Among birders, it is widely thought that perhaps the greatest test of a birder’s field skills is during a “Big Day”, when a team of birders try to see as many bird species as possible in a single 24-hour period. To even have a chance at a high species total, all team members must possess great field skills,...

Ask most folks where Melanesia is and more likely than not you’re met with a blank stare. To some it sounds more like a health condition best avoided, more so than a place name. Indeed, even of the “-esia” regions it is not the best known, overshadowed by Polynesia and/or the tiny shards and...