No, this isn’t about suddenly doubling the number of bird species in the world. That would be laughably tame. This is far more monumental: we have reached 20,000 followers on Facebook. Twenty thousand! A number so stupendous it could make a flock of geese forget their migratory route, a peregrine falcon pause mid-dive in sheer awe, and even the most solemn ornithologists question whether the universe has been hiding something truly extraordinary from them. Historians may one day mark this moment as the dawn of a new era in birding fandom, an event to rival the rediscovery of the passenger pigeon or the invention of binoculars.
“I have seen the Northern Lights, I have climbed the Andes, I have eaten a durian —but nothing, I repeat nothing, compares to the sheer majesty of 10,000 Birds hitting 20,000 Facebook followers. This is history.”
— David Attenborough
“Finally, the recognition that birders deserve. 20,000 followers! The sheer genius of the 10,000 Birds team cannot be overstated. I nearly fainted in my helicopter over Patagonia when I heard.”
— Jane Goodall
“As a filmmaker, I know spectacle when I see it. And 10,000 Birds achieving 20,000 followers? Pure cinematic gold. I’ve already scheduled a sequel.”
— Werner Herzog
“I once wrestled a tiger in Siberia. I once kayaked through a crocodile-infested delta. And yet… nothing prepared me for the emotional gravity of 10,000 Birds crossing the 20,000-follower finish line. Tears were shed.”
— Bill Oddie
“I have seen the Northern Lights, I have climbed the Andes, I have eaten a durian —but nothing, I repeat nothing, compares to the sheer majesty of 10,000 Birds hitting 20,000 Facebook followers. This is history.”
— David Attenborough
“Finally, the recognition that birders deserve. 20,000 followers! The sheer genius of the 10,000 Birds team cannot be overstated. I nearly fainted in my helicopter over Patagonia when I heard.”
— Jane Goodall
“As a filmmaker, I know spectacle when I see it. And 10,000 Birds achieving 20,000 followers? Pure cinematic gold. I’ve already scheduled a sequel.”
— Werner Herzog
“I once wrestled a tiger in Siberia. I once kayaked through a crocodile-infested delta. And yet… nothing prepared me for the emotional gravity of 10,000 Birds crossing the 20,000-follower finish line. Tears were shed.”
— Bill Oddie
Kai has lived in Shanghai for 22 years. He only started birding after moving to China, so he is far more familiar with Chinese birds than the ones back in his native Germany. As a birder, he considers himself strictly average and tries to make up for it with photography, which he shares on a separate website. Alas, most of the photos are pretty average as well.
He hopes that few clients of his consulting firm—focused on China’s chemical industry—ever find this blog, as it might raise questions about his professional priorities. Much of his time is spent either editing posts for 10,000 Birds or cleaning the litter boxes of his numerous indoor cats. He occasionally considers writing a piece comparing the two activities.
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