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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 this choice
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DR
seen?
+
point
total
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31
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Scarlet-banded Barbet
Capito wallacei
[c. Peru]
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The Andes of South America are well known for the diversity of
birds and the prevalence of endemism, and nothing better illustrates this
than the spectacular new barbet discovered in cloud forest on an unnamed
peak near the upper Rio Cushabatay in Peru's eastern Andes. Discovered
by LSU researchers (see also #42, below) in 1996 and named in 2000 (Auk
117: 569-577), it is as gorgeous as a barbet can get. The LSU team says
other "mystery birds" are in this remote region.
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No
[16]
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32
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Hose's (Magnificent Green) Broadbill
Calyptomena hosii
[Borneo]
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Almost any of the colorful southeast Asian broadbills could qualify
for top honors, but this one is particularly beautiful and difficult. I
have lusted after it ever since reading Delacour's simple statement in
his Birds of Malaysia (1947): "Found only in the mountains of northern
Borneo. Very rare and beautiful." It was on my "top 50" back in my college
days, and finding no illustration anywhere, I tried to paint my own (left).
According to Lambert's (1996), it remains "one of the least-known broadbills"
today. Whitehead's Broadbill C. whiteheadi, is also a great bird;
it is larger but found more readily on Mt. Kinabalu, n. Borneo.
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No
[16]
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33
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Yellow-crested Helmet-Shrike
Prionops alberti
[c. Africa]
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In African Silences, Peter Matthiessen tells of asking famous
African ornithologists about the "best birds" in Africa. Most agreed on
the 2 rockfowl, Congo Peafowl & Shoebill as topping the list, but this
little known species, confined to mountains in e. Dem. Rep. of Congo (previously
Zaire), was a surprising next choice by some. Surprising, perhaps, as few
have searched for it since it is hard to reach its habitat, but it is striking
& rare. Recent surveys in the Itombwe Mts. have found some but very
little is known of it.
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No
[16]
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34
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Marvelous Spatuletail
Loddigesia mirabilis
[n. Peru]
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The hummingbirds of the Andes include many spectacular gems. To
pick just one is hard, but on top of the incredible tail worn by the male
Spatuletail, this marvelous bird is both extremely local and migratory,
meaning seeing one is difficult. It is confined to the upper Rio Marañón
Valley, n. Peru, but at its one "stake-out" spot is found only at certain
seasons. Of course, one negative in picking a sexually dimorphic species
is that the thrill of seeing a female or immature is just not the same
thing as the male....
See a
separate page on this incredible species
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No
[16]
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35
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Giant Pitta
Pitta caerulea
[southeast Asia]
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The world's largest pitta is scarce and elusive; when encountered
it is usually judged the highlight bird of any trip to the Greater Sundas,
peninsular Malaysia, or Thailand. Ground-dwelling pittas with their haunting
voices are among the globe's most fascinating birds, and many could be
chosen as among the "best birds," including Superb P. superba on
Manus I. in the Admiralty Is., Bar-bellied P. elliotii of Vietnam,
and two Philippine pittas: Azure-breasted P. steerii and Whiskered
P.
kochi (both original "top 50" picks 3 decades ago). Phil Rostron, who
has traveled extensively, tells me Ivory-breasted Pitta P. maxima
of Halmahera should be on this list. Personal experience with Blue-headed
P.
baudii of Borneo was breathtaking. What's a fella to do?
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Yes
[16]
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36
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Siberian Crane
Grus leucogeranus
[c. Asia]
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The gigantic white crane of Asia breeds in two distinct populations
in n. Russia. The eastern flock, which holds 95% of the world's 2500 birds,
winters in China; the western birds migrate to India and were once the
headline species wintering at Bharatpur in Rajasthan (where Bhoulu Khan
took this photo). Now one or two is there some winters, and none in others.
The Japanese or Red-crowned Crane Grus vipio would be another excellent
choice. It is the Old World's second rarest crane, intimately woven into
Japanese culture, and I'm told that seeing a flock of dancing cranes on
a wintry day is a the great spectacle.
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No
[16]
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37
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Whooping Crane
Grus americana
[c. North America]
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Nesting in Wood Buffalo Nat'l Park, Canada, then migrating across
the Great Plains to reach its wintering grounds in coastal Texas, the Whooping
Crane is one of the rarest birds in the world. The population fluctuates
at around 80-100 birds; efforts to establish a second flock migrant flock
wintering in New Mexico was not been successful but an attempt in Florida
may be working. It is a huge, stately, and impressive crane and it does
take some effort (often a boat ride from Aransas) to see one. It is a North
American success story that the species survives at all.
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Yes
[15]
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38
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Bali Myna
Leucopsar rothschildi
[Bali]
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"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name
would smell as sweet." Many books term this the "Bali Starling," but in
my country the word "starling" is replete with notions with invasive devastation.
Birdlife International (2000) recognized this when it preferred the old
name — Bali Myna — and then wrote "this stunning starling qualifies for
Critically [endangered] because it has an extremely small range (one localitiy)
and population and, despite conservation intervention, the number of mature
individuals continues to decline owing to illegal poaching." It is a exquisite
bird and oh, so rare. Only a dozen remained in the wild at the turn of
the 21st cemtury. There are 1000 in captivity, though, and some have or
are planned to be reintroduced to its only site: Bali Barat Nat'l Park,
Bali.
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Yes
[15]
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39
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Andean Cock-of-the-Rock
Rupicola peruviana
[Andes of South America]
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The two Cocks-of-the-Rock are among the most sought-after birds
in South America, especially the spectacular males. There are a variety
of locales in which to find these birds, but they are so spectacular and
unique that both make any "top 50" list. The Andean likes wet subtropical
forest in often rocky terrain in the Andes from Colombia and western Venezuela
to Bolivia. It was certainly the bird on which we spent the most time (3
days) during my first trip to South America (Colombia in 1975), and although
some have quick success, it remains elusive at many sites (only 2 of a
dozen of us saw it my first trip).
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Yes
[15]
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40
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Guinean Cock-of-the-Rock
Rupicola rupicola
[ne. South America]
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This is the bright orange cousin of the brilliant red Andean species;
Guinean occurs in rocky subtropical forests from the eastern Venezuelan
tepuis to the Guianas and northern Brazil. Both cock-'o-rocks are lekking
species in which males have communal display sites. A fabulous article
with gorgeous photos of a lek is by Pepper Trail (1985; Amer. Birds 39:
235-240).
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Yes
[15]
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