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☆ ‘She Is Such an Athlete’: Astoria the Wild Turkey Is a Manhattan Celebrity
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Alexandra E. Petri | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Manhattan has a new unlikely feathered friend, and she’s visiting luxury retailers, dining at high-end restaurants and roosting in Park Avenue’s densest, greenest trees. Known as Astoria, the wild turkey is about as tall as a toddler, with iridescent hues of orange and blue in her brown feathers, an elegant neck, a healthy figure and wings that have helicopter-like strength. Her unusual appearance in Manhattan this week has once again drummed up excitement, bemusement and a growing following of New Yorkers fascinated by the wild fowl’s adventures — and concerned for its safety — in the Big Apple. David Barrett, a birder who runs the Manhattan Bird Alert account on X, was out in Central Park with his camera when he received an alert from a birding website after 5 p.m. on Tuesday about a wild turkey sighting in Midtown Manhattan. He headed to the corner of 49th Street and Park Avenue, where he said the bird nestled in a planter outside of Fasano, a high-end Italian restaurant.

Persons: —, David Barrett Organizations: Manhattan, Big Apple Locations: Astoria, Manhattan, Central Park, Midtown Manhattan, Fasano

☆ The beautiful African paradise islands that most tourists don’t know about
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —A couple of African paradise islands have been on the radar of avid world travelers for some time. Shellfish Bay on the island’s windward side shelters one of East Africa’s most spectacular beaches, a crescent of white sand framed by 100-meter dunes. Bazaruto Island Resort, the island’s top digs, can arrange scuba diving and snorkeling, sailing on traditional dhow boats, guided 4x4 wildlife safaris, sandboarding on the dunes and other outdoor activities. Lamu’s best beaches are on the island’s windward side, around a 30–40-minute walk via Shela village. — and an ancient stone nilometer for measuring the river’s water level — reflect the island’s importance during pharaonic times.

Persons: São Filipe, Denis, Ponta, Ariadne Van Zandbergen, Dar es Organizations: CNN, Ethiopian Airways, oneworld, Getty, UNESCO, Heritage, Cabo Verde Airlines, Overseas, Paris Orly, Animalia Museum, Egypt, Vogue, Reserve, Dar es Salam Locations: Mauritius, Seychelles, Canary, Africa, Madagascar, Addis Ababa, Bazaruto, Mozambique, East, sandboarding, Johannesburg, Vilanculos, Lamu, Kenya, Manda, Malindi, Nairobi, JamboJet, Fogo, Cape Verde, Cabo Verde, West Africa, Pico, Verde’s, Praia, Overseas Territory, Réunion, French Caribbean, L’Hermitage, Saint, Paris, Antananarivo, Elephantine, Egypt, Aswan, Bissagos, Guinea, Bissau, Bubaque, Pemba, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Tanga, Dar, FlightLink

☆ Opinion | When I Became a Birder, Almost Everything Else Fell Into Place
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Ed Yong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Last September, I drove to a protected wetland near my home in Oakland, Calif., walked to the end of a pier and started looking at birds. On that pier, for the first time, I had gone somewhere solely to watch birds. In some birding circles, people say that anyone who looks at birds is a birder — a kind, inclusive sentiment that also overlooks the forces that create and shape subcultures. I keep abreast of eBird’s rare bird alerts and have spent many days — some glorious, others frustrating — looking for said rare birds. I went out with experienced birders to learn how they move through a landscape and what cues they attend to.

Persons: I’ve, birders Organizations: Journalism Locations: Oakland, Calif, Sibley, United States, pish, owling

☆ With an Orange-Tufted Spiderhunter, Birder Breaks Record for Sightings
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Joe Trezza | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Feb. 9, Peter Kaestner stood in the shadow of majestic Tinuy-an Falls on the Philippine island of Mindanao, on the cusp of a record he’d spent seven decades chasing and worried that he’d arrived too late. For years, nobody alive had seen and identified more bird species than Mr. Kaestner. An obsessive birder since childhood, Mr. Kaestner woke up that morning in February with 9,997 birds on his personal “life list” — more than 90 percent of Earth’s scientifically recognized species and three away from a singular milestone. A few weeks earlier, in an essay for the American Birding Association, he had outlined his plans to become the first person to document 10,000 sightings; shortly after, new information forced him to expedite his plans. “I realized when I was writing it that I was putting a target on my back,” Mr. Kaestner said from his home in Cockeysville, Md.

Persons: Peter Kaestner, he’d, Kaestner, lister, ”, “, ” Mr Organizations: American Birding Association Locations: Philippine, Mindanao, American, Cockeysville, Md

☆ New Yorkers Mourn Flaco, the Owl They Could All Look Up To
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Ed Shanahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Pjetar Nikac has been the superintendent at 267 West 89th Street, an eight-story apartment building near Riverside Park, for 30 years. Someone had cut open the mesh on his enclosure in an act of vandalism that remains unsolved. Now, Flaco had apparently crashed into the building. Although he was still alive when Mr. Nikac found him and, with Alan Drogin, a birder and building resident, rushed to get him help, Flaco was soon pronounced dead. He was taken to the Bronx Zoo for a necropsy that will determine why he died.

