Tag: birding

  • Stygian Owl Research by BRRI Team

    Stygian Owl Research by BRRI Team

    In general, diurnal raptor species tend to be greater studied than their nocturnal counterparts.  However one organization, the Belize Raptor Research Institute, is changing all that. They are focusing a large part of their efforts on learning more about the Stygian Owl (Asio stygius). It is one of the largest Neotropical owls and little known.…

  • Hope is the Thing with Feathers

    Hope is the Thing with Feathers

    Hope is the thing with feathers; so begins a poem by Emily Dickinson. This line served as inspiration for the title of Christopher Cokinos’ book of the same name. This tome recounts the stories of six bird species that have gone extinct in recent times.  The Carolina Parakeet, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, the Heath Hen, the…

  • A Top Predator in Belize: The Harpy Eagle

    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,…

  • Birdwatching Morocco – Mountains, Sea, Marshes and Wind-swept Dunes

    Birdwatching Morocco – Mountains, Sea, Marshes and Wind-swept Dunes

    While birdwatching in Morocco, I don’t know what hit me first – the hypnotic music, the bustling voices in the marketplace, or the smells of spiced vegetables and meat grilling on open barbecues in the Djemaa el Fna Square in Marrakesh. This was the first stop on our week-long, winter, Morocco birding extravaganza and we…