Category: Sightings
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Getting Ready for the 2020 Global Big Day
This year has started off a little different around the world. Our current global health crisis has forced many people to stay inside under lockdown and quarantine situations. One day we will be back out to enjoy birding at our favorite hotspots and travel internationally again. In the meantime, this is the best opportunity to…
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Costa Rica Birding Challenge and some Owls
The Costa Rica Birding Challenge finished last week with an amazing number of birds seen or heard collectively: more than 550 species in over a week’s time. The Tico Tickers, Yeray‘s team, came in first place with 488 species! We want to congratulate all the participants and organizers for an amazing event, which we are…
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Bushy-crested Jay in Guatemala!
We just finished a fantastic fam-trip in Guatemala, which included presentations and debate sessions about birding tourism and conservation. We want to thank to the organizers and collaborators of Birdforum for a great event and for inviting us to participate. There was also time to see some great birds, including the raucous Bushy-crested Jay. The…
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We found the elusive Snow Leopard!
The elusive Snow Leopard is one of the rarest felines in nature. They live in the rugged mountains of Central Asia, where they are difficult to access. Their low numbers continue to be threatened by poaching and the illegal trade. Very few people have had the chance to observe this animal in the wild and…
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Central American Mammals: Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloth, a usual sight in Panama City!
Central American mammals are some of the most interesting animals on the planet. Considering how thick the tropical forest can be, it is quite surprising how many mammals one gets to see while hiking in the jungle. Coatis, several species of monkeys, sloths, tamanduas, armadillos… all can be seen relatively easily on a trip to…
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Birding with the Belize Raptor Research Institute
After three years of trying, I was finally able to participate in the Belize Raptor Research Institute’s (BRRI) Belize Bird-a-thon – this is an annual event in which teams across the country race to see as many bird species as possible in a 24 hour period. It is a wonderful fundraiser for this fledgling NGO…
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Watching Barbary Macaques in northern Morocco
Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus) can be found in Morocco and Algeria. There is a small population in Gibraltar as well. They are the only species of primate to inhabit Europe beside humans. Barbary Macaque numbers have shrunk over the years due to habitat loss and persecution. Today, most of them survive in small and increasingly…
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A Top Predator in Belize: The Harpy Eagle
In general, it is not easy to see forest raptors. Observing the Harpy Eagle, a low density species, can be more difficult still. But for many bird watchers this eagle is one of the “most wanted” species on their life lists. And it is no surprise why. It is the largest raptor in the Americas,…