Making life a holiday with interesting vacation and adventure ideas.

Until recently, wildlife in the 100 km Serranía de los Yariguíes mountain range in Colombia went unstudied, because of the difficulty of access and political instability, but researchers working with the Columbian bird conservation organisation, Fundacion Proaves, have made great advances with the discovery of a series of undescribed species and subspecies and yet another new bird has just been added to their tally.

The expedition team also reported finding the world's most viable populations for various critically endangered bird species. This led to the Yariguíes mountains being declared a National Park and the foundation of an adjacent nature reserve.

You can read more about the expedition and its finds online at Wildlife Extra.

Labels: birds, Birdwatching, Columbia, expedition, National Park, nature, South America, Yariguies

There is a small but growing band of bird watchers in India and South Asia. With over 1250 species of birds, the region is a birders paradise and anyone interested in the birds of India and South Asia will find www.birding.in a quite exceptional resource.
I really cannot speak to highly of this site; much of the information, including bird identification, is of value to beginners and advanced bird watchers alike, wherever they happen to be in the world.

The picture is of a Painted Stork, photographed in Hyderabad sanctuary, India, by Asif Akbar

Labels: Asia, birds, Birdwatching, India

Project FeederWatch is a winter-long survey of birds that visit feeders in North American backyards, nature centers, community areas, and other locales. Participants count the highest numbers of each species they see at their feeders, from November through early April, and help scientists to track the broad-scale movements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance.

Project FeederWatch is operated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada and anyone with an interest in birds can participate. There are FeederWatchers of all skill levels and backgrounds, including children, families, individuals, classrooms, retired persons, youth groups, nature centers, and bird clubs.

The new season starts soon, so if your resident in North America, join up for the 2007-2008 season, which begins November 10. It can take several weeks for FeederWatch kits to arrive, so don't wait to sign up.

Labels: birds, Birdwatching, Canada, FeederWatch, North America, survey, U.S.A.

Are you interested in helping the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) to follow the changing fortunes of British garden birds? Are you a UK resident and do you have Harlequin Ladybirds in your garden? If the answer to either of these questions is 'yes' then the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch Team would like to hear from you. Contact them on 01842-750050 or email gbw@bto.org to request a free information pack.

Labels: birds, Birdwatching, British Trust for Ornithology, ecology, Harlequin Ladybirds, UK

A female godwit was recently tracked using satellite tags and found to fly 7,145 miles (11,500 kilometers) nonstop from Alaska to New Zealand. Biologists say it is the longest nonstop bird migration ever to have been recorded. more

Each September, around 70,000 godwits make the migration from their Alaska breeding grounds to New Zealand, then they fly back the following March.

Our listings contain many interesting Birding Holidays in our database.

Labels: birds, Godwit, Migration

I came across the National Audubon Society website, it is a great site for US birders. They state that their mission is "to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity" and in pursuing their objectives, they have developed a fantastic birding resource. Supporters of clean, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, they recognise the threat to the environment posed by global warming and are urging their members to lobby for action.

There are Audubon centers right across the USA and they also offer information on birding trails. Currently, the website features live webcams on Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge in Maine, providing an up-close look at puffins and Terns.

Our listings contain a number of interesting birdwatching holidays in the USA.

Labels: birds, global warming, puffins, U.S.A., Webcams

A new video file sharing website for bird-watching enthusiasts has just been launched. BirdCinema.com is dedicated to video clips of birds.

There are videos of Nashville and Tennessee Warblers, bathing in a garden pond during spring migration, videos of Bald Eagles, Cranes and Humming Birds, to name just a few. The site has the ambitious goal, to obtain video footage of every species in the world

If you enjoy bird watching and are interested in finding a Birdwatching Holidays, you will be spoilt for choice with our extensive listings.

Labels: birds, Birdwatching, video