Persons: Pjetar Nikac, Nikac, ”, “, Mr, Flaco, Alan Drogin Organizations: Central, Zoo, Bronx Zoo Locations: Riverside Park, Manhattan

☆ The Original Birders Gave Photography a Run for its Money
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Walker Mimms | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As the National Audubon Society recovers from a referendum to change its name in light of the fact that America’s founding birder was a slave owner (the name stayed), a luxe reissue of John James Audubon’s magnum opus, BIRDS OF AMERICA (Abbeville, $195), proves the man’s artistry itself unimpeachable. His paintings foretold the ambitions of the camera, and at only a quarter of the size of the four-volume folio that was first published between 1827 and 1838, this still hefty edition preserves the poetic backdrops and fierce detail of the original. The copperplate lines are so exact they mimic the individual venation of feathers; the neck of a gyrfalcon takes on all the ripply realism of moiréd silk.

Persons: birder, John James Audubon’s Organizations: National Audubon Society, OF Locations: Abbeville

☆ The Eternal Search for the ‘Nemesis Bird’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Joe Trezza | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the world of birding, Peter Kaestner stands alone. No one has seen and identified more birds than Mr. Kaestner, a retired U.S. diplomat who aspires to become the first birder to spot 10,000 of the planet’s roughly 11,000 avian species. With 9,697 on his eBird list so far, he is getting close. Yet for all the birds he has looked for and found, there remain a few that he has looked for and not found. “I made four 10-hour trips to twitch it, to no avail,” Mr. Kaester wrote in an email.

Persons: Peter Kaestner, Kaestner, Kaestner’s, “, Mr, Kaester Locations: U.S, Congo, Central, Frankfurt

☆ In New York City, the Odds of Spotting a Rare Bird are Rising
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Lola Fadulu | More About Lola Fadulu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Birds that were once rare in New York City have been making more frequent appearances in recent years, to the thrill of local bird-watchers. Birders have also noticed a reduction in the number of birds passing through New York City, said Marshall Iliff, the project leader for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird project. Many birders love to watch warblers on their southward migration in mid-August, but Mr. Iliff noted that the wildfires in Canada caused many birds to leave earlier than expected. “It’s those kind of things that sort of raise the question of whether birds are going to be able to adapt to these changing environments,” Mr. Iliff said. He said that as the forests dry out and as fires increase, birds that are expected to be seen passing through Central Park in spring could become “these really rare, rare events.”

Persons: ”, Heather Wolf, Marshall Iliff, Iliff, “, Mr Organizations: Cornell, of Ornithology Locations: New York City, Canada, Central

☆ ‘Birds Are My Eyesight’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Alexandra Marvar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

‘Birds Are My Eyesight’ For some blind birders, avian soundscapes are a way to map the world around them. Cheer up, cheer, cheer. Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty.” Northern Cardinal Watch here! Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty. To some, the Northern cardinal sounds like it’s saying “pretty, pretty, pretty.” Audubon Vermont compares its call to a Star Wars light saber.

Persons: Susan Glass, ”, “, Michael Hurben Ms, Glass, martin, lockdowns, Sarah Courchesne, Courchesne, Freya McGregor, birdsong, Jim Wilson, cheerily, Robin Cheer, Jerry Berrier, Berrier, Berrier's, Kayana, Berrier’s, ’, Jerry Berrier Mr, that’s, ” Mr, ‘, ’ ”, I’ve, ” Trevor Attenberg, Mr, Attenberg, Hurben, —, Michael Hurben, Claire Strohmeyer, piha, trekked, Werner Herzog’s, “ Aguirre, I’ll Organizations: West Valley Community College, Massachusetts Audubon, New York Times, Audubon Society, New Haven Birding Club, ”, “, The New York Times, Baltimore oriole, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Watch, Audubon, Star, Ornithologists Locations: Saratoga , Calif, Pittsburgh, Erie, Michigan, Massachusetts, Newburyport, Cape Cod, Colombian, Ipswich, Malden , Mass, Audubon Vermont, Portland ,, Mexican, U.S, California, Bloomington, Minn, Cape, N.J, Brazil

☆ I've written 10 books on happiness—here are 5 little things I do every day to feel happier and healthier
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Neil Pasricha | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

I've written 10 books and journals on happiness, gratitude, habits and resilience that share how to cultivate a positive mindset amidst chaos. Here are five research-backed practices I do every day to feel happier:1. Sometimes I'll feel lofty ("Helping people live happy lives"), or laser-focused ("Finish writing the next chapter of my book"). A laundry list of 20 things would feel like too much, so this prioritization helps me sleep better. And by choosing only three tasks, I've already done the hard work of deciding what not to focus on.

Persons: podcaster, I'm, Henry David Thoreau Organizations: New York Times

☆ Opinion | Christian Cooper and the Birds of New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “Birds Show Us What It Means to Be Free,” by Christian Cooper (Opinion guest essay, May 28):I am a Central Park birder who has known Christian Cooper for many years. Among birders Chris is a cherished member of our community. He is known for his knowledge of birds, his ability not only to spot birds but also to identify bird song, as well as his generosity in sharing this knowledge with those of us less gifted than he is. Thanks in good part to Chris, the world of birding is no longer an all-white activity. Walk in the Ramble in the spring and you’ll meet Black, Hispanic and Asian birders as well as many young birders.

Persons: Christian Cooper, —, Chris, you’ll, birders, Judith Schiller Rabi, Christian Organizations: birder Locations: York, Central

☆ Opinion | Three Years After a Fateful Day in Central Park, Birding Continues to Change My Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Christian Cooper | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Birding, however, offers things those other passions do not. With birds, no matter the time of year, there’s always something to see. Imagine watching land and sea unfold beneath you not through the windows of an airplane but under your own power. The things that you’ve left behind recede to insignificance, put into new perspective by a towering vantage point. In 2021, National Geographic invited me to host a television show on birding, “Extraordinary Birder,” and I said yes.

☆ This Summer We’re Helping Scientists Track Birds. Join In.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

This Summer We’re Helping Scientists Track Birds. This data will help scientists understand better how birds are affected by forces like climate change and habitat loss. We’re obviously a little bit biased here, so I’m going to recommend the Merlin Bird ID app. Nearly half of all bird species worldwide are known or suspected to be in decline, and climate change could accelerate this trend. Look up past reports of that species on the eBird Species Map and zoom in on your city.

Persons: Mike McQuade, We’ll, Michelle Mildenberg Daryln Brewer Hoffstot, phoebe, Hoffstot, Indigo Goodson, “, Kirsten Luce, Alli Smith, Merlin, —, It’s, That’s, Andrew Spear, ”, Tom Auer, Mr, Auer, birders, James T, Tanner, Steven C, Latta, Chris Elphick, . Latta, Michaels, et, Christine Schuldheisz, Richard O ., Ivory, they’d, Mark, Elphick, there’s, ” Dr, eBird, I’m Organizations: Birds, Cornell, of Ornithology, The New York Times, New York Times, University of Connecticut, Credit, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Yale, Times, Cornell Lab, Walmart Locations: Pennsylvania, North America, Virginia, South America, Canada, Alaska, Louisiana, Pittsburgh, United States, Cuba, Arkansas, eBird

☆ Pale Male, Famous Central Park Hawk, Is Dead at 32. Maybe.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Dodai Stewart | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“I’m sorry to have to report the end of an era,” Bobby Horvath, a wildlife rehabilitation specialist, wrote on Facebook Tuesday night. “Pale Male passed away tonight in our care.”Pale Male, a red-tailed hawk who took up residence on the ledge of a ritzy Manhattan apartment building 30 years ago, was the subject of hundreds of newspaper articles, at least three books and an award-winning documentary film and also counted Mary Tyler Moore among his fans. But whether the bird Mr. Horvath declared dead was actually Pale Male remains a mystery. Pale Male, an apex predator living in the most populated city in the United States, was the original New York City celebrity bird, predating Barry the barred owl, the “hot” Mandarin duck and Flaco the eagle-owl. He was named for his light-colored feathers by birder and author Marie Winn, a longtime columnist for The Wall Street Journal who followed his progress in print for over a decade and penned a book about him, “Red-Tails in Love,” making him something of a local celebrity.

☆ Bears, Binoculars and Bucket-List Birds: A 15-Day Tour in Ecuador
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Dorothy Spears | Alexis Rockman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After a 4:30 a.m. breakfast at the Sani Lodge, where our group was staying, my husband, Alexis, and I pulled on our rubber boots. Our birding guide, Jeison Gualinga, whistled for a canoe while flashing his light among the reeds by the main dock. Our birding trip in Ecuador arose like a bird call, by word of mouth. Our friend Olaf Soltau, a devout birder, was tipped off by a respected birder friend to enlist Pablo Barrera of Adventures Columbia to coordinate a tour. Our trip would culminate with five days in the Yasuní National Park, whose humid green jungles are a birding paradise.

☆ Trying to Find Your Place in the World? Try Birding From a Different Angle.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Ty Burr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

A waxwing slain beneath a living-room window, its biannual journey stopped dead by the sky in a pane of glass. After 40 mostly satisfying years as a film critic, I began to feel all those imagined visions closing around my head. I yearned to shake them off, to return to reality; birding has come to seem one of the more graceful ways to do that. To me, the nightly BirdCast map is a corrective to our human-centric view of the planet. In April and May, the map’s a rainbow of arrival, a feathery procession as brilliant as a pride parade.

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