Nearly yearly, Shanghai appears to have one or a number of Verditer Flycatchers. This 12 months, one made the error of visiting a comparatively accessible park with a fairly massive parking zone, leading to massive numbers of birders and chicken photographers gathering there on the weekend.
Actually, I used to be glad to get just a few pictures inside 10 minutes or so after which be capable of go away. It was a bit a lot for me. However hey, it’s a lovely chicken.
The identical park (Baisha Park in Bao’an) additionally hosts some Sooty-headed Bulbuls that I had not identified about earlier than. Apparently, they’re residents there (although presumably initially from captive inventory).
Some individuals most likely too delicate to present chicken physique elements correct names gave it the scientific identify Pycnonotus aurigaster, with aurigaster that means golden-bellied. If these individuals ever need to see a proctologist, they are going to have severe issues describing their medical points.
Chinese language Grosbeaks within the park made for an excellent distraction for the photographers each time the Verditer Flycatcher was not seen.
Whereas Cornell characterizes the Lesser Coucal as non-migratory, seeing one in non-breeding plumage on December 03 at Nanhui was a primary for me. The species is unquestionably rather more widespread in spring and summer season.
Chongming Island had just a few birds already seen final month, comparable to
… Black-faced Spoonbill …
… Bluethroat …
… and Northern Lapwing.
For causes not even fairly clear to me, I submit a lot of my chicken pictures on a devoted webpage impartial of 10,000 Birds. Largely, it serves as a web-based backup – however generally I additionally direct researchers to it after they ask for pictures of particular species. The Silver-throated Bushtit – which I noticed once more this month – is one in all these species, and the photographs then have been utilized in a paper on Silver-throated Bushtits and their hybrids with Lengthy-tailed Tits.
The paper describes the variations between a Northern and a Southern subspecies of the Silver-throated Bushtit – the Shanghai birds belong to the southern one.
One pal of mine usually complains about mimicry – birds pretending to be different birds by imitating their noises – although I believe he most likely bought fairly just a few further species on his lists this manner. The nestlings of Zitting Cisticolas apparently have taken up an much more helpful mimicry – they imitate the hissing of some snakes.
Based on a latest paper, this may increasingly enhance their survival price by deterring predators. Although personally, I believe that the alliteration-based title of the journal the place the paper was revealed is a little bit of an overkill (“Ethology Ecology & Evolution”).
In Chinese language Penduline Tits, often, just one mum or dad cares for the eggs and chicks – in 71% of nests, it’s feminine care solely, in 9% male care solely, in 4% biparental care, which leaves 16% of nests/chicks to be abandoned by each dad and mom (supply).
Male tits change their conduct over the breeding season; they desert clutches produced early within the season however take care of the late season clutches as there are fewer mating alternatives round (like a person who in his fifties changing into a devoted father after abandoning a number of pregnant girlfriends when younger).
And the species buries the eggs when it leaves the nest throughout the daytime, presumably to forestall the eggs from rolling out of the nest (supply).
This Frequent Snipe appeared to suppose it may make itself invisibly by not transferring in any respect.
This isn’t the technique of the Pallas Leaf Warbler, which thinks that transferring round on a regular basis can have the identical impact.
Black-faced Buntings apparently can create fairly a bit of pleasure when being seen within the UK: “It’s changing into a record-setting autumn for Black-faced Bunting throughout Europe, together with no fewer than three British information in latest weeks” (supply). However they’re quite common in Shanghai in winter.
The Falcated Duck is listed as Close to Threatened. It depends strongly on China as a wintering floor, the place greater than 85% of the inhabitants winter. Sadly, in line with Cornell, they’re hunted for meals and feathers in massive numbers in China.
eBird, fairly than discovering one thing constructive to see in regards to the Plain Prinia, as a substitute appears to place the species – which already suffers sufficient from its identify – additional down: “A standard prinia with drab gray-brown plumage”.
eBird could even have offended two species on the identical time if a bachelor thesis claiming that the Plain Prinia includes no less than two species (primarily based on completely different vocalization) is to be believed.
Based on Cornell, the Pale Thrush is “widespread in winter in Shanghai space (the place apparently territorial)” – I believe they’re referring to the one within the photograph right here, which is a fixture of the parking zone subsequent to the coastal resort at Nanhui.
Swinhoe’s White-eye isn’t a uncommon chicken in Shanghai, and apparently, it’s getting much less and fewer uncommon in Southern California, resulting in net pages with titles comparable to “A New, Cute Little Fowl Could Quickly Present Up In Your Yard”.
The article claims that whereas their inhabitants is rising quick they don’t seem to be considered invasive as they don’t have a damaging impression on native species to this point. However: “That would change at any time”.
Lastly, the (no less than to me) ever-popular Reed Parrotbill. Whereas it’s nonetheless moderately straightforward to seek out in Shanghai, local weather change could shift its vary additional north (supply).
Perhaps I might want to shift my habitat additional north as nicely then.
Autor Kai Pflug
