Whimbrel, 9/17/2012

It's autumn and migratory birds started coming to Taiwan. As expected, I saw lots of migratory birds, including more than a hundred Black-Winged Stilts, at Watzuwei Nature Reserve area this day. Photographing them hours after hours, I had as much fun as I can get. Special to me, this is the first time I ever see and take a picture of a Whimbrel. The bird was so hungry that it kept digging the ground using its mouth in search of food. Whimbrel is winter migratory bird in Taiwan. I soon ran out of camera batteries. The pictures are not good. I appologize if the pictures hurt your eye.








Compare its size with Little Egret on the background





Video recorded at Watzuwei Nature Reserve area in Bali District of New Taipei City, Taiwan, on 9/17/2012

Chinese name:	中杓鷸
English name:	Whimbrel
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Numenius phaeopus
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Scolopacidae
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	Winter migrant in Taiwan
Frequency of appearance:	Common in Taiwan
Foods:	Insects, mollusks
Habitat:	Wetlands, outlets of rivers, mudflats of sea shores
Altitude:	Low altitude
Behavior:	Often appear along or in flocks in mudflats of sea shores, wetlands, swamps, outlets of rivers.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 45 cm long. For adult birds, it is maily brown with a long curved bill. Belly is white. Head top is dark brown with a milky yellow central line, so that it looks like the skin of a watermelon. Bill is black with a pink section at the base of the bill. Summer Plumage: Winter Plumage: Similar species:
Breeding places:	Widely spread and breed in cold area in Europe, Asia and America, such as the subartic area.
Migration destinations:	Wintering south in warmer area in Europe, Asia and America. Also wintering in northern Africa, central and south America, Australia and New Zealand.
Time photographed:	9/17/2012
Location found:	Watzuwei Nature Reserve area in Bali District of New Taipei City, Taiwan
Sources:	Internet
Notes: