Bulletin 313 - China #13 - Pheasants, Hoopoe, wagtails, shrikes, woodpeckers and minivet

I had an 8 day birding to trip in eastern China with a wonderful guide Lin Zhang based in Shanghai. He is perfectly fluent in English. We visited 5 different locales. His website is here. FYI making contact within China by email is a problem as the government blocks some email accounts coming in including gmail.  So I had to contact him using MS Outlook. His email is zhanglinas@hotmail.com.

The pheasants are all native to Asia. In the east Asia field guide, there are 9 species. The Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) has been introduced widely as a game bird including USA. It is known here as the Ring-necked Pheasant. it was nice to see in his native area.

Common Pheasant - male
AKA Ring-necked Pheasant

The other pheasant I saw, was the bird of the trip. The 82" male Reeve's Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii) has the longest tail of any pheasant species (62"). We has a pair of males right beside the car. They have a black and white face and golden body feathers. It is listed as vulnerable. They have a reserve for them and a captive breeding program.

Reeve's Pheasant - male

As they walked further away, I was finally able to get the whole bird in the photo.

Reeve's Pheasant - male

The 3 species of new woodpeckers were also a treat on the trip. The males all have some red on the head, but the photos are not oriented in a way that I can distinguish the sex of the 3 species. 

The smallest (6")  is the Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos canicapillus)

Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker

In the same genus is the 8" Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major). It has a red belly.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

The largest was the 12" Gray-headed Woodpecker (Picus canis) . It is a green woodpecker with a gray head.

Gray-headed Woodpecker

The most unusual bird on the trip is the 13" Eurasian Hoopoe (Upupa epops). It is one of 3 living hoopoe species. I knew this bird from looking at the guide book before the trip. It seems to be a common bird and I saw perhaps a dozen during the week. It is beige bodied with black and white wings, black tail, large crest and a long bill. It is an easy ID even for me who had never seen it before. The long crest is only elevated when the bird lands. I did not know that and missed the chance to see it raised.

Eurasian Hoopoe

And a few songbirds to finish up all the China birds from the trip. The 8.5" Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach) has a gray crown, black mask, wings and tail and rusty back.

Long-tailed Shrike

The 7.5" Bull-headed Shrike (Lanius bucephalus) is a brown bird with a gray mask.

Bull-headed Shrike

The 7" male Gray-chinned Minivet (Pericrocotus solaris) is the second member of the cuckooshrike family I have see. The male is black and orange.

Gray-chinned Minivet - male

The female is yellow and gray

Gray-chinned Minivet - female

The last 3 birds are all in the same family..wagtails and pipits. The 6" Buff-bellied Pipit (Anthus rubescens) is a brown bird with streaked chest and buffy belly. It is the same bird as the American Pipit here in North America but a likely future split according to the guide.

Buff-bellied Pipit
AKA American Pipit

The 6" Olive-backed Pipit (Anthus hodgsoni) is streaked and olive coloration.

Olive-backed Pipit

The 7" White Wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a dapper black and white bird.

White Wagtail

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 12 of the 182 species of pheasants, turkeys and partridges.

I have photos of 48 of the 234 species of woodpeckers

I have photos of 4 of the 34 species of shrikes

I have photos of 2 of the 92 species of cuckooshrikes

I have photos of 5 of the 34 species of wagtails and pipits

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe

Bulletin 312 - China #12 - Misc small songbirds

I had an 8 day birding to trip in eastern China with a wonderful guide Lin Zhang based in Shanghai. He is perfectly fluent in English. We visited 5 different locales. His website is here. FYI making contact within China by email is a problem as the government blocks some email accounts coming in including gmail.  So I had to contact him using MS Outlook. His email is zhanglinas@hotmail.com.

The 5.5" Japanese Tit (Parus minor) looks like a chickadee for sure, but he has a black stripe down the midline underneath.

Japanese Tit

The 4"  male Yellow-bellied Tit (Periparus venustulus) is endemic to SE China. It resembles a chickadee with a complete yellow breast and belly. 

Yellow-bellied Tit - male

The female is greenish and has a white throat.

Yellow-bellied Tit - female

The next 2 birds are in the bushtit family. The 4.5 " male Black-throated Tit (Aegithalos concinnus). He resembles our chickadees more then the drab bushtit.

Black-throated Tit - male

The 6" Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) looks like a long tailed chickadee.

Long-tailed Tit

The 4" Chinese Penduline Tit (Remiz consobrinus) is in a tiny family called penduline tits and there is only 1 species in the Americas, the Verdin. This photo is a drab female. The male is more brightly marked but I never saw him.

Chinese Penduline Tit - female

There are many Old World birds called babblers and they are in 7 different families! This is the 4.5" Rufous-capped Babbler (Stachyris ruficeps). It is the first bird I have photographed in the timaliidae family. All of the are in Asia. It is an olive green bird with a bright rufous cap.

Rufous-capped Babbler

The tiny 4" White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata) is a brown and white bird popular as a pet. Other species of the lonchura genus are found as escapes in USA and Hawaii.

White-rumped Munia

The 5" Huet's Fulvetta (Alcippe hueti) is a brown bodied bird with gray head. He also has a bright white eye ring. It is the first member of this family I have seen or photographed.

Huet's Fulvetta

The 4.5" Brown-flanked Bush Warbler (Horornis fortipes) is a member of the small (32 species) cettia bush warbler family. They are all in east Asia and Pacific Islands to Fiji. The seem to be all drab brown and closely resemble our wrens. This is the only member of this family I have seen.

Brown-flanked Bush Warbler

And the final tiny bird is the 4" Zitting Cisiticola (Cisitcola juncidis), This is a small brown streaked bird that would be impossible to ID without the guide.

Zitting Cisticola

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 11 of the 64 species of chickadees and tits.

I have photos of 3 of the 13 species of bushtits.

I have photos of 2 of the 10 species of penduline tits

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe

Bulletin 311 - China #11 - Gulls, tern, grebes

I had an 8 day birding to trip in eastern China with a wonderful guide Lin Zhang based in Shanghai. He is perfectly fluent in English. We visited 5 different locales. His website is here. FYI making contact within China by email is a problem as the government blocks some email accounts coming in including gmail.  So I had to contact him using MS Outlook. His email is zhanglinas@hotmail.com.

The lumping and splitting of gulls makes them a difficult family of birds and the multiple plumages as they progress form juvenile to adult over 3 or 4 years is challenging so I always use a guide. 

The small 12" Saunder's Gull (Choriocephalus saundersi) is listed as vulnerable with a very small range in eastern China. It is a black-headed gull in breeding plumage. It also has a distinctive underwing pattern.

Saunder's Gull - breeding adult

The 23" Heuglin's Gull (Larus fuscus) is now lumped within Lesser Black-backed Gull.

Heuglin's Gull (lumped with Lesser Black-backed Gull)

The 24" Mongolian Gull (Larus vegae) is currently lumped in with Vega Gull which itself was split from Herring Gull

Mongolian Gull (lumped with Vega Gull)

The 19" Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) is a white-headed gull with a black tail tipped in white. It is endemic to east Asia.

Black-tailed Gull

 The winter 16" Black-headed Gull  (Choriocephalus ridibundus) has a black spot behind the eye, red and black bill and black tips to primary wing feathers.

Black-headed Gull - adult winter

I also saw the Relict Gull another rare East Asian species and in my excitement to get closer to the bird, I forgot to take a photo before approaching the flock and they flew away. Live and learn - ugh.

The only tern I photographed was the 11" Whiskered Tern (Childonias hybrida). It is a small gray tern with a black whisker behind the bill. It is visible on a larger photo.

Whiskered Tern

The winter 11" Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) is mostly brown with a yellow eye. In summer he has a red throat and breast. We saw many of these cute birds in Poyang Lake area and I finally got some nice close-up photos.

Little Grebe - winter

The huge 19" Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) has a black and white neck and white face and rufous behind the eye and chin. The bushy crest is just visible.

Great Crested Grebe - breeding

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 33 of the 101 species of gulls and terns.

I have photos of 11 of the 22 species of grebes.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe

Bulletin 310 - China #10 - flycatchers, parrotbills and leaf warbler

I had an 8 day birding to trip in eastern China with a wonderful guide Lin Zhang based in Shanghai. He is perfectly fluent in English. We visited 5 different locales. His website is here. FYI making contact within China by email is a problem as the government blocks some email accounts coming in including gmail.  So I had to contact him using MS Outlook. His email is zhanglinas@hotmail.com.

The Old World flycatcher and chat family is a huge 300+ family of songbirds. The 13" Blue Whistling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus) is navy blue with white spots on his head and upper body.

Blue Whistling Thrush

The 6" male Daurian Redstart (Phoenicurus auroreus) is black and white bird with rufous underparts.

Daurian Redstart - male

The male 7" White-capped Redstart (Phoenicurus leucocephalus) has rufous underparts, black breast, head and body with a white cap.

White-capped Redstart - male

The 5" male Plumbeous Water Redstart (Phoenicurus fulginosa) as his name suggests is found besides streams and ponds. He is blue-gray with a rufous tail.

Plumbeous Water Redstart - male

The female is duller and lacks the colorful tail.

Plumbeous Water Redstart - female

This 5" male Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola maurus) just popped up for a single photo.

Siberian Stonechat - male

The last of this family of birds is the cute 5" Little Forktail (Enicurus scouleri). This little black and white bird with a forked tail is found along mountain streams.

Little Forktail

The parrotbills are songbirds in the sylviidae family which also includes the Wrentit in California and Oregon as the only New World species in this family. The 5" Vinous-throated Parrotbill (Paradoxornis webbianus) is a rufous headed bird with a long tail.

Vinous-throated Parrotbill

The 7" Reed Parrotbill (Paradoxornis heudei) has a gray head with a black stripe over the eye and rufous belly. The bill is distinctive and gives the name to these species.

Reed Parrotbill

The last bird is a member of the leaf warbler family. The 77 members of this family are very similar and the best ID is by voice. There is just one in North America, the Arctic Warbler in western Alaska. This is the 4" Pallas's Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus). It is a small green  backed bird with white underparts and striped face.

Pallas's Leaf Warbler

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 11 of the 324 species of old world flycatchers and chats

I have photos of 3 of the 70 species of parrotbills and allies

I have photos of 2 of the 77 species of leaf warblers

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe.

Bulletin 309 - China #9 - Raptors, Owl and Doves

I had an 8 day birding to trip in eastern China with a wonderful guide Lin Zhang based in Shanghai. He is perfectly fluent in English. We visited 5 different locales. His website is here. FYI making contact within China by email is a problem as the government blocks some email accounts coming in including gmail.  So I had to contact him using MS Outlook. His email is zhanglinas@hotmail.com.

The 18" Eastern Buzzard (Buteo japonicus) is a hawk of eastern Asia and was formerly considered as same species as Common Buzzard of Europe. it is brown with light wings underneath,.

Eastern Buzzard

The 18" Eastern Marsh Harrier (Circus spilonotus) hunts over marshlands. Like our Northern Harrier, the male is gray and the female is brown, so this bird is likely a female.

Eastern Marsh Harrier

The 14" Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) is similar to our White-tailed Kite and was only split about a dozen years ago.

Black-shouldered Kite

 The 26" Crested Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis cheela) is a brown raptor ranging from India to China.

Crested Serpent Eagle

The 16" Crested Goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is a resident bird in SE Asia, primarily Indonesia and the Philippines. It is a rare resident in eastern China, so to see this bird right beside the road and take a photo out of the car window was an amazing stroke of good luck. The guide had never seen this bird so close.

Crested Goshawk

The other amazing bird was the tiny 7" Pied Falconet (Microhierax melanoleucus). One of the birds perched everyday in a bare tree close to their nest. It is a black and white falcon and does have the characteristic black sideburns, like most falcons.

Pied Falconet

I saw 2 owls, but only got a photo of 1 species, the 9" Asian Barred Owlet (Glaucidium cuculoides). It is a brown owl in the same genus as our pygmy owls and hence is diurnal and easily found.

Asian Barred Owlet

The 11" Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) is a pinkish gray dove with white spots on black neck. As its name suggests, it is a resident of Asia, but has been introduced to Hawaii and North America. So it is always nice to see the bird in his native territory.

Spotted Dove

Lastly is the 13" Oriental Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis).  It has dark scalloped appearing wings and black barring on the neck.

Oriental Turtle Dove

I have the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 38 of the 254 species of hawks, eagles and kites.

I have photos of 13 of the 65 species of falcons.

I have photos of 29 of the 216 species of typical owls.

I have photos of 25 of the 332 species of pigeons and doves.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe

Bulletin 308 - China #8 - Buntings and Sparrows

I had an 8 day birding to trip in eastern China with a wonderful guide Lin Zhang based in Shanghai. He is perfectly fluent in English. We visited 5 different locales. His website is here. FYI making contact within China by email is a problem as the government blocks some email accounts coming in including gmail.  So I had to contact him using MS Outlook. His email is zhanglinas@hotmail.com.

The buntings in the Old World are in the same family with our New World sparrows. A few of them show up in North America as vagrants. In general, these birds appear to be more brightly colored than our sparrows.

The 6" Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) is in the Sibley guide as the only one to appear regularly in North America. The male has a mostly black head with a crest and white stripe above the eye.

Rustic Bunting - male

The female has a dark brown face rather than black.

Rustic Bunting - female

The 6" Yellow-throated Bunting (Emberiza elegans) is also known as the Elegant Bunting. the male has a yellow and black face with a black crest.

Yellow-throated Bunting - male
AKA Elegant Bunting

The 5.5" Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala) has a grey hood and black face in breeding plumage. They have yellow underparts, This one still has some brown on his face and is not completely molted.

Black-faced Bunting - male

The 6" Chestnut-eared Bunting (Emberiza fucata) is all brown with a chestnut patch on the side of the face.

Chestnut-eared Bunting

The 5" Little Bunting (Emberiza pusilla) has a chestnut face bordered behind with black.

Little Bunting

The male 6" Pallas's Reed Bunting (Emberiza pallasi) is black and white in breeding plumage. This one still is not fully molted as appears brownish.

Pallas's Reed Bunting - male

The last is the striking 7" Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides). This cooperative bird sat on a bare branch and sang continuously and allowed me to approach closely for a photo.

Meadow Bunting - male

Lastly I photographed 2 sparrows. The Old World Sparrows are in a different family, although they look the same as small brown birds. The 5.5" Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus) is brown with a black throat and a black spot behind the ear.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

The 5" Russet Sparrow (Passer rutilans) is redder but similar and he lacks the black ear spot.

Russet Sparrow - male

I have put the different bird families in single folders for easy viewing

I have photos of 76 of the 187 species of New World sparrows and buntings.

I have photos of 3 of the 51 species of Old World sparrows.

Happy birding and photography,

David McDonald
dkmmdpa@gmail.com

photos copyright 2006 - 2018 David McDonald

To have these trip reports sent to your email, please email me at the above address and ask to subscribe