and that contain just enough of a birding angle to justify mentioning them here. As I do not feel remotely capable of explaining why these songs are so good, I am quoting bits of the lyrics instead. Otherwise, the post would be too short. Skip this post if you are not interested in music. The Burning Hell: Birdwatching I have an allergy to strategy and inspirational quotationsMy reaction’s anaphylactic to vocations or to nationsI’m digging moats and burning flags, and bridges just as a precautionIf you need me, I’ll be sitting on this island, birdwatching The National: The Geese of Beverly Road We won’t be disappointedWe’ll fight like girls for our place at the tableOur room on the floorWe’ll set off the geese of Beverly Road Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band: Free from the Guillotine Soon I’ll be seen as a problem or the neighborsSoon l’Il be seen as a trophy for the precinctSoon I’ll be seen as a willingly endangered birdAbout to fly south Mekons: Shocking Curse Bird Unblinking, the bird flies highEverything is blackBut not as black asThe curse bird’s eye Pixies: Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons Sun shines in the rusty morningOnce I had a good fly Cover image found here – I hope the link compensates for the use of the illustration by The Burning Hell.

Demotivational Posters for Birds (XXXIII)

Kai Pflug — Thu, 28 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

A raven—neither particularly happy nor unhappy, just busy mending its own ways—came across a mixed flock of birds. The raven was a bit confused and tried to understand: “Why do you all look so gloomy, so dissatisfied, so glum?” (The raven liked making his meaning clear by piling on similar words, even when one would have sufficed. He thought it made him sound intellectual, though most of his companions simply found it pretentious and annoying.) The flock leader replied, “We just went online… and saw the newest edition of Demotivational Posters for Birds. We were feeling fine before, but now we feel… bad. Is this really how our lives are? Don’t answer—that was rhetorical. We already know it is.”