10,000 Birds

Salento & The Cocora Valley, Colombia – Profile for Birders

Editor — Thu, 21 May 2026 11:10:27 +0000

Highlights The Home of the Wax Palms: Birding among the tallest palm trees in the world (Ceroxylon quindiuense) in a spectacular high-Andean cloud forest setting. In-the-Wild Photography: An incredible destination for active wildlife photographers who prefer capturing birds in their natural habitats, engaging in genuine wild behaviors rather than at artificial feeders. Highly Accessible Trails: A fantastic network of trails ranging from easy roadside birding to rewarding montane treks, perfect for serious international birders and active field photographers. Masked Trogon – Trogon personatus Key Bird Species and Families Vulnerable species: Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus), Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis), Golden-plumed Parakeet (Leptosittaca branickii). High-Andean Specialties: Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), Buff-winged Starfrontlet, Tourmaline Sunangel, Chestnut-breasted Chlorophonia (Chlorophonia pyrrhophrys), Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Powerful Woodpecker, and Long-tailed Sylph. Tanagers & Mountain-Tanagers: Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager, and Buff-banded Mountain Tanager moving through fast mixed-species feeding flocks. The elusive White-capped Tanager and the beautiful Beryl-splangled Tanager. Long-tailed Sylph – Aglaiocercus kingi Best Regions for Birding In the Salento area, we primarily target two major elevational zones, each hosting a completely distinct set of ecosystems and bird families: The High Cloud Forest (2,300–2,800 m.a.s.l.): Centered around the upper Cocora Valley, this region is a major hotspot for fast-moving mixed-species flocks. It offers an incredible concentration of high-altitude specialists, including spectacular mountain-tanagers, woodcreepers, tyrant flycatchers, and brushfinches, as well as the charismatic Torrent Duck navigating the rushing mountain rivers. The Premontane Foothills (1,600–2,000 m.a.s.l.): Moving slightly lower down the mountain reveals a massive spike in overall species diversity. This warmer foothill zone is the premier place to target highly prized Colombian endemics like the Grayish Piculet, Crested Ant-Tanager, and Parker’s Antbird, alongside a wide variety of lower-elevation tanagers, woodpeckers, and parrots. Torrent Duck – Merganeta armata Best Birding Season Year-round excellent birding. However, the driest months with the most stable weather and best light for field photography are from December to February and July to August. Birding Trip Suggestion(s) Day 1: Santa Rita Nature Reserve & The Quindío River Corridor A full day exploring the mid-to-lower elevation premontane forests (1,700–2,000 m.a.s.l.) flanking the Quindío River area and Santa Rita. This slower-paced trail system features a highly productive mix of secondary native forest, riverbanks, and shade systems, making it the perfect setting to target localized endemics like the Grayish Piculet and Crested Ant-Tanager in excellent natural light. Day 2: Upper Cocora Valley & High-Altitude Targets Depart at dawn to catch the morning flight of the endangered Yellow-eared Parrots as they leave their wax palm roosts. Follow this with streamside stalking along the rushing upper river sectors to spot Torrent Ducks and White-capped Dippers foraging on the massive mid-stream boulders. Yellow-eared Parrot – Ognorhynchus icterotis Practical Tips Clothing: Weather changes rapidly in the high Andes. Pack layers, a high-quality waterproof jacket, and sturdy, muddy-trail-ready hiking boots. Logistics: Salento is highly tourist-friendly but can get crowded on weekends. Starting early (at 5:30 AM) ensures completely quiet trails, peak bird activity, and the best morning field light. Photography Gear: Since this is pure, natural field photography without feeders, a fast telephoto lens (400mm or equivalent) and a sturdy tripod or monopod for walking the mountain trails are highly recommended. White-capped Tanager – Sericossypha albocristata Books My most recommended field guide is the Guia Ilustrada de la Avifauna Colombiana by Fernando Ayerbe Russet-crowned Warbler – Myiothlypis coronata Links Our Region Guide: www.pajarerosbirdingtours.com eBird Hotspots: Valle de Cocora, Vía Finca La Montaña, Reserva Natural Santa Rita, Río Quindío. By Jorge López Jorge López is a Colombian professional field biologist, conservationist, and founder of Pajareros Birding Tours. Based right in the Central Andes, he specializes in designing and guiding private, custom, and highly educational birding and photography expeditions across Colombia. Jorge can be reached directly at info@pajarerosbirdingtours.com or via his website at pajarerosbirdingtours.com or via WhatsApp +57 3160834407. Photos taken by Jorge Lopez in the field. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Golden-plumed Parakeet – Leptosittaca branickii

