OzHorine – Page 9 – Bird Families of the World

milestone 06 | Israel 1979-1983 | families 62-71/250

Posted on November, 1983January, 2024

from birdwatcher to birder in ten families

Project progress - Bird Families of the World 71/250

29%

Twitching was not a common term in the early 80’s, but some surveys like autumn raptors migration in Kafer Kasem fields, or spring migration survey in Eilat (photo above with Hadoram Shirihai & Yaron Baser) along with other trips through out the country, contributed some good bird families to the list. Bearded Reedling and Wallcreeper are worth mentioned as they are half of the 4 Palearctic endemic (monotype) families.

62. Family #47: Painted-Snipes (Rostratulidae) | Greater Painted-Snipe

63. Family #52: Pratincoles and Coursers (Glareolidae) | Collard Pratincole

64. Family #179: Grassbirds and Allies (Locustellidae) | Savi’s Warbler

65. Family #203: Wallcreeper (Tichodromidae) | Wallcreeper

66. Family #59: Loons (Gaviidae) | Arctic Loon

67. Family #62: Southern Storm-Petrels (Oceanitidae) | Black-bellied Storm-Petrel (photographed in Australia, Wilson’s Storm-Petrel ticked in Israel)

68. Family #63: Northern Storm-Petrels (Hydrobatidae) | Leachs Storm-Petrel

69. Family #181: Bearded Reedling (Panuridae) | Bearded Reedling (photographed in Spain)

70. Family #207: Wrens (Troglodytidae) | Eurasian Wren (photographed in Spain)

71. Family #202: Kinglets (Regulidae) | Firecrest (photographed in Italy, Goldcrest ticked in Israel)

# World Bird Families

milestone 05 | Israel 1978 | families 47-61/250

Posted on November, 1978January, 2024

exploring the desert, the nights, the seas and all around

Project Progress - Bird Families of the world 61/250

25%

There are other birder around! Learning from others experience, especially from the legendary Ehud Dovrat – these bird families have been added:

47. Family #18: Sandgrouse (Pteroclidae) | Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse

48. Family #19: Bustards (Otididae) | Macqueens-Bustard

49. Family #21: Cuckoos (Cuculidae) | Great-Spotted Cuckoo

50. Family #23: Nightjars and Allies (Caprimulgidae) | Nubian Nightjar

51. Family #67: Boobies and Gannets (Sulidae) | Northern Gannet (photographed in Ireland)

52. Family #79: Barn-Owls (Tytonidae) | Barn Owl

53. Family #80: Owls (Strigidae) | Long-eared Owl

54. Family #149: Old World Orioles (Oriolidae) | Eurasian Golden Oriole

55. Family #179: Penduline-Tits (Remizidae) | Eurasian Penduline Tit

56. Family #204: Nuthatches (Sittidae) | Western Rock Nuthatch

57. Family #194: Bush Warblers and Allies (Scotocercidae) | Streaked Scrub-Warbler

58. Family #185: Reed Warblers and Allies (Acrocephalidae) | Eurasian Reed Warbler

59. Family #201: Laughingthrushes and Allies (Leiothrichidae) | Arabian Babbler

60. Family #231: Accentors (Prunellidae) | Alpine Accentor (photographed in Switzerland)

61. Family #237: Old World Buntings (Emberizidae) | Striolated Bunting

# World Bird Families

milestone 04 | Egypt, Sinai 1977 | families 44-46/250

Posted on September, 1977January, 2024

first bird migration survey

Project progress - Bird Families of the World 46/250

19%

Autumn 1977, Migration survey at Zaranik, North Sinai. Mediterranean shore contributed 3 new bird families:

44. Family #14: Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae) | Greater Flamingo

45. Family #53: Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae) | Parasitic Skua

46. Family #64: Shearwaters and Petrels (Procellariidae) | Sooty Shearwater

# World Bird Families

milestone 03 | Israel, 1976-1977 | families 33-43/250

Posted on June, 1977January, 2024

there are birds all over…

Project Progress - Bird Families of the world 43/250

17%

Visiting wet sites, especially fish ponds, opened my mind to 11 new common bird families. During years Ma’agan Michael ponds provide some “firsts for Israel” and other rarities.

33. Family #8: Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl (Anatidae) | Eurasian Teal

34. Family #15: Grebes (Podicipedidae) | Little Grebe

35. Family #32: Rails, Gallinules, and Coots (Rallidae) | Eurasian Coot

36. Family #36: Cranes (Gruidae) | Common Crane

37. Family #69: Cormorants and Shags (Phalacrocoracidae) | Great Cormorant

38. Family #70: Pelicans (Pelecanidae) | Great White Pelican

39. Family #77: Osprey (Pandionidae) | Western Osprey

40. Family #41: Stilts and Avocets (Recurvirostridae) | Pied Avocet

41. Family #49: Sandpipers and Allies (Scolopacidae) | Curlew Sandpiper

42. Family #43: Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae) | Eurasian Oystercatcher (photographed in Denmark)

43. Family #92: Rollers (Coraciidae) | Eurasian Roller

# World Bird Families

milestone 02 | Israel, hometown fields birds 1976 | families 19-32/250

Posted on September, 1976January, 2024

out and about – exploring field birds nearby

Project Progress - Bird Families of the world 32/250

13%

Wandering around home, I discovered my next new 14 bird families:

19. Family #13: Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies (Phasianidae) | Chukar

20. Family #27: Swifts (Apodidae) | Common Swift

21. Family #39: Thick-knees (Burhinidae) | Eurasian Thick-knee

22. Family #44: Plovers and Lapwings (Charadriidae) | Northern Lapwing

23. Family #65: Storks (Ciconiidae) | White Stork

24. Family #73: Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns (Ardeidae) | Cattle Egret

25. Family #74: Ibises and Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) | Glossy Ibis

26. Family #78: Hawks, Eagles, and Kites (Accipitridae) | Common Buzzard

27. Family #91: Bee-eaters (Meropidae) | European Bee-eater

28. Family #55: Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae) | Black-headed Gull

29. Family #104: Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae) | Eurasian Kestrel

30. Family #180: Larks (Alaudidae) | Crested Lark

31. Family #211: Starlings (Sturnidae) | European Starling

32. Family #196: Sylviid Warblers, Parrotbills, and Allies (Sylviidae) | Lesser Whitethroat

# World Bird Families

milestone 01 | Israel, home backyard birds 1976 | families 1-18/250

Posted on April, 1976January, 2024

Discovery on our backyard – first birds

Project Progress - Bird Families of the world 18/250

Like many other kids, who saved their pennies in children saving program, I received an encouraging gift from the bank: Our County’s Birds Guide, with the beautiful paintings of Walter Ferguson, describing the 100 commonest birds of Israel, and this White-breasted Kingfisher on the cover:

Like many other Kids’ book shelves, this booklet was laying there useless. But one day, as I wondered around my parents’ garden, I noticed a colorful bird. I urged into the house, picked the booklet, and probably identified my first Great Tit, without understanding that this moment will change my life forever.

At that times of course, I had no idea what is a species, genus or a family, but actually, all these early birds, were the foundations of my life project – Bird Families of the World.

These are my first 18 families: