Happy Memorial Day weekend! If you live in North America and work in an industry that allows for such an indulgence, you’re probably in the midst of a fabulous extended weekend. Rest assured, I am! I’ve recently revised my Birds page, the resource any visitor to 10,000 Birds should consult if looking for information on a particular avian species, genus, or family. In celebration of both the new page and this lovely, long weekend, I want to share five of my favorite bird articles from this site. Enjoy!
1. What Kind of Bird is a Seahawk? – If search engine traffic is to be trusted, my ongoing “What is a…” series has become a useful resource for web surfers curious about certain birds. Phoebes, titmice, cardinals, and mockingbirds all seem to pique regular interest but my most popular post of all time is the one devoted to the identity of the Osprey. As you might surmise, it’s especially valued during football season, especially when Seattle’s NFL team makes it into the playoffs.
2. Pluhv-er or Ploh-ver? – I definitely don’t run enough polls on this site, considering how amazing my readers are. When I do, though, they prove pretty interesting. My Plover Pronunciation Poll certainly was. The 80 responses included an abundance of amazing insights, but little in the way of consensus!
3. A Tale of Two Teals – My first foray into taxonomic esoterica. Encountering both Eurasian and American Green-Winged Teal side by side motivated me to explore the attributes that distinguish species and subspecies. For more thoughts on taxonomy, check out When is a Tanager a Spindalis?
4. O Cockless Night – The American Woodcock is shaping into something of a nemesis bird for me. Too bad, because the timberdoodle is truly fascinating. However, the real reason I love this post is its title. I’m pleased to report that I don’t seem to get many surfers searching for the word ‘cockless’ though on the other hand, my post about a Red-headed Woodpecker encounter is way too popular based solely on its title.
5. Mallard Complexity – Every time I grow irritated with the ubiquity of mallards when I’m looking for more uncommon waterfowl, I have to consider how amazing the mallard complex as a whole really is. This is one duck that demands respect.
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