An Ornithological Odyssey: Ten Distinguished Sojourners in the Panoply of Avian Opulence

Peter — Thu, 21 May 2026 11:00:26 +0000

What is the world coming to? When you ask artificial intelligence to generate a post title, it produces the sort of rubbish title that disfigures the article you are reading now. All I wanted to do is show you my top 10 of spectacular birding experiences… 1. Serengeti of the Skies. Batumi in Georgia is well known for the annual raptor migration, when millions of Accipitridae fly past. Raptors are of course very boring, but at Batumi the sheer numbers provide the excitement – it must be absolutely captivating. I want to go there. 2. Trawlers at the Cape of Good Hope. I have visited the Cape fishing grounds, it’s amazing to see thousands of albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels and storm-petrels fight over the discards from fishing trawlers while you need to be simultaneously making sure the Cape Fure Seals don’t bite off your hand. 3. Murmuration of Starlings. The lovely Common Starlings roost together because they seek safety in numbers, exchange information or just like showing off. YouTube has several videos of murmurations, which are so much better than some right-wing nutter talking about lizard people. 4. Penguin Colonies. A million well-dressed birds. I would dress up in a tuxedo and risk hanta-virus to watch this spectacle. 5. Istanbul. Every autumn Western Eurasia’s migratory birds fly over this ancient city. You can watch Levant Sparrowhawk in some mosquito-infested forest, or you can sip a Turkish coffee and watch hundreds fly past before your coffee is cool enough to drink. 6. Red-billed Quelea. After the domestic chicken allegedly the most numerous bird on the planet. Seeing a swarm (these are no longer to be considered flocks) of them drink at a waterhole is just amazing. There’s beauty in numbers. Local farmers do have a strikingly different opinion of them. 7. Bar-headed Geese. The only reason to climb Mount Everest I can possibly consider to be valid is to watch Bar-headed Geese fly over me. Nothing underlines the futility of human endeavour better. No, correction, they could defecate on the mountaineers from up high. 8. Emu War. I love the Australian people and I love their birds. I therefor can not think of anything more entertaining than a war between them. Especially since the Emus won the war. A spectacle I wish I had witnessed. 9. Roaring Forties. The Flying Dutchman, a mythical ghost ship, was doomed to sail forever after one of its crew had killed an albatross. Fishing vessels from a multitude of nations kill albatrosses routinely but the creation of ghost ships seems to have stopped. Two specks of light in this darkness: the Roaring Forties still provide a lot of spectacle for those brave enough to weather the storms and some nations like South Korea are really addressing the bycatch problem. 10. Falsterbö. Or any other migrant funnel. In autumn, being at a place where the water narrows, mountains squeeze in the landscape or where there is just nowhere else to go but that little patch of forest: those places can offer spectacle upon spectacle. Rarities, large numbers, you name it. Picture credits: Emu War: Public Domain via Wikemedia Commons Emu: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons Murmuration of starlings: Tanya Hart, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All other pictures from the 10000birds archive.

Demotivational Posters for Birds (XXXII)

Kai Pflug — Thu, 21 May 2026 10:38:55 +0000

Birds are often presented to us as symbols of grace, romance, freedom, and triumph. And to be fair, they do look convincing from a distance. But closer observation suggests that elegance frequently coexists with aggression, romance with blatant self-promotion, and triumph with simple relief at having survived yet another baffling day. This latest set of demotivational posters continues our ongoing…

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May 9th, 2026 – Global Big Day

Faraaz Abdool — Thu, 21 May 2026 03:58:29 +0000

The Global Big Day (GBD) is a beloved tradition for us and I am so glad that 10,000 Birds writers have come together for a team! Our podcast has had a team for 5 or 6 years now and it is so exciting to watch as lists roll in from around the world. As a small business owner, I work 7-days a week, so GBD falls on a workday for me and I don’t get the opportunity to do a whole lot of birding. But birders well know to make a checklist whenever you get a chance! Our day started off by going down to Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach, Oregon to secure Tufted Puffins for the team list as they are relatively uncommon throughout much of their range. The morning we went out there was a high tide and there was little activity, however we were able to scope a couple just on the other side of the breakers! Common Murres, Surf Scoters, Pelagic Cormorants, and the puffins were added to the list. Stopping by the Cannon Beach Settling Ponds got us some Chestnut-backed Chickadees and Purple Martins before heading off to work. Throughout the day, I completed “incomplete checklists” adding Vaux’s Swifts, Golden-crowned Kinglet, American Goldfinch, Swainson’s Thrush, Bald Eagle to the list. I talked my way into a few hours off so that we could seek out a Snowy Plover in the town north – success! One thing I love about writing for 10,000 Birds is sharing this instant camaraderie with birders around the world! – Hannah May 9 2026 rolled around before I was able to properly gather my wits after a pair of back to back T&T tours. A few days of extra sleep fixed most of the brain fog, but at least I remembered where the birds were. That morning, I stumbled out of bed at 5am to the sounds of Common Pauraque and Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl – kickstarting the first eBird list of the day. While I was still indoors, the first Great Kiskadees began screaming, and so did the Tropical Mockingbirds that sleep under the eaves of our roof. As I shuffled outside in the faint glow of the pre-dawn, I became acutely aware of eyes on me: a Tufted Coquette sat in one of the shrubs adjoining our walkway. Before direct light touched any terrestrial life, the species count was already in double figures. I knew from that point that it was going to be a productive day. I would just have to keep my foot on the gas all day. Rest? Tomorrow. That morning session produced 93 species, some of course seen far better than others. A brief view of a hummingbird darting around in the canopy at dawn, for example, was recorded as a Long-billed Starthroat by virtue of, well, its long, straight bill. While scanning the first kettle of vultures that rose into the sky, a few dots turned out to be kites: Plumbeous Kites with pointy wings, and Hook-billed Kites with wide, paddle-shaped wings. The latter is a fairly new sighting here, I had caught a view of one some weeks prior but was only about 90% sure given its novelty. I sat momentarily with a bowl of cereal and freshly brewed coffee, but still managed to catch a pair of White Hawks as they drifted by. After this, the next spot was some open fields to the east. Myself and my birding buddy for the day, Michelle, were ready for the heat. Within a few seconds of arriving at this new location, we picked up two new birds for the day – and lifers for her: Grassland Yellow-Finch and Red-breasted Meadowlark. On the road shortly after leaving this area, she spotted a reddish raptor that flew overhead: Savanna Hawk, another new bird for the day and for her. From here, we headed into the Northern Range, driving over the highest saddle just to the north-facing slopes of these hills. The first stop yielded nothing much, but our second stop was guided by intuition and proved to be spectacularly productive, with Red-rumped and Golden-olive Woodpeckers, Guianan Violaceous, Green-backed, and Collared Trogons, along with a selection of typical forest birds including a pair of especially confiding Bay-headed Tanagers. We left the hills after a couple hours, but not before stopping to add Bearded Bellbird as a HO (heard-only). If the heat wasn’t enough at this point, we were then headed to Trinidad’s west coast for an intended quick stop-off at the tidal mudflats. As we walked past the mangroves to a gap where we could get a decent view of the flats, we were truly flabbergasted by the sheer number of birds. Shorebirds, gulls, terns, skimmers, flamingos, and herons as far as the eye could see. I took pictures and counted blobs. By this time, the sun was threateningly low in the sky. We pushed north again, the sky turning red from all the bushfires in the area. I had one final plan, after getting Michelle onto a small flock of Red Knots at our last coastal site – and we skidded in just after sunset. Darkness had already begun to drift through but there were some birds that were still active. An audible gasp let me know that she had found it: an American Pygmy Kingfisher just where I said it would be. New bird for her, new bird for the day. Back at home to round things off, I was still waiting on a couple new species for the day. But the night was quiet. I had dinner indoors and resumed my listening as I was digesting. Finally, the booming hoots of a Mottled Owl to round off the day. 148 species, two shy of the total I was silently aiming for. – Faraaz One thing about birding that is a challenge, especially when I am planning on listing, is waking up early enough to hear the dawn chorus. My plan for doing that on my...

