9+ mon, 5+ day ago (455+ words) What is your favorite bird species? Swallow-tailed Kite " they're so graceful and in our area they're migratory, we often see the first ones for my son's Birthday, on 10th September. Guy Cox " I live in Misiones Province, Argentina What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide? Mainly the Atlantic Forest of Misiones, including the Upland Araucaria forest; also grasslands of southern Misiones, Chaco, and Iber" wetlands. How long have you been a bird guide? How did you get into bird guiding? My father's interest in nature, and going to Amboro National Park in Bolivia Red-breasted or Green-billed Toucan What are the aspects of being a bird guide that you like best? Which aspects do you dislike most? I like the opportunity to meet a wide range of interesting and informed people, talk about lots of different…...

3+ mon, 3+ week ago (589+ words) What is your favourite bird species? My favourite bird is the Ward's Trogon. Its stunning beauty and elusive nature always fascinate me. My name is Rofikul Islam. I live in a village near Kaziranga National Park, in Assam, India. What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide? I primarily cover the Northeastern states of India, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Sikkim. I also guide trips in the Western Himalayas and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands." How long have you been a bird guide? I have been working professionally as a bird guide for the past 18 years. How did you get into bird guiding? Growing up near Kaziranga National Park, I often saw many international visitors coming to my village. This inspired me to dream of traveling with them and showing them…...

8+ mon, 3+ week ago (422+ words) Which bird species do you think is the biggest attraction to visitors of your lodge (please only name one species)? The absolute superstar is, undoubtedly, the Southern Cassowary! What is the name of your lodge, and since when has your lodge been operating? Licuala Lodge has been operating since the late 1990s. How best to travel to your lodge? It's advisable to use a car to cover the long distances of Queensland's Tropical North. What kind of services " except for accommodation and food " does your lodge offer to visiting birders? We operate as a Bed and Breakfast only. What makes your lodge special? We offer an off-the-beaten-track space in Mission Beach, birth town of the Great Barrier Reef conservation movement, where you can slow down, unwind, and recharge energies with a delicious homemade breakfast. The fact that the property is located…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (376+ words) What is your favorite bird species? It is hard to choose just one species when you live in a country with around 2,000 bird species, but there is one that truly represents our diversity and multicultural identity: the Multicolored Tanager (Chlorochrysa nitidissima). This small endemic of the Colombian Andes symbolizes the beauty, fragility, and cultural richness we want to share with the world. We are Niky Carrera Levy & Mauricio Ossa Aristiz'bal, and we live in the heart of Colombia, in a region known as the Coffee Region (Eje Cafetero). It is located at the center of what is called the Golden Triangle, formed by Colombia's three most important cities " Bogot', Medell'n, and Cali " right in the middle of the majestic Andes mountains. What are the main regions or locations you cover as a bird guide? We guide throughout all of Colombia,…...

5+ mon, 2+ week ago (430+ words) Which bird species do you think is the biggest attraction to visitors to your lodge (please name only one species)? What is the name of your lodge, and since when has your lodge been operating? Earth Lodge at Ulu Muda. Operating since 2011 How best to travel to your lodge? Find your way to George Town, Penang. We can help arrange for a transfer by road to Lake Muda Jetty " 2 hours. From Lake Muda Jetty, we will provide a boat transfer (included in the package) to Earth Lodge (about 1 hour). What kind of services " except for accommodation and food " does your lodge offer to visiting birders? River cruises along the Muda River, guide (extra charges for a dedicated bird guide) What makes your lodge special? Located smack in the middle of the rainforest with 9 natural saltlicks within a 3km radius of Earth…...

3+ mon, 2+ week ago (426+ words) WELCOME TO 10,000 BIRDS! Which bird species do you think is the biggest attraction to visitors of your lodge (please only name one species)?There are many top birds, but to me, it is the Salvin's Curassow (Mitu salvini), which is getting very common around the lodge. What is the name of your lodge, and since when has your lodge been operating? The lodge's name is La Isla Escondida, as it is located between 2 major rivers and therefore protected from hunters in the past. The lodge is open to visitors since January 2017. How best to travel to your lodge?Best is to fly to Puerto As's from either Bogota or Cali, and there we can pick you up. It is also possible to take a bus from there to Orito and then a taxi to the trailhead. The walk to the…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago (352+ words) Which bird species do you think is the biggest attraction to visitors of your lodge? The Puerto Rican Emerald Hummingbird What is the name of your lodge, and since when has your lodge been operating? The name of our lodge is Casa Cubuy, and we have been open since the year 2000. How best to travel to your lodge? Most guests arrive here from San Juan in their rental car and a few by Uber or taxi. What kind of services " except for accommodation and food " does your lodge offer to visiting birders? We offer guided tours at additional cost. What makes your lodge special? Our location within the El Yunque Rainforest makes our lodge a wonderful experience for nature lovers. Guests can enjoy the biodiversity that the forest offers, and they can observe other animals like lizards and tree frogs....

1+ week, 45+ min ago (130+ words) Wikipedia, and every other source I could find, suggests that the Peregrine Falcon's name means that it comes from foreign lands, a name due to early falconers catching this bird during migration, rather than taking it from the nest. Still, when one birds in Spanish as well as English, it becomes hard not to think of the Halc'n Peregrino, or Peregrine Falcon, as the Pilgrim Falcon, since the word peregrino is usually used to refer to religious pilgrims. Among all my new species for France, the Song Thrush was my one worldwide lifer. Mute Swans were new to me only for France. But the reflected fall color did make for a lovely portrait. One of many Great Cormorants along the Great Canal, which feed the Chantilly Chateau's moat...

11+ mon, 3+ week ago (538+ words) I vaguely remembered how cuteness works, but to be sure, I asked ChatGPT: "Why are humans attracted to cuteness?" "Humans are drawn to cuteness because it triggers a nurturing response that evolved to help us care for infants. Cute traits'like large eyes, round faces, small noses, and chubby cheeks'are characteristics of babies, which require constant attention to survive. These features activate our brain's reward system, releasing dopamine and oxytocin, hormones that promote bonding and pleasure." To its credit " and probably due to its programming and the commercial need not to repel potential future sources of revenue, like me " ChatGPT did not bluntly say "Because you are a monster". Instead, it pretended to be quite understanding: I still think somebody could make a fortune producing plush Dunlin toys, which would certainly sell very well given the cuteness of this bird. A…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (667+ words) Some readers'possibly relatives of our writers'suggested starting a series of interviews with them. Who are these writers, and why do they contribute to the site without pay and with no real benefits (I'm still waiting for groupies to show up when I'm out birding)? We thought they deserved a proper introduction, so we started this series to find out. Your Birding History And Future How long have you been a birder, and how did you get into birding? Has your attitude towards birding changed with time " for example, did it get intense, do you focus on different things now, etc.? What were the ornithological highlights in your life so far? Too many to mention and never enough. I birded four continents, and despite a relatively short list, only a bit over a thousand (try birding without walking and you'll understand…...