For birders, the Wolongshan space is sort of a poorer cousin of Balangshan – as a result of decrease elevation, the chook species listed below are extra widespread and thus much less attention-grabbing. And naturally, birders (at the very least me) don’t care an excessive amount of for Large Pandas, that are the principle attraction of this space, regardless of their pathetic habits. I imply, I’ve by no means heard of birds needing intercourse movies of their very own species simply to procreate …
Anyway, there are a number of attention-grabbing chook species right here, at the very least for guests from Shanghai.
One is the Chinese language Babax, with its attribute piercing eyes.
Really, I’m fairly aware of that look from my spouse each time I put up the laundry to dry, as I at all times appear to do it incorrect not directly or one other. I suppose there may be some secret information to it which I’ll by no means grasp.
Some Chinese language Babax waste a part of their lives feeding chicks of Giant Hawk Cuckoos, which parasitize the babax species. Certainly, most cuckoo eggs are accepted by the babax (supply), though a small proportion of hosts reject cuckoo eggs and infrequently boast about this functionality when having a number of too many drinks.
The Chinese language Babax is a laughingthrush, as is Elliot’s Laughingthrush.
Equally obtrusive eyes, although I didn’t do any laundry.
It’s speculated to be fairly confiding, however sadly, no one instructed the people I encountered on this journey.
I can affirm that the Indian Blue Robin – as acknowledged by the HBW – tends to sing from deep cowl – not supreme conduct for a chook photographer. If I appeared nearly as good as this chook, I’d not really feel the necessity to disguise.
The Latin species identify is brunnea, “brown”, which is type of counterintuitive for a grey-blue, white and orange chook till one remembers that many different chook names additionally don’t make a lot sense.
Equally, it’s exhausting for me to know the English identify of the White-collared Yuhina. I really appeared this up in case my understanding had been incorrect for the final greater than 50 years, however certainly, the collar is “the a part of a garment that encircles the neck” (supply).
The HBW describes the species as having a “distinguished white nuchal collar”, and whereas the “nuchal” appears appropriate, I nonetheless discover it exhausting to explain one thing as a collar that doesn’t go across the neck. Isn’t that the important property of a collar? I believe the HBW described the chook based mostly on the identify solely with out taking a look at precise pictures.
Sadly, there usually are not many papers on the species aside from the inevitable one masking “The whole mitochondrial genome sequence of White-collared Yuhina”. I virtually misinterpret the ultimate Declaration of Curiosity of the paper as “the authors report little interest in the content material of the paper”, however admittedly, that isn’t what’s acknowledged there.
And would you consider it, the Inexperienced-backed Tit will not be notably green-backed both, although I’ve to confess that this identify sounds higher than “Barely darker-yellow-backed Tit”.
Although the HBW generously describes the species as having a greenish again.
Accordingly, the species identify monticulus describes the species as dwelling within the mountains relatively than having a inexperienced again.
A nesting gap made out of metal. For the discerning tit with a give attention to high quality.
Lastly: the Yellow-bellied Tit certainly has a yellow stomach.
eBird is charmed by the species, calling it “a tiny luminous ball of feathers”. That’s according to the Latin species identify of venustulus, “charming, pretty”.
And also you guessed it: any person revealed a paper on the “Full mitochondrial genome of the Yellow-bellied Tit” . Padding up your record of publications was by no means this straightforward.
In accordance with eBird, Martens’s Warbler is “a vivid and enticing small warbler with many nearly an identical kinfolk”.
One amongst these is Alstroem’s Warbler. So, there are two warblers each named after ornithologists nonetheless alive, Jochen Martens (a German) and Per Alstroem (a Swede). Each appear to be a bit filled with themselves, having/accepting a chook named after themselves, which is so colonial. Dangerous manners, I believe.
Amusingly, in addition they appear to dislike one another, or at the very least disagree with one another. Listed below are some quotes from a 2000 paper by Per Alstroem evaluating papers authored by him and Martens, each sure comparable warbler species:
“The paper by Alstrom and Olsson relies on fieldwork at 9 totally different localities all through the vary of the ‘Golden-spectacled Warbler’ throughout 14 totally different visits over 12 years, and a research of greater than 700 specimens, together with all traceable varieties. In distinction, the paper by Martens et al. relies on a research of specimens and tape recordings collected throughout one go to to every of two localities in central China in 1997 and 1998 and their very own tape recordings and specimens from Nepal; in all, 196 specimens have been examined.
Which means: we did actual science, Martens didn’t.“
“Not like Alstrom and Olsson, Martens et al. apparently didn’t look at any sort specimens.” Which means: we did actual science, Martens didn’t.
“Surprisingly, [Martens et al.] didn’t take into account any of the 4 names listed as synonyms by Watson et al. 1986: Cyptolopha auricapilla Swainson, 1837; Acanthiza arrogans Sundevall, 183 8; Muscicapa bilineata Lesson, 1839; and Cyptolopha bimanica Berezowski & Bianchi, 1891).” Which means: Martens didn’t do his homework and doesn’t do actual science.
The chook that contributed to this quarrel doesn’t appear involved, although. Possibly it doesn’t care very a lot.
This male Plumbeous Water Redstart tried to disregard its chick.
Troublesome – no, hopeless. Ought to have considered that earlier than having chicks.
The Gray-backed Shrike apparently prefers places near human settlements – not as a result of people are notably good (we aren’t), however “as a result of these habitats provide a greater foraging substrate and locations protected from giant predators” (supply).
In some unspecified time in the future, a Chinese language researcher had an excellent concept: Let’s put together a paper on the entire mitochondrial genome of the Gray-backed Shrike!
I nonetheless just like the quick species descriptions of eBird a lot better than the longer ones of the HBW or the dry ones of Wikipedia. Take the Pink-billed Blue Magpie: “Raucous, vividly-colored magpie of lowland and foothill forests, gardens, and parks” (eBird).
One research checked out nest failure of ground-nesting birds – whereas one of many failures was attributable to predation by a Pink-billed Blue Magpie, 83% of all failures have been because of predation by mammals. I believe I identified in earlier posts that mammals are type of evil.
Making an attempt to breed the species in an aviary supplied some disappointments, for instance with regard to their nest-building skills: “I don’t know what earlier expertise the birds had at nest development, however their try was fairly pathetic” (supply).
I didn’t actually search for a White Wagtail as it’s fairly widespread in Shanghai, however took a photograph anyway. Power of behavior, I suppose.
Ditto Oriental Turtle Dove.
Two birds are named in honor of Elizabeth Gould, an illustrator of ornithological works and the spouse of John Gould. One is the Gouldian Finch (an Australian chook, thus not seen at Wolongshan – the identify was given to the species by John Gould) and Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird, which was given the identify by Irish ornithologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors (1785-1840).
Vigors popularized a zoological system known as the quinarian system. This was a relatively weird system postulating that each one taxa are made up of 5 subgroups. So, in response to this technique, if fewer than 5 subgroups are recognized of 1 taxa, then one nonetheless must be discovered. Seems like numerology to me relatively than like science, however then individuals are bizarre, and as a Sagittarius, I don’t consider in numerology anyway.
As for Elizabeth, Wikipedia states that her letters “reveal her as a captivating, cultured, and musically and artistically proficient lady”. And why not.
Lastly, a German chook! Nicely, not fairly. The Latin species identify of the Slaty Bunting is siemsseni, after Georg Theodor Siemssen (1816-1886), a German service provider born in Hamburg, my favourite German metropolis.
He spent the years from 1836 to 1858 in Asia, first in Indonesia, then in China, partly because the consul of the town of Hamburg in China. I’ve no clue why the Slaty Bunting was named after him – however it was completed by one Gustav Heinrich Martens (an ornithologist who lived from 1842 to 1912) in 1906.
The images present a male – the feminine is principally brown, one thing male buntings sometimes complain about.
And guess what I discovered as nicely: A paper titled “Characterization of the entire mitochondrial genome of slaty bunting”. Oh, the enjoyment.