Wood Thrush – A Poem

Erika Zambello — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:21:37 +0000

I keep a Wood Thrush in my purse;an embroidered patch,the size of two quarters,affixed to a worn ID card.My little supporterof migratory life. There’s no doubt I heard Wood Thrushas a kid in Maine whenwaiting for the dawn school bus.High, clear notes with a raspyfringe. But I didn’t hear them,not really,not truly,until birds flew into my adult life –curiosity on the wing. Now I know,these tiny brown and white thrushesspend winters with me in Florida,before flying northfor a summer ofnest building and insect catching and baby raising. Of course,my family still in Mainecan listen,early spring mornings,to the same birds I so recentlymissed. I keep a Wood Thrush in my purse,and its form in my eyeand its song in my mind. A feathered memory,on the move.

Ask a Bird Guide: What is the least obvious trick that actually works when finding birds?

Editor — Wed, 20 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

We sent out another list of questions to bird guides who have already been profiled on 10,000 Birds. In the second edition of this second series, we ask What is the least obvious trick that actually works when finding birds? Here are the answers. Knowing their behaviour. Gabor Orban, Hungary/Costa Rica Throwing rocks. Zhang Lin, China Sometimes one achieves more by slowing down a bit. Stop, listen and take your time often is more rewarding. Marc Cronje, East and Southern Africa Making noise. Some birds, like Crested Tits in Scotland, are drawn to you if you encourage your group to chat vociferously. David Lindo, Spain Not using binoculars (I wrote about that here). Faraaz Abdool, Trinidad & Tobago Luck… you can do all you want, but sometimes you just get lucky. John Hague, UK Standing still. Many beginners think that moving equals searching, but often the best trick is to stop, keep quiet, and let the birds reveal themselves. Silence allows calls to be heard and movements to be noticed that would otherwise be missed while walking. Marcelo Carlos De Cruzky, Argentina Silence and Playing the Bird Sound. Sometimes mimic the same sound the bird makes if you can. Kwame Brown, Ghana One of the least obvious tricks that truly works is learning to stop and listen before you look. As a guide, I often find birds by sound long before they’re visible. A single call, a rustle, or a change in the forest’s rhythm can reveal far more than scanning with binoculars. Pausing quietly allows the environment to “reset,” and birds begin to move naturally again. Another subtle trick is watching movement, not the bird itself—a flick of a leaf, a slight branch shake, or a silhouette against light often gives away a hidden species. In essence, the real skill is slowing down—letting the habitat speak first, then following its clues. Magada Haily Miriam, Uganda Clients having a positive attitude and not worrying too much about getting their targets. Works most times. Spyros Skareas, Greece The cumulative hours, experience, background knowledge, and scouting. There’s no better way to find birds than to know where to look, how to look, and know them intimately, to be at the right place at the right time to have the best chance to find them. It’s why I focus my effort only in my region these days, I want to really know and think like the birds we seek, so my clients have the best experience possible – well, that, and also knowing every outhouse and portable toilet in the state of Maine! Derek Lovich, Maine, USA To call birds that are considered difficult to approach, I usually put a loudspeaker in the middle of the road and cover it with leaves while keeping a distance and try to play the bird’s sound several times until the bird starts to approach and we can see it with binoculars from a certain distance. Eko Lesomar, Papua New Guinea Best and least obvious trick in the neotropics is mimicking pygmy-owls! René Santos, Brazil Using the call of a specific species to attract it, playing the call of the Pacific owl in the coastal region of Ecuador. Sandra María Plúa Alban, Ecuador Look for the “Sentinels.” In our forests, the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo is the ultimate clue. While they are a relatively common sight, locating one often reveals a hidden treasure trove of rare and obscure species nearby. They act as a nucleus for mixed-species flocks; if you find the Drongo, you’ll often find the “not-so-common” Common Flameback, Lesser Yellownape, Heart-spotted Woodpecker, and even the elusive White-bellied Blue Flycatcher. It’s the birding equivalent of finding the party by following the loudest guest. Savio Fonseca, India Robins have a part in their song that is inaudible to humans due to its high frequency. If I’ve heard the local robin once or twice and can accurately identify this inaudible part, then I can say to birding guests: “Listen, there’s a chiffchaff singing. And now it’s continuing to sing.” Usually, the birding guests are amazed and ask me how I knew the robins would resume singing. Rolf Nessing, Germany And the usual semi-wise words from the editor: Bird guides, it turns out, rely on a curious mix of deep knowledge, patience, mild deception, and sheer luck. Many swear by slowing down, standing still, and listening carefully, while others throw rocks, imitate owls, or hide loudspeakers in bushes. The common theme: birds usually reveal themselves when humans stop behaving like humans. Pnoto: Black-faced Bunting (at least when the photo was taken at Nanhui, Shanghai, in November 2017)

Birding around Izumi, Japan

Hannah Buschert — Tue, 19 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

When we had a pre-trip meeting with our guide to discuss the best birding experience for us in Japan, he suggested we might be interested in adding a few extra days to bird on the southern island. Not wanting to fly across the world and miss any birds, we quickly said, “Yes, let’s do it.” So, after seeing Blakiston’s Fish-Owl, Steller’s Sea-Eagles, and much more in Hokkaido, we boarded a plane bound for Kagoshima.Kagoshima had much more tolerable weather conditions (for me) than the snowy north, temperate enough for tea fields beside the highway. Once we landed, we headed towards Izumi, where the Crane Bird Watching Center is, but made a brief stop at the Sendai River. Our first lifer, a Meadow Bunting, was singing on top of a light post. We walked upstream towards some farm fields where a Russet Sparrow was hopping amongst the rows. A few Green-winged Teal, Tufted Ducks, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, and Eurasian Wigeons were swimming between rocks in the river. Downstream, we had our lifer Japanese Wagtails, a beautifully pied wagtail, along with Gray and White Wagtails. Eastern Spot-billed Duck Japanese Wagtail Meadow Bunting After we had our fill of the river, we grabbed some lunch at a nearby convenience store and went off to Izumi. The site is huge, composed of reclaimed farm fields and an interpretive center in one section. In the 2025/2026 season, there were approximately 13,000 individuals, including 11,000 Hooded Cranes, 1,700 White-naped Cranes, and 17 Common Cranes. From the tower, we saw the cranes a bit distant; the best views were seen as they flew over towards the larger group. There were also some Northern Lapwings skittering around the fields and a small pond with Eurasian and Black-faced Spoonbills, and other water birds. Black-faced Spoonbill Hooded Crane Northern Lapwing For the remainder of the day, we spent exploring the East and West Reclamation Areas, where the cranes were much closer, and we could pull the car right up alongside them. Smaller birds were taking advantage of anything moving around the fallow fields, like Siberian Pipit, Oriental Greenfinch, wagtails, and Eurasian Skylarks. In a group of black birds, we found our lifer Daurian Jackdaws. The West Area offers riparian areas that host Chestnut-eared Bunting, Meadow Bunting, Chinese Penduline-Tit, and a confiding Eurasian Kestrel. Chinese Penduline-Tit Eurasian Kestrel Siberian Pipit I was eager to visit the Kogawa Dam because the eBird lists for this site included many birds I hoped to see. It did not disappoint! We drove about four miles through forested roads overlooking the reservoir. It was pretty isolated with no other cars around. But plenty of birds! Our guide stopped the car when a group of tits was pacing us, and in it we spotted a Varied Tit. Pale Thrushes foraged beside the road, and Brown-eared Bulbuls called from the treetops. Then in the reservoir, we found our targets: Mandarin Duck and Baikal Teal. I still cannot believe I saw a real, live Mandarin Duck! What a stunning bird! Mandarin Duck Over the next few days, we saw so many amazing species with more circling of the reclamation areas and back at the dam. We were happy to see Crested Kingfishers rattling over streams, a rare Demoiselle Crane mixed into the larger group, Ryukyu Minivets in the treetops, Red-flanked Bluetail scolding us from bushes, and a Brown Dipper bobbing in hot spring runoff. Brown Dipper Red-flanked Bluetail Ryukyu Minivet Birding in this area was so rewarding with lots of great sightings!

Bird Guides of the World: Kyle Gebhart, Lafayette, IN, USA

Editor — Tue, 19 May 2026 11:00:00 +0000

What is your favorite bird species? Ever since I first saw it at the Sax Zim Bog years ago, the Great Gray Owl has been my absolute favorite bird. Owls have always fascinated me, and the regality of the Great Gray Owl never ceases to amaze me. What is your name, and where do you live? My name is Kyle Gebhart. I live in Lafayette, IN. I have been in my current position as the Parks Naturalist with West Lafayette Parks since the fall of 2023. I previously worked for South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks as a seasonal naturalist at Custer State Park and as a temporary interpretive ranger with Tennessee State Parks at Cummins Falls State Park. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from Tennessee Tech University. What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide? Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, and more to come. Eastern Screech Owl How long have you been a bird guide? I have been leading bird walks/day trips at the park I manage for coming into 3 years now, and have led programs and wildlife/birding tours in my previous jobs. Barred Owl How did you get into bird guiding? As a park naturalist, part of my job is to teach people about our wildlife and ecology. Since birding is my favorite hobby, having the opportunity to be a guide in my daily job allows me the opportunity to offer guided trips. Pine Grosbeak What are the aspects of being a bird guide that you like best? Which aspects do you dislike most? Like: Being able to put people on birds that really excite either them or me. Dislike: planning a trip to a particularly well-known stopover location for sandhill cranes, expecting to see 20k+ birds in early December, and not seeing a single crane the entire time. Golden-crowned Kinglet What are the top 5-10 birds in your region that are the most interesting for visiting birders? American White Pelican (migration) Eastern Screech Owl Long-eared Owl Peregrine Falcon Sandhill/Whooping Crane Migrating Warblers in Spring Bald Eagle Eurasian Tree Sparrow Occasional Migrating vagrants (whistling ducks, long-tailed ducks, rare shorebirds, etc.) Coppery-tailed Trogon Can you outline at least one typical birdwatching trip in your area? Please briefly describe the locations, the key birds, and the approximate duration of such a trip I offer free bird walks over migration season at the park I manage, Celery Bog Nature Area, as well as guided daytrips with our park’s van to local hotspots and extended birding trips to other regions of the United States. My Saturday free bird walks usually last 1-1.5 hours, depending on the season. April and May walks can go longer due to the large number of migrants present. A Global Big Day trip may last 5+ hours and would include visiting several local hotspots in the greater Lafayette area. Extended guided trips include owling at Sax Zim Bog in northern Minnesota (6 days, 5 nights) as well as spring migration birding in the Sky Island region of Arizona (10 days, 9 nights) Black Phoebe What other suggestions can you give to birders interested in your area? Choose spring or fall migration. Spring migration is best if you are new to birding and are still learning your fall plumages. Winter is very good if you want to see many bald eagles at one location. As the rivers north of us freeze, bald eagles make their way down to our section of the Wabash River to catch fish in the still open water. Sometimes several dozen eagles can be seen roosting in one or two trees at the river. If any readers of 10,000 Birds are interested in birding with you, how can they best contact you? My working email is Kgebhart@westlafayette.in.govand my office phone number is 765-775-5172. The local walks/daytrips and off-site extended guided trips that I offer through the West Lafayette Parks Department can be found here: Catalog – City of West Lafayette Parks & Recreation – find the yellow “programs” tab to find my programs. All our birding/wildlife viewing trips are under the “Wildview Expeditions” subtab of the programs tab in our catalog. Anna’s Hummingbird Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of 10,000 Birds? Since we are a municipal park department, we do not aim to make large profits on our trips. Our goal is only to recoup our costs and create just a little extra to continue conservation and programming efforts at our parks. This allows us to offer extended guided trips at prices that are very competitive compared to other guiding services.