Chestnut Tailed Starling, 10/5/2012

Near the end of September 2012, a flock of Chestnut Tailed Starlings was found at the riverside park near Dazhi, Taipei City, Taiwan. The news immediately drew the attention of lots of birding fans, and the park immediately attracted wave after wave of people carrying long-range camera lenses to photograph the birds, including me. The birds were there to eat the fruits of a banyan tree. When finished eating, they would fly to the Melaleuca leucadendron trees and seemed to suck the nectar of their flowers. I guess the birds will leave after these food sources are gone.

Chestnut Tailed Starling is belong to introduced bird in Taiwan. They are released to the wild by their owners for some reason. Although their population is not as large as those of three other introduced birds, the Philippine Glossy Starling, the Common Myna, and the White-vented Myna, they still post a threat to local ecosystem.
















video recorded at Dazhi, Taipei City, Taiwan, on 10/5/2011

Chinese name:	栗尾椋鳥
English name:	Chestnut Tailed Starling
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Sturnus malabaricus
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Sturnidae
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	Introduced bird in Taiwan
Frequency of appearance:	Rare in Taiwan
Foods:	Seeds, fruits, nectar
Habitat:	Woods
Altitude:	Low altitude
Behavior:	Often appear in flocks in woods, eating the fruits of banyan trees or the nectar of the kapok flowers.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 18 cm long. The bird is mainly milky gray. The upper wing coverts are also milky gray, but darker. The primaries are even darker, close to grayish black. Both sides of the tail are chestnut. Central part of the tail is grayish black. Rump is chestnut too. Back is gray. Both sides of the belly are slightly brown. Bill and feet are yellow.
Breeding places:	Breeding in Nepal, southern Pakistan.
Migration destinations:
Time photographed:	10/5/2012
Location found:	the riverside park near Dazhi, Taipei City
Sources:	Internet
Notes:

White-breasted Waterhen, 10/2/2012

This is common local bird in Taiwan. It can easily be found at Taipei Botanical Garden, CKS Memorial Hall and Da-an Forest Park in Taipei City, Taiwan. They walk slowly with their chin up and chest out, looking gracefully, only running like hell when threatened.



adult, taken at Taipei Botanical Garden on 7/2/2011









baby birds, taken at Taipei Botanical Garden on 7/3/2011



video recorded at Taipei Botanical Garden, on 10/2/2012



video recorded at Taipei Botanical Garden, on 7/3/2011

Chinese name:	白腹秧雞
English name:	White-breasted Waterhen
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Amaurornis phoenicurus
Order:	Gruiformes
Family:	Rallidae
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	Taiwan local bird
Frequency of appearance:	Common in Taiwan
Foods:	Insects, seeds, fishes
Habitat:	Wetlands, ponds, rivers, farm fields
Altitude:	Low altitudes
Behavior:	Often appear in alone in wetlands, ponds, rivers and farm fields.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 32 cm long. For the adult, the back is black. The forehead, face, breast and belly are white. The bill is yellow. The base of its upper beak is red. The feet and toe are yellow. The toe is long. It can only fly short distance. Summer Plumage: Winter Plumage: Similar species:
Breeding places:	Taiwan, southern China, Southeast Asia, Indo-pacific Islands, Indian sub-continent, Japan and Korea.
Migration destinations:
Time photographed:	7/2/2011, 7/3/2011, 10/2/2012
Location found:	Taipei Botanical Garden
Sources:	Internet
Notes:

Scaly-breasted Munia, 10/1/2012

This is fairly common in Taiwan. They can be spotted in farm fields and brushwood eating the seeds. Their color is mainly brown, and can easily be mistaken as a sparrow.


adult, taken on 10/1/2012 at CKS Memorial Hall, Taipei City, Taiwan


adult eating the seeds


young birds, taken on 7/3/2012 at An-Keng Branch of NTU Farm, New Taipei City, Taiwan


young bird, taken on 7/3/2012 at An-Keng Branch of NTU Farm, New Taipei City, Taiwan


young bird, taken on 1/12/2012 at Taipei Botanical Garden, Taipei City, Taiwan


subadult, taken on 11/26/2011 at Taipei Botanical Garden, Taipei City, Taiwan



adult video, recorded at CKS Memorial Hall, on 10/1/2012



young bird video, recorded at An-Keng Branch of NTU Farm, New Taipei City, Taiwan, on 7/3/2012



video recorded at Taipei Botanical Garden, on 1/12/2012



video recorded at Taipei Botanical Garden, on 11/26/2011

Chinese name:	斑文鳥
English name:	Nutmeg Mannikin, Scaly-breasted Munia
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Lonchura punctulata
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	ESTRILDIDAE
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	Taiwan local bird
Frequency of appearance:	Common in Taiwan
Foods:	Seeds
Habitat:	Farm fields, brushwood, grasslands
Altitude:	Low altitudes
Behavior:	Often appear in flock in farm fields, brushwoods and grasslands.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 12 cm long. The whole body is mainly brown. Bill is black. The adult has white belly with scale-like plumage which the youth doesn't have. The brown hue on the face and throat for the adult is darker. Summer Plumage: Winter Plumage: Similar species:
Breeding places:	southern China, southeastern China, southwestern China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Sulawesi, Timor-Leste, Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, etc.
Migration destinations:
Time photographed:	11/26/2011, 1/12/2012, 7/3/2012, 10/1/2012
Location found:	Taipei Botanical Garden, An-Keng Branch of NTU Farm, CKS Memorial Hall
Sources:	Internet
Notes:

Purple Herons raising baby birds, 9/23/2012

This September a pair of Purple Herons built a nest and raised babies in Xiapu Village, Ilan County, Taiwan. When the news spread out, it became a hot event immediately. This is the first time I ever saw Purple Herons raising babies. Thanks to a birding friend who drove me to the site. Although Purple Herons are seen as rare in Taiwan, they bred every year recently.


The babies are waiting for the adult bird to bring foods back...














Video recorded at Xiapu Village, Ilan County, Taiwan, on 9/23/2012

Chinese name:	紫鷺
English name:	Purple Heron
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Ardea purpurea
Order:	Ciconiiformes
Family:	Ardeidae
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	Passage migrants in Autumn and Spring, or wintering individuals in Taiwan
Frequency of appearance:	Rare in Taiwan
Foods:	Fishes, insects
Habitat:	Wetlands, swamps
Altitude:	Low altitude
Behavior:	Often appear alone in wetlands or swamps.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 79 cm long. Adult is mainly dark gray. Neck is maroon. Bill and feet are yellowish brown. Head top is blueish black, with some thin crests. Side necks are covered with clear vertical black lines. The youth bird is dark brown, with no crest on head, and the vertical black lines on the side necks are unapparent. Summer plumage: Winter plumage: Similar species:
Breeding places:	Breeding in most of Europe, southwestern Russia, Central Asia, southeastern Siberia, northeastern China and eastern China. They breed in Taiwan every year recently.
Migration destinations:	Wintering in central and southern Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, Indo-Pacific Islands, Taiwan and southeastern China.
Time photographed:	9/23/2012
Location found:	Xiapu Village, Ilan County, Taiwan
Sources:	Internet
Notes:

Other Purple Heron post.(click to view)

White-winged Tern, 9/23/2012

We spotted this flock of White-winged Terns mixed with Black-Winged Stilts and Common Greenshanks, while we were scanning the wet farm fields of Zhu'an Village, Ilan County, Taiwan. Since it's the first time I ever see a White-winged Tern, I was kind of excited and couldn't wait to photograph them. It's winter now and the birds were all covered with winter plumage. I apologize if the pictures hurt your eye.

Chinese name:	白翅黑燕鷗
English name:	White-winged Black Tern, White-winged Tern
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Chlidonias leucopterus
Order:	CHARADRIIFORMES
Family:	LARIDAE
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	Most of them are passage migrants in Autumn and Spring, some Wintering individuals in Taiwan
Frequency of appearance:	Common in Taiwan
Foods:	fishes
Habitat:	Sea shores, fishponds or shrimpponds
Altitude:	Low altitude
Behavior:	Often appear in flocks in sea chores, outlets of rivers, fishponds, wet farm fields.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 24 cm long. Summer plumage: Wing is mainly white. Wing lining is black. Bill and feet are red. Head, neck, breast and belly are black. Winter plumage: Wing is mainly white. Wing lining is white. Bill is black. Feet are grayish brown. Only head top, back neck and ear are black. Similar species:
Breeding places:	Breeding in southwest Russia and south Russia, northern Kazakhstan, some areas of eastern Europe, northeast China.
Migration destinations:	For those breeding in Russia and Kazakhstan, they winter in most area of Africa except part of area near Tropic of Cancer. For those breeding in China, they winter in the coastal area of Southeast Asia, the coastal area of southeast and south China, Taiwan, Indo-Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand, the coastal area of Sri Lanka and some part of India.
Time photographed:	9/23/2012
Location found:	Zhu'an Village, Ilan County, Taiwan
Sources:	Internet
Notes:

Budgerigar, 9/18/2012

This is an introduced bird which might be released to the wild by its owner. Might be because it's used to get along with people, it flew to and rