Virtually yearly, Shanghai appears to have one or a number of Verditer Flycatchers. This yr, one made the error of visiting a comparatively accessible park with a moderately giant parking zone, leading to giant numbers of birders and fowl photographers gathering there on the weekend.
In truth, I used to be glad to get just a few photographs 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 stunning fowl.
The identical park (Baisha Park in Bao’an) additionally hosts some Sooty-headed Bulbuls that I had not recognized about earlier than. Apparently, they’re residents there (although probably initially from captive inventory).
Some folks in all probability too delicate to provide fowl physique elements correct names gave it the scientific title Pycnonotus aurigaster, with aurigaster which means golden-bellied. If these folks ever must see a proctologist, they may have severe issues describing their medical points.
Chinese language Grosbeaks within the park made for distraction for the photographers at any time when 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 frequent in spring and summer time.
Chongming Island had just a few birds already seen final month, akin to
… Black-faced Spoonbill …
… Bluethroat …
… and Northern Lapwing.
For causes not even fairly clear to me, I put up a lot of my fowl photographs on a devoted webpage unbiased of 10,000 Birds. Largely, it serves as an internet backup – however typically I additionally direct researchers to it after they ask for photographs of particular species. The Silver-throated Bushtit – which I noticed once more this month – is one among these species, and the pictures then had 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 buddy of mine usually complains about mimicry – birds pretending to be different birds by imitating their noises – although I believe he in all probability received fairly just a few further species on his lists this fashion. The nestlings of Zitting Cisticolas apparently have taken up an much more helpful mimicry – they imitate the hissing of some snakes.
In line with a latest paper, this may occasionally 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 guardian 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 mother and father (supply).
Male tits change their habits over the breeding season; they desert clutches produced early within the season however look after 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 through the daytime, presumably to forestall the eggs from rolling out of the nest (supply).
This Frequent Snipe appeared to assume it may make itself invisibly by not shifting in any respect.
This isn’t the technique of the Pallas Leaf Warbler, which thinks that shifting 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 accordance with Cornell, they’re hunted for meals and feathers in giant numbers in China.
eBird, moderately than discovering one thing optimistic to see in regards to the Plain Prinia, as an alternative appears to place the species – which already suffers sufficient from its title – additional down: “A standard prinia with drab gray-brown plumage”.
eBird could even have offended two species on the similar time if a bachelor thesis claiming that the Plain Prinia contains a minimum of two species (based mostly on completely different vocalization) is to be believed.
In line with Cornell, the Pale Thrush is “frequent in winter in Shanghai space (the place apparently territorial)” – I believe they’re referring to the one within the picture right here, which is a fixture of the parking zone subsequent to the coastal lodge at Nanhui.
Swinhoe’s White-eye isn’t a uncommon fowl in Shanghai, and apparently, it’s getting much less and fewer uncommon in Southern California, resulting in net pages with titles akin to “A New, Cute Little Chook Could Quickly Present Up In Your Yard”.
The article claims that whereas their inhabitants is rising quick they aren’t thought to be invasive as they don’t have a destructive impression on native species up to now. However: “That would change at any time”.
Lastly, the (a minimum of to me) ever-popular Reed Parrotbill. Whereas it’s nonetheless fairly straightforward to search out in Shanghai, local weather change could shift its vary additional north (supply).
Perhaps I might want to shift my habitat additional north as properly then.
