The Precarious State of China's Birds

Chinese Crested Tern
Image Credit: Liao Pen-Hsing, Taipei Times

Below is a link and an exerpt on the state of birds in China. The article points out the need for habitat conservation and cultural changes that need to be implemented in China to save its birds.


The Loneliness of the Chinese Birdwatcher

China is not a good place to be a bird. I learnt this when I moved from Hong Kong, still a British colony, to Beijing. Though my home in Hong Kong was in the heart of the city, dense scrub tumbled down the slopes from the Peak. I was driven out of bed every morning by a raucous dawn chorus. The violet whistling thrush was among the first to start up, and the hwamei (“beautiful eyebrow”), with white eyestripe and rich territorial song. The koel, a tropical cuckoo that lurks in thick cover, has a rising bisyllabic wolf-whistle. The grey treepie, a corvid, was a late riser, but hoodlum gangs soon made up for it. Layered over the top of all this came the screeches of sulphur-crested cockatoos. These aerial zoomers were a feral flock. The oldest had short lengths of chain on their legs and were released in 1941 from the aviary at Flagstaff House as the Japanese army closed in.

In my hutong neighbourhood in Beijing, by contrast, the mornings were strangely silent. In 1958 Mao Zedong had declared war on songbirds, sparrows in particular: he claimed they consumed scarce grain. For three days and nights my neighbourhood, gripped like much of northern China by hysteria, had beaten pots and pans to keep birds on the move until they collapsed in exhaustion on the roofs and pavements of the courtyard houses. The consequence was a plague of locusts the next year that helped bring on a famine. “Suan le,” Mao had said when told that the anti-sparrow campaign was not working. “Forget it then.”

Read the full artile in the Economist

Birding Babylon

Birding Babylon - Jonathan Thouern-Trend

Birding Babylon - A Soldier's Journal from Iraq is a inspiring book! I picked up a copy on the recommendation of a fellow birder. The book quite short - only 80 pages. It is an edited selection of journal enteries by a soldier serving a tour of duty in Iraq with the 118th Area Support Medical Battalion.

The book is not so much about the military operations in Iraq as the title suggests. Rather, it contains the observations of a life long naturalist who somehow found a way to find hope and serenity amidst the violence of war. On one occasion, he discovered a Little Owl nesting in the shelter of a concrete bunker. He also speaks of birding in full battle gear the day following a rocket attack and finds centeredness in watching a Squacco Heron. Following a sandstorm, he finds calmness in watching two white-cheeked bulbuls chasing a moth.


Squacco Heron
Image Credit: Mike Lane

The following is a brief excerpt from the book's preface:

Most people's view of Iraq focuses on the chaos and violence of war. To read about something universally familiar as the migration of birds, or watching ducks in a pond, fufilled a need to know that something worthwhile or magical was happening, even in the midst of suicide bombings and rocket attacks...Knowing that the great cycles of nature continue despite what people happen to be doing is reassuring, I think. There is an order we can take comfort in and draw strength from.

I would definately recommend this book to anyone who needs some inspiration. It's a nice read for birders as well. You can get it at Amazon. I found it helpful to keep a field guide, Birds of the Middle East, within arms reach so that I could look up the birds the author encountered.

You can also check out more of the authors journal at his blog, Birding Babylon.

Audubon Guide to Wetlands Protections

American Black Duck, Anas rubripes
Image Credit: Glen Tepke

I received the following message from the PABirds listserve. It was posted by Carmen Santasania regarding the new Audubon Guide to Wetlands Protections. I felt it was important to pass it along, as protecting wetlands is crucial for protecting wild birds.

A Resource for Audubon State Offices, Chapters, and Wetlands Advocates, prepared by the Public Policy Office, is now posted on our website. The guide provides an overview of the need for wetlands protections; how to launch a wetlands campaign; federal and state authorities that apply to wetlands; and recent developments in the judicial, regulatory, and congressional arenas. The guide is intended as a resource for people who want to make a difference at the local level, whether they are long-time wetlands advocates who want to increase their effectiveness or new wetlands advocates who are interested in protecting their local wetlands. Key reference materials are included as appendices.

The guide (958kb PDF) can be downloaded from Audubon’s website.

South Korea Pushing Birds to Extinction

Spoon-billed Sandpiper: Are Its Days Numbered?
Photo Credit: Peter Ericsson

I recently came across an article on the Saemangeum land reclamation project on the Reuters web site. The article details the mindless habitat destruction on wetlands on the west coast of South Korea, and its decimating effects on migratory shore birds that feed there. Some of the birds, such as the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Spotted Greenshank, are critically endangered.

Here is an exerpt from the article:

SEOUL (Reuters) - A huge South Korean land reclamation project has destroyed wetlands, killed migratory birds and pushed endangered species toward extinction, a report obtained at the weekend said.

The Saemangeum land reclamation, completed in 2006 on the west coast and covering about 400 square kms (155 sq miles) -- about seven times larger than Manhattan -- has removed one of the largest feeding grounds on the Yellow Sea for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds who pass by each year, it said.

"Within Saemangeum, (we) recorded a decline of 137,000 shorebirds, and declines in 19 of the most numerous species, from 2006 to 2008," according to the study by conservation groups Birds Korea and Australasian Wader Studies Group that will be released at an international Ramsar convention on wetlands this week in South Korea.

Read the entire article here.


Spotted Greenshank
Photo Credit: i-owen


Some Additional Reading Suggestions

Here is a link to another article in the BBC explaining the impact of the development project on migrating birds.

Here is a link to an article in the Korea Times which lays out the government's short-sighted objectives and hopes for the project. Apparently South Korea wants to create a business haven similar to that of Dubai.

Endemic Birds of Taiwan: Update

Taiwan Fulvetta, Alcippe formosana, formerly a sub-species of the Streak-throated Fulvetta, Alcippe cinereiceps.
Photo Credit: pseudolapiz

This summer, the International Ornithological Congress (IOC) issued a major update to their world birdlist (Gill, F., Wright, M. & Donsker, D., 2008. IOC World Bird Names (ver. 1.7)). According to the press release, the updated list "[includes] changes of names, additions of newly described species as well as proposed splits and lumps...". As such, the IOC presently recognizes 10,354 extant species of birds in the world.


Taiwan Scimitar Babbler, Pomatorhinus musicus
Photo Credit: K.K. Kuo, Birding in Taiwan

As a result of these recent changes, Taiwan has gained six endemic species, bringing the total number of endemic species to 22. Not all authorities concur with the IOC changes. For example, the Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, which is recognized by the American Ornithological Union (AOU) and the American Birding Association (ABA), accepts only 15 endemics for Taiwan. The remaining seven species are considered endemic sub-species.


Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Garrulax ruficeps
Photo Credit: K.K. Kuo, Birding in Taiwan

The list of endemic birds follows:

Taiwan Endemic Species (recognized by IOU and AOU)

Collared Bush Robin, Tarsiger johnstoniae
Mikado Pheasant, Syrmaticus mikado
Rusty Laughingthrush, Garrulax poecilorhynchus
Steere's Liocichla, Liocichla steerii
Styan's Bulbul, Pycnonotus taivanus
Swinhoe's Pheasant, Lophura swinhoii
Taiwan Barwing, Actinodura morrisoniana
Taiwan Blue Magpie, Urocissa caerulea
Taiwan Bush Warbler, Bradypterus alishanensis
Taiwan Partridge, Arborophila crudigularis
Taiwan Whistling Thrush, Myophonus insularis
Taiwan Yuhina, Yuhina brunneiceps
White-eared Sibia, Heterophasia auricularis
White-whiskered Laughingthrush, Garrulax morrisonianus
Yellow Tit, Parus holsti


Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Garrulax ruficeps
Photo Credit: Chi Liu

Endemic Species (recognized by IOU only)

Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler, Pomatorhinus erythrocnemis
Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush, Garrulax ruficeps
Taiwan Barbet, Megalaima nuchalis
Taiwan Fulvetta, Alcippe formosana
Taiwan Hwamei, Garrulax taewanus
Taiwan Scimitar Babbler, Pomatorhinus musicus
Taiwan Wren-Babbler, Pnoepyga formosana


Taiwan Wren-Babbler, Pnoepyga formosana
Photo Credit: John&Fish's Photostream

The five contested species were prososed by Nigel Collar of BirdLife International in a recent research paper entitled A partial revision of the Asian babblers (Timaliidae). The full paper can viewed at Dr. Collar's website.


Taiwan Hwamei, Garrulax taewanus
Photo Credit: K.K. Kuo, Birding in Taiwan

Rufous-crowned Laughingthrush was forerly considered a sub-sepcies of the White-throated Laughingthrush, Garrulax albogularis. The Rusty Laughingthrush was formerly one of three sub-species of Rusty Laughingthrush. It will retain both its English and Latin names, the other two sub-species were reassigned. Similarly, the Black-necklaced Scimitar Babbler was formerly a sub-species of the Spot-breasted Scimitar-Babbler. While it retained its Latin name, its common name was changed as indicated. The Taiwan Hwamei was formerly a sub-species of Chinese Hwamei, Garrulax canorus. The Taiwan Wren Babbler was derived from the Scaly-breasted Wren Babbler, Pnoepyga albiventer. Lastly, the Taiwan Fulvetta was derived from the Streak-throated Fulvetta, Alcippe cinereiceps.

New Species: Nonggang Babbler

Nonggang Babbler
Image Credit: Jiang Aiwu

A New Species of Babbler (Timaliidae: Stachyris) from the Sino-Vietnamese Border Region of China
Zhou Fang and Jiang Aiwu

Abstract

Since 2004, we have surveyed birds in the southwest Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. Many times during February, July, and October 2005 and January 2006, we observed, in Nonggang Natural Reserve of Guangxi, a species in the family Timaliidae that has never been recorded before in China or Southeast Asia. Nonggang Natural Reserve is located in the Sino-Vietnamese border region at 22°13′–22°34′N, 106°42′–107°05′E, 18 km southeast of the Vietnamese border. On 21 January 2006, we captured two individuals. Subsequent investigation showed that the specimens belonged to a previously undescribed species, which we designate Stachyris nonggangensis, the Nonggang Babbler.

Access full article at the The Auk 125(2):420–424, 2008

Finding Warblers in State College, Pennsylvania

Wilson's Warbler, Wilsonia pusilla
Photo Credit: Michael Woodruff

Each spring and fall, birdwatchers look forward to the return of migrating birds. Among the birds they most anticipate are the wood-warblers. Wood-warblers are deserving of attention, not only for their spectacularly colored plumages, but also for their diversity. More than 50 species can be observed in North America

As most birders know, identifying warblers takes some practice. Males are usually easier to identify than females due to their bright colors and distinctive patterns. Knowing their songs and calls is also immensely helpful. Identifying the females is a more difficult, as their plumage tends to be a dull, washed-out version of the males. Once fall rolls around, warbler identication can be a bit tricky. Males have already begun to molt, and have lost most of their breeding plumage. In addition, juvenile birds are present, and typically look more similar to females than males. A few previously distinct species begun to look more similar to each other.

Warblers themselves don't always cooperate either. For starters, they are small birds - about 4 to 5 inches long. And they don't sit still - they are very active, hoping from branch to branch gleaning insects. In addition, many warblers spend a lot of time in dense foliage or up in the canopy of trees, making observation challenging.

Although each species of warbler has its own habitat requirement, they generally prefer mature woods and heavy brush. As such, warblers can usually be found in many state parks or gamelands. Many birds have found that forest edges or clearings often provide the best opportunites for spotting warblers. Flycatchers tend to like these areas as well.

Another thing to keep in mind is that warblers are always on the move. They tend to travel in mixed species flocks, typically with several other warbler species. Sometimes, one only has to stand in a good spot for a few minutes and simply wait for a wave of warblers to come by. Chickadees are also a favorite travelling partner of warblers. As such, one can often track down warblers by listening for the chatter of chickadees.

In State College, PA, there are several good places to view warblers, including the Scotia Barrens, Bear Meadows, Toftrees Gamelands, and Lederer Park. To be sure, the occurance of warblers is not limited to these parks. Any place with suitable habitat will likely yield warblers.

If you happen to be in State College, and you are looking for a place to do a little bird watching, here are some places you might want to go.

Lederer Park


Blackburnian Warbler, Dendroica fusca
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Lederer Park is located on University Drive, between College Avenue and Atherton Street. Click here for directions. The park contains a mix of decidous hardwood trees and conifers with a shrubby understory. The park is also home to the Evans Oak Arboretum. The central area of the park is maintained as a mowed field. Around the perimeter of the field is a short hiking trail. The trees and shrubs adjacent to the trail are the best place to observe warblers. Among the Warblers to be found here are Nashville Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, and Chestnut-sided Warblers. Philadelphia Vireo have also been observed here.

Toftrees Gamelands


Black & White Warbler, Mniotilta varia
Photo Credit: Utah Birds

Toftrees Gameslands (SGL 176)is a managed hunting area. The area is irrigated daily with treated wastewater. The habitat in the gamelands is a mix of forest and farmland habitat. There are also a number of artifical ponds, the largest of which is located adjacent to the Tofrees Golf Course. Toftrees gamelands are located behind the Toftrees Resort and Golf Club. Click here for directions. The easiest way to access the gamelands is to park in the hunter's parking lot just off Cricklewood Drive, adjacent to the Ale House parking lot. The best places to find warblers are in the trees and shrubs surrounding the artificial ponds. Toftrees is a good place for Yellow Warblers, American Redstarts, Common Yellowthroats, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Toftrees pond is also a good place for ducks and shorebirds.

Bear Meadows


Black-throated Blue Warbler, Dendroica caerulescens
Photo Credit: Michael Hogan

Bear Meadows is a remnant boreal bog encompasses 320 acres. The dominant tree species are black spruce and balsam fir. There are also a number of deciduous trees, and a thick understory dominated by rhododendron and high-bush blueberry. Bear Meadows is located in the Rothrock State Forest. It is just of Rt. 322, on Bear Meadows Rd, a few miles past the Tussey Mountain Ski area. Click here for the map. The best place to park is in the small parking area near the National Natural Landmark headstone. Warblers are abundant on the hiking trails bordering the swamp, as well as Sinking Creek. Bear Meadows is a good place to find Wilson's Warblers, Hooded Warblers, Canada Warblers, and Black-throated Blue Warblers.

Scotia Barrens


Blue-winged Warbler, Vermivora pinus
Photo Credit :Wikipedia

Scotia Barrens is also part of SGL 176 and is a managed wildlife area. The vegetation in the Barrens is dominated by Pitch Pine and Scrub Oaks. Ruffed Grouse and American Woodcock are abundant here. The Barrens are located in west of downtown State College, just off of Rt. 322. Click here for a map. Parking in the gamelands is not a problem. There are a number of area adjacent to the Scotia Range Road where one can simply pull over. Just be careful not to block access to any of the gated service roads. Warblers can be observed just about anywhere in the barrens, but the best places are the Scotia Pond, the "research station", and the large Welcome sign (which is located about two miles from the enterance). Among the warblers that can be observed here are Blue-winged Warblers, Golden-winged Warblers, Ceruelean Warblers, and Cape May Warblers. Flycatchers are also abundant here.

To get a more detailed list of all the birds that have been observed in the State College area, you can check eBird or the State College Bird Club. The bird club web site also has information for other birding hotspots.

White-backed Vulture: Soon to be Extinct?

Here is an exerpt from an article on White-backed Vultures that appeared on Wildlife Extra.com

Critically endangered Asian vulture conservation efforts not enough to save the species

Captive breeding colonies of a critically endangered vulture, whose numbers in the wild have dwindled from tens of millions to a few thousand, are too small to protect the species from extinction, a University of Michigan analysis shows...With a seven-foot wingspan, the oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis) was an awesome presence in south Asia until the mid-1990s, when populations began to collapse. At first the cause was unclear, but researchers eventually zeroed in on an anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, that is used to alleviate arthritis-like symptoms in livestock but is toxic to vultures. Vultures that feed on carcasses of animals treated with the drug die of kidney failure within a day or two after eating the tainted meat. And although India, Nepal and Pakistan outlawed its manufacture in 2006, diclofenac is still available, and birds are still dying.

Read the full article HERE

New Species: Olive-backed Forest Robin

Photo Credit: Brian Schmidt

A new species of African Forest Robin from Gabon
(Passeriformes: Muscicapidae: Stiphrornis)

Here is the abstract from a journal article in Zootaxa:

We describe a new species of forest robin from the Gamba Complex in southwest Gabon. This common bird, Stiphrornis pyrrholaemus sp. nov., inhabits primary lowland forest and forages on or near the ground like the other members of the genus Stiphrornis of central and western Africa. Unique phenotypic features of the new species include the male’s bright orange chin, throat, and breast, creamy yellow belly, olive green back and rump, and gray flanks. Mitochondrial sequence divergence corroborates our assessment based on its distinct physical characteristics that this is a new species, and suggest that Stiphrornis erythrothorax is likely the most closely related congener.

Read the full article at Zootaxa

Summer Birding in Taiwan

White-eared Sibia (Heterophasia auricularis).
Photo credit: Huang Wen-Hsin, Birding in Taiwan

This past summer, I spent about seven weeks in Taiwan. My primary purpose was to visit with family, but, needless to say, I did a fair amount of birding while there. I was also Taiwan earlier in the year for the Chinese New Year. My birding report for that trip can be view here.

To prepare for the trip, I studied the field marks for the birds I was likely to see, as well as for a few target birds. I used Wu Sen-Hsiong's Field Guide to the Wild Birds of Taiwan as my primary guide, and Severinghaus & Blackshaw’s New Guide to the Birds of Taiwan as a supplement. Brief reviews of both guides can be found in the post below (scroll down). In addition to field guides, I also made use of publicly accessible field recordings from the Macauley Library to learn the various calls and songs of Taiwan birds. Being a tropical country, Taiwan’s forests are very thick with vegetation, making it difficult to find and identify birds by sight alone. Knowing the songs and calls made it easier to track down birds and identify them.

Kaohsiung County and Tungkang River


Painted Snipe (Rostratula benghalensis).
Photo credit: Huang Wen-Hsin, Birding in Taiwan

I did most of my birding close to my in-law’s home in western Kaohsiung county, near Daliao. Click for map, as well as in the agricultural areas along the Tungkang river in Ping Tung county. Click for map. These areas are located in the southwestern alluvial plains of Taiwan at an elevation below 50 meters. The habitats encountered were a mix of agricultural lands, mostly rice paddies and cane fields, as well as low hills that were largely overtaken by grasslands and bamboo thickets, with a few hardwood trees scattered about. A very small pond was also present. The highlights were the Painted Snipe and the Zitting Citicola – the Snipe for its wonderful plumage and the Cisicola for its entertaining flight display.

These are my observations:
Bamboo Partridge
Barn Swallow
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black Drongo
Black-naped Monarch
Bustard Quail
Cattle Egret
Collared Scops Owl
Common Moorhen
Common Sandpiper
Crested Myna
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Gold-capped Cisticola
Great Egret
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
House Swift
Indian Pranticole
Japanese White-eye
Lesser Coucal
Light-vented Bulbul
Little Egret
Little Ringed Plover
Long-toed Stint
Scaly-breasted Munia
Orange Weaver
Oriental Turtle Dove
Pacific Swallow
Painted Snipe
Plain Prinia
Sand Martin
Spotted Dove
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Tree Pie
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
White Wagtail
White-breasted Water Hen
White-rumped Munia
Wood Sandpiper
Yellow Bittern
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Zitting Cisticola

In addition to local birding, I also made a few field trips to Kenting National Park at the southern tip of Taiwan, Alishan in central Taiwan, Taipei Botanical Garden in the north, and a very brief trip to Victoria Point in Hong Kong.

Kenting National Park


Mountain Scops Owl (Otus spilocephalus hambroecki).
Photo credit: Huang Wen-Hsin, Birding in Taiwan

I have been to Kenting a number of times over the 15-20 years I have been visiting Taiwan. Overall, I have been very disappointed with the birding in the park, particularly with the Sheding Forest Recreation Area. The Baisha beach and other coastal areas have also been somewhat disappointing. The only bright spot I can recommend in Kenting is the Longluan Lake area. That being said, Kenting is a world renowned place for hawk migration, although I have never been there at that time. The highlights were the Mountain Scops Owl and the Hwa-mei.

Here are my observations:
Barn Swallow
Black Bulbul
Black Drongo
Black-browed Barbet
Black-naped Tern
Bronzed Drongo
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Hwamei
Japanese White-eye
Mountain Scops Owl
Oriental Turtle Dove
Pacific Swallow
Red-capped Tree Babbler
Spotted-billed Duck
Spotted Dove
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Styan's Bulbul*
Grey Treepie

Alishan


Taiwan Barwing (Actinodura morrisoniana).
Photo credit: 小綠

Alishan was the highlight of the trip. Its highest peak is Datashan (2663 m). The elevation in the Alishan Forest area is between 2200-2400 m. The mountain range offers a chance to see many of the endemic birds, as well as other high elevation species. And the scenery was spectacular and sometimes draws your attention away form the birds.

Getting to Alishan was half the fun. We took a train to the Chiayi station. From Chiayi, we took the mountain railroad up to Fenchihu (1000 m). Fenchihu is an old railroad town with a shopping area and plenty of places to eat the famous Fenchi lunchbox – basically rice, eggs, and pickled veggies. From Fenchihu, we were picked-up by shuttle van and taken up to our hostel. We spent three days up on the mountain at the Jane-Su Homestay in Chiayi County. The homestay is situated at 1450 m, in the middle of a high mountain oolong tea plantation, and affords a spectacular view of the Alishan area. One feels as if they were floating on a sea of clouds. I highly recommend the homestay!


Sea of Clouds.
Photo Credit: Jane-Su Homestay

Although the mountain roads are relatively well-marked, they can sometimes be difficult to navigate, particularly for the out-of-towner. Summer time is also typhoon season in Taiwan. As such, is it not uncommon to have small mudslides or wash-outs. As such, we hired a local guide from the homestay to drive us around.

I would typically rise just before sunrise, and bird along the roads around the homestay. The vegetation was a mix of conifers, broadleaf trees, and bamboo. Activity was extremely high – at some points at felt a bit overwhelmed with all the birds. Anyway, I did manage to regain my composure and focus on the birds at hand.

The guide would pick us up around 7:00 am, and take us around to some of the local scenic hotspots such as Titanic Rock, Shenmu (Sacred Tree), the Twin Sister Lakes, and a grove of ancient cypress trees. We also visited a local coffee plantation, and a oolong tea plantation operated by the homestay owner.

The highlights of the Alishan trip were the endemic birds (*), particularly the Taiwan Yuhina and the White-eared Sibia. Other notables include an adult Malayan Night Heron and the Large-billed Crow.

Here are my observations:
Bamboo Partridge
Brown Bullfinch
Collared Bush Robin*
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Ferruginous Flycatcher
Green-backed Tit
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta
House Swift
Japanese Green Pigeon
Large-billed Crow
Malayan Night Heron
Mountain Scops Owl
Pacific Swallow
Plumbeous Water Redstart
Red-capped Tree Babbler
Oriental Turtle Dove
Steere's Liocichla*
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Taiwan Barwing*
Taiwan Hill Partridge*
Taiwan Laughingthrush*
Taiwan Yuhina*
Vinaceous Rosefinch
Vivid Niltava
White-eared Sibia*
White-tailed Blue Robin
Rufous-faced Warbler

Taipei Botanical Garden and Xindian River


Black-browed Barbet ( Megalaima oorti).
Photo credit: Birding in Taiwan

The Taipei Botanical Garden is situated in downtown Taipei, close to the National Taiwan University. Although the setting was primarily urban, birding in the small park was surprisingly good. We also visited the Riverside Park near the Xindian River. The highlights of the garden were two juvenile Malayan Night Herons, and a nesting Black-browed Barbet. The Riverside Park was home to a small colony of Sacred Ibis that apparently escaped from the Taipei zoo and are now breeding.

Here are my observations:
Black Bulbul
Black-billed Magpie
Black-browed Barbet
Black-collared Starling
Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-naped Monarch
Cattle Egret
Crested Myna
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Great Egret
House Swift
Besra
Japanese White-eye
Light-vented Bulbul
Little Egret
Malayan Night Heron
Oriental Turtle Dove
Pacific Swallow
Rock Pigeon
Sacred Ibis
Spotted Dove
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Gray Treepie


Hong Kong Trail


Red-whiskered Bulbul.
Photo Credit: Nikhil Devasar, Oriental Bird Club

I also made a very brief (overnight) trip to Hong Kong. Didn’t have much time to bird, but I did manage to sneak about 2 hours in to walk the Hong Kong Trail around Victoria Point. It was rather late in the morning (10:30) and quite warm (40 celcius), but I did manage to see and hear a few birds. The highlights were the Red-Whiskered Bulbul and the Blue Whistling Thrush.

Here are my observations:
Black Kite
Blue Magpie
Blue Whistling Thrush
Crested Myna
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Japanese White-eye
Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Light-vented Bulbul
Masked Laughingthrush
Oriental Magpie Robin
Red-whiskered Bulbul

Overall, I observed about 82 species – 43 of which were lifers for me. The overall highlight of the trip was the Taiwan Yuhina and the White-eared Sibia. Although these birds are fairly common in the mountains, I just found them absolutely spectacular to watch There were also a few disappointments. Taiwan has 16 completely endemic species according to the Clements Checklist of Birds (or 22 by IOC guidelines), all of which I had targeted for the trip. I observed eight of the endemics on this trip (Collared Bush Robin, Steere’s Liocichla, Taiwan Barwing, Taiwan Bulbul, Taiwan Hill Partridge, Taiwan Laughingthrush, Taiwan Yuhina, and White-eared Sibia). There are still seven more that I did not get the opportunity to see, particularly the Formosan Blue Magpie. We had intended to spend more time in the moutains near Huben and Hualien, but two typhoons (Kalmaegi & Fung-wong) hit the island and dumped several feet of water, and washing-out a number of roads ad bridges, as well as causing a few mudslides.

On the bright side, I now have an excuse to go back!

Guide to Birding in Taiwan

Taiwan Tit (Parus holsti)
Image Source: Birding Holidays

Taiwan is a wonderful place to watch birds. Each year, approximately 450 species of birds can be found on the small island. As such, Taiwan has the second highest bird density in the world (Madagascar is first). In addition, Taiwan has 15 endemic species, the majority of which can be found in the mountainous regions.

Geographically, Taiwan has many features that make it an attractive place for birds. The majority (almost 70%) of the island is comprised of mountains with elevations of 100 meters or greater – more than half of which are over 1000 meters. The tallest peak on the island is Yushan (Jade Mountain), with an elevation of 3,952 meters. The remainder of the island is primarily alluvial plains - with a lots of agricultural development (and lots of people). As such, Taiwan offers a wide variety of birding habitats, including coastal wetlands, estuaries, grasslands, agricultural areas, tropical rainforests, broadleaf & bamboo forests, and high alpine forests.

The other feature contributing to Taiwan’s high bird density is it location. Taiwan is located in the western Pacific, about 130 km east of mainland China. The Tropic of Cancer passes directly through the southern part of the island. More importantly, it lies at the midpoint of the migration routes for birds traveling between their summer breeding grounds in Japan, China and Siberia, and their southern wintering grounds in the Philippines, Indonesia, and New Zealand.

Logistically, it is pretty easy to get around. The roads are good and the accommodations and food are reasonably priced. For those interested in planning an itinerary, I would suggest reading the trip reports posted on Surfbirds, particularly those of Andy Mears and Albert Low.

FINDING A FIELD GUIDE

After binoculars, a good field guide can be a birders most important tool. I have used several in the past, such as MacKinnon and Phillip’s Field Guide to the Birds of China, James Wan-Fu Chang's Field Guide to the Birds of Taiwan, Wu Sen-Hsiong's Field Guide to the Wild Birds of Taiwan, and Severinghaus and Blackshaw’s New Guide to the Birds of Taiwan. All the guides are good, but each has its strong points, as well as its drawbacks, as I discuss below.



Field Guide to the Birds of Taiwan

James Wan-Fu Chang's Field Guide to the Birds of Taiwan covers 458 species. Although the common and scientific names of each species is given in English, the main text is written primarily in Chinese, making it problematic for birds not versed in Mandarin. However, there are very brief English language descriptions of the range, habitat and status of each bird which I found helpful. In addition, reasonably good range maps are also shown for each bird (excluding vagrants). On the down side, I found the plates to be somewhat below the standard that most birders have come to expect. Paintings appear hastily done and often do not sufficiently show key field marks which are helpful in distinguishing similar species.


Field Guide to the Wild Birds of Taiwan

Wu Sen-Hsiong's Field Guide to the Wild Birds of Taiwan (ISBN 957-9578-00-1) covers 444 species. Like Chang’s guide, it is also written in Chinese. However, with the exception of the common and scientific names, there are no English language descriptions of any kind. That being said, the range maps and paintings are far superior to Chang’s guide. Key field marks are clearly indicated, and paintings of birds in flight are also shown when appropriate (e.g. gulls, terns, shorebirds, hawks, etc)


Field Guide to the Birds of China

MacKinnon and Phillip’s Field Guide to the Birds of China is more extensive, covering 1329 species. This guide addresses some of the drawbacks of the previous two guides. For starters, it is written entirely in English. The paintings are generally of high quality, and differences between subspecies are indicated. Range maps are also shown on the page facing the paintings. The descriptions of many (but not all) species are fairly well detailed, and the ranges for subspecies is also described. The guide does have some minor problems, which are probably unavoidable. Because of the number of species described, the guide is quite bulky - and somewhat expensive. In addition, the descriptions are in the back of the guide, rather than on the page adjacent to the paintings, making it somewhat inconvenient to use. Some of the species descriptions, particularly those of the Taiwan endemics, seemed to have been glossed over. And although most of the paintings are of high quality, not all were. Overall, I think they are slightly inferior to those of the Wu guide.


New Guide to the Birds of Taiwan

Severinghaus and Blackshaw’s New Guide to the Birds of Taiwan has the least coverage of any of the guides - only 201 species covered. Species covered include the endemics, the most common summer/winter residents (approx. 150 birds), and the migrants one is likely to see. Rare visitors and vagrants are not represented. In addition, the paintings are not the best, and only show a small handful of birds (about 45 birds on eight color plates). The artist is apparently the same person who did the paintings from the Chang guide. A few other birds, including hawk silouettes, are done in b&w pencil drawings, and are surprisingly good. The guide also has a very strong upside, making it indispensible. For starters, it is written in English (and Mandarin). It has excellent descriptions of the habitat and subtle behaviors that are very helpful in making IDs. In addition, the verbal descriptions of the bird calls and songs are also remarkably good.

If I could only choose one guide, my personal recommendation would be Field Guide to the Wild Birds of Taiwan by Sen-Hsiong Wu. It is jointly published by the Taiwan Wild Bird Society and the Wild Bird Society of Japan. I picked-up a copy in Taiwan for about $30. If I could add another as a supplement, it would be the Severinghaus and Blackshaw guide. This one is a bit harder to find, as it is out of print. I found a copy in an on-line antiquarian book store for about $25.

RESOURCES FOR BIRD IDENTIFICATION

When planning any birding adventure, it is always a good idea to do your homework ahead of time. That means familiarizing yourself with the birds you are likely to see. For me, that entails learning the field marks, the calls and songs, as well as the best places to find birds once you arrive at your destination.

For field marks, a good place to start is with a field guide, as stated above. In addition, there are also a number of sites on the internet where you can view photos of birds. Sometimes this can be very helpful, as painting don’t always do a bird justice. For Taiwan, I have found Birding in Taiwan and Oriental Bird Club to be two excellent websites.

Field Recordings

Learning the calls and songs is a must for Taiwan. For birds calls and songs, there are a number of commercially available tapes and CD’s. While these are helpful, they do pose a few problems. For starters, they tend to be costly. In addition, only a limited number of species are represented, and then only by their most common songs and calls. Alternate songs and calls are frequently left out. Fortunately, the internet comes to the rescue again. A number of websites have made field recordings available. In addition to the calls and songs, the location of the recordings is also given, allowing one to distinguish variations in calls between subspecies.

The best site - by far - is Cornell’s Macauley Library. This site contains countless hours of field recordings of many (but not all) birds across the globe. Most species are represented by multiplue recordings, which typically include alternate calls and songs. The Cornell site does have its downside. For example, because they are field recordings, they sometimes contain background noise, such as traffic, barking dogs, wind, and other birds. In addition, not all the recordings are publicly available at present, and not all birds are represented.

In addition to the Cornell site, there are also several good sites that are specifically dedicated to Taiwan birds. These sites contain a fair number of field recordings that can be used as a supplement to the Cornell recordings. Moreover, one may also find recordings of species that are not reprensented in the Cornell collection. In the case where the Cornell field recordings contain background noise or are of poor quality, one may find a better quality recording. In addition, these website typically contain other useful informations, such as general descriptions, data on range and habitat, life histories, and photos. For Taiwan birds, the most useful sites are Birds of Taroko Gorge, the Taiwan Goverment Information Office, and Wayne Hsu’s Page.

Birding Guides


Birdwatching in Taiwan

Where to go? That is best determined by reading trip reports or picking up a copy of a birding guide. Although I have never used a birding guide in Taiwan, there are several that are commercially available. The one that appears to be the most recommended is Birdwatching in Taiwan, by Rui-De Shi. This guide covers 52 birding area in Taiwan, as well as some of its surrounding islands. According to the publisher’s description, “the book also introduces the distinguishing features of ecosystems, the best seasons for visiting, and transportation details”.

OTHER RESOURCES

It is also a good idea to plan your itinerary in advance. To do so, it is helpful if you know a little something about the geography and culture, as well as the infrastructure and accommodations, of the place you are visiting. The internet offers a good resource for this type of information. As I have stated above, trip reports from other birders can be very helpful. For those, I have found Surfbirds to be the best site. Bird blogs are also good resources. I have added a few Taiwan bird blogs to my blog role on the right column of this page. There are also a number of eGroups and listservs through which one can get in touch with others who live or bird frequently in the region of interest. For Taiwan, I have found Yahoo!'s Oriental Birding Club to be very helpful. One could also do a Google search for more sites.

Birding in Taiwan

Black-faced Spoonbill - Photo Credit: Birding in Taiwan

I was in Taiwan in February for the Chinese New Year. I was visiting my in-laws in Kaohsiung county – where I ended up doing most of my birding, although I did manage to sneak in a field trip or two.

Finding a field guide was somewhat problematic. I read a few reviews on the web and asked around, and just about everyone recommended the "Field Guide to the Wild Birds of Taiwan" by Sen-Hsiong Wu. It is jointly published by the Taiwan Wild Bird Society and the Wild Bird Society of Japan. I picked-up a copy in Taiwan for about $30, as I was unable to find one here in the states. I am told that it is available through the ABA, but I did not check it out. Anyway, the paintings in the field guide are excellent, and the range maps are most useful. There are a few drawbacks to the book, the main one being that it is written entirely in Chinese – although the English and scientific names are given. In addition to Wu's book, I also used "A Field Guide to the Birds of Taiwan" by James Wan-fu Chang. I borrowed a copy from the Penn State library. It too is written primarily in Chinese, and the paintings are inferior to the Wu book; however, Chang gives brief habitat descriptions and status reports in English that I found helpful.

Anyway, here is a list of my observations. I grouped the observations by location, so there are some duplications.

Da Liao Training Area – This area was about a quarter mile from my mother-in-law's house in Kaohsiung county. Part of the area in used by the Taiwanese military for training, and the rest is an abandoned cemetery that has largely overtaken by grasslands and bamboo thickets. A very small pond was also present. There were also a few hardwood trees scattered about. Overall, it was about 2-3 times the size of Sunset Park in State College.

Striated Prinia
Plain Prinia
Light-vented Bulbul
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Black-naped Monarch
Brown Shrike
Spotted-necked Dove
Arctic Warbler
Gray Treepie
Brown-headed Thrush
White's Thrush
Scaly-breasted Munia
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Japanese White-eye
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
Common Moorhen


Old Railroad Bridge Park, Ping Tung River – This area is a large wetlands area located in Fong Shan. It is adjacent to the Ping Tung River. Part of the area consists of a park and a baseball field and is pretty heavily used as a rec area, but the marshy portion has been set aside for the local wildlife, and is accessible by trails. It consists primarily of a few marshy ponds and riverside mudflats.

Light-vented Bulbul
Little Chinese Bittern
Grey Heron
Great Egret
Common Moorhen
Brown Shrike
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Wood Sandpiper
Plain Prinia
Barn Swallow
Pacific Swallow
Spotted-billed Duck
Black-crowned Night Heron
House Swift
Common Moorhen


Dowtown Kaohsiung – We were visiting the Tzu Chi Buddhist Temple in downtown Kaohsiung. The temple was located adjacent to the Ai River. There was a small park and a river walk along the banks, so I grabbed my binoculars and took a short walk.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Collared Finchbill
Brown-headed Thrush
Light-vented Bulbul
Grey Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Common Sandpiper
Little Ringed Plover
Asian Glossy Starling
Spotted Dove


Zheng Wen River - We went up to the Black-faced Spoonbill Conservation Area in Cigu (near Tainan). The area is located at the mouth of the Zheng Wen River. Virtually the entire region is occupied by fish farms of one sort or another that are subdivided by short mud walls, much in the way that rice paddies are. Anyway, there were lots of places for birds to settle down, and lots of mudflats and shallow water for them to feed in.

Black-billed Magpie
Caspian Tern
Black-winged Stilt
Common Greenshank
Common Redshank
Snowy "Kentish" Plover
Green-winged Teal
Common Sandpiper
Common Snipe
Black-crowned Night Heron
Grey Heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
Intermediate Egret
Black-faced Spoonbill
Eurasian Tree Sparrow


Northeast Taiwan – We took a road trip up to the northeaster part of Taiwan to visit the Taroko Gorge and the Jhiben Hot Springs. During the trip, we stopped a number of places to eat, shop, etc. I took advantage of part of that time to do some birding.

Grey Heron
Cattle Egret
Great Egret
Little Egret
Intermediate Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Chinese Little Bittern
Ring-necked Pheasant
Common oorhen
Common Sandpiper
Spotted Dove
Oriental Turtle Dove
Red Turtle Dove
House Swift
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
Oriental Skylark
Pacific Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black Drongo
Large-billed Crow
Gray-throated Minivet
Black Bulbul
Light-vented Bulbul
Styan's Bulbul
Blue Rock Thrush
Plumbeous Water Redstart
Plain Prinia
Yellow Wagtail
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Brown Shrike
Long-tailed Shrike
Crested Mynah
Common Mynah
White-rumped Munia
Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Overall, I observed about 65 species – most of which were lifers for me. The highlight of the trip was the Black-faced Spoonbill. There were also a few disappointments. Taiwan has about 15 completely endemic species. With the exception of Styan's Bubul, just about all of them live in the mountains. On the day we were to make a trip up into the mountains, I came down with a case of rotovirus, comlete with its attending pleasantries. As such, I missed the chance to see many of the endemics, such as the Yellow Tit, Swinhoe's Pheasant and the Formosan Magpie.

New Species: Togian White-eye

Image Source: National Geographic

A new white-eye (Zosterops) from the Togian Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Here is the abstract from the Wilson Journal of Ornithology

We encountered white-eyes (Zosterops) that did not match any known species during ornithological field observations in the Togian Islands, Gulf of Tomini, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Subsequently, we collected a specimen and made tape recordings. We consider the Zosterops of the Togian Islands to be a new species that differs most strikingly from the Black-crowned White-eye (Z. atrifrons) in lacking a white eye ring and in soft-part colors. The new species has a somewhat higher-pitched, less modulated song than Z. atrifrons. It seems uncommon and has been encountered only near sea level on three small islands, and it may be best considered Endangered.

Access the full article in the Wilson Journal of Ornithology