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#
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Species [range]
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Photo/art
[see credits]
all photos taken in the wild
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Summary of reasons for choice
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DR
seen?
+
point
total
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21
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Wallace's Standardwing
Semioptera wallacii
[Halmahera I., Indonesia]
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Named for the pioneering naturalist and co-author of the theory
of evolution Alfred Russel Wallace, this unusual and local bird-of-paradise
is restricted to native lowland forests on the islands of Halmahera and
Bacan, northern Moluccas. Males display in lekking trees that are visited
by females, but only the males with the best display sites are successful
in mating. It is such a strange bird, with such weird "standards" extending
from beneath the wings, that it defies description. Incredible videos appear
on the BBC series Attenborough in Paradise.
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No
[17]
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22
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Gurney's Pitta
Pitta gurneyi
[southeast Asia]
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On the verge of extinction in peninsular Thailand, its tragic decline
and then hopeful re-discovery in extreme s. Burma have been features of
Oriental headlines this decade. Before that it had 'disappeared' for 34
years without any reports. It is thought that there are now less than 30
pairs left; local guides have both helped and hindered the bird's recovery.
This has become a primary conservation issue for much of southeast Asia.
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No
[17]
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23
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Kokako
Callaeas cinerea
[New Zealand]
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Of three endemic Wattlebirds in New Zealand, one (Huia Heteralocha
acutirostris) is extinct and the other (Saddleback Creadion carunculatus)
exists only where reintroduced on predator-free offshore islets. The Kokako
still exists in native forests on North Island but is very rare and hard
to find. Rita & I hiked many miles in search of it, without success,
and will have to return. It has an incredible vocal repertoire.
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No
[17]
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24
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California Condor
Gymnogyps californianus
[w. United States]
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Evoking a feeling of wilderness and pre-history, they nearly went
extinct in the 1980s. All wild condors were trapped for a captive breeding
program by 1987. Of the few hundred birds now alive, dozens have been released
back into the wild in s. Calif. mountains, along the Big Sur coast, and
in the Grand Canyon. Spring 2002 saw the first active nests again in the
wild. Of course, the condors now free-flying are not "countable" on any
world birder's list [except "AC-8;" see myCondors
in Monterey page], but their wild-bred young will be. Some of us (like
Brad Schram who took this photo in 1969) saw them yrs ago.
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Yes
[17]
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25
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Ibisbill
Ibidorhyncha struthersii
[c. Asia]
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Breeding only along remote montane rocky streambeds in central
Asia, this has been a highly prized species for birders for years. Often
placed in its own family (Ibidorhynchidae), this adds to its allure. I
am influenced in making this pick by the thoughts of my friend, the late
Arnold Small, who once stated this as the rarest bird he'd seen in the
world (and he'd seen about 2/3 of the world's birds). Most birders lucky
enough to find this strange creature have had to venture into Bhutan, but
it has been recently found in winter along certain Himalayan foothill streams
in northern India (my photo here) and Nepal.
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Yes
[16]
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26
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Bengal Florican
Eupodotis bengalensis
[s. Asia]
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Both floricans (this and Lesser Florican E. indica) of the
Indian subcontinent are highly endangered. This impressive bird exists
only in fragmentary wet grasslands on the border of Nepal and India, and
a virtually unknown tiny population is in Cambodia & adjacent Vietnam.
The Lesser may be rarer but this is bigger and more spectacular; I also
admit to admiring the way its name rolls off the tongue The great Indian
Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps, also endangered, is equally wonderful
but is quite similar to the big bustards of Australasia & east Africa
[see my big
bustards page].
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Yes
[16]
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27
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Black-necked Red Cotinga
Phoenicircus nigricollis
[South America]
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This is a very impressive lekking cotinga, robed in bright crimson
and black, that was virtually unknown until ~20 years ago. In the 1980s,
a lek was discovered quite close to Exploronapo Camp (an outlying venture
of Explorama Lodge headquartered in Iquitos, Peru) that does allow birders
to observe this great bird (which I have done). Its cousin, the Guianan
Red-Cotinga P. carnifex, could also easily be picked on any "top
50" list. The displays of both species have only recently been studied;
and both are almost impossible to find away from leks.
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Yes
[16]
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28
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Resplendent Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno
[Central America]
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Any quetzal is great, but the incredibly long train of this species
is in a world apart. There are a variety of spots were it can be found
from s. Mexico to Costa Rica to w. Panama but it is always special to see
the brilliant green bird outshining the great green canopy in which it
exists, and then the male does incredible courtship flights above the canopy!
It is the national bird of Guatemala and many legends are associated with
it.
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Yes
[16]
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29
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Spoon-billed Sandpiper
Eurynorhynchus pygmeus
[e. Asia]
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Everyone's favorite small shorebird, the stint with the totally
unique bill continues to be difficult to pin down. The world population
is small; it nests in remote Siberia, is scarce on passage on the Chinese
coast (where lucky observers see it during migration in Hong Kong), and
winter in places like Vietnam which have been difficult to visit. For those
who love migration, this has a world-class starring role. Vagrants have
appeared in British Columbia and Alaska (my friend Ed Greaves got this
photo on Attu I.).
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No
[16]
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30
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Black Sicklebill
Epimachus fastuosus
[New Guinea]
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There are 4 sicklebills in New Guinea, each one spectacular, each
one hard to find. Brown Sicklebill E. meyeri is the "easy" one but
Black is very difficult, shy and endangered. It occurs high in the mountains,
including the Arfaks where another good BOP (Arfak Astrapia Astrapia
nigra which was an original "top 50" pick) is also restricted to the
upper montane cloud forest. Black-billed E. albertisi & Pale-billed
E.
bruijnii are the other great sicklebills -- oh, to see them all!
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No
[16]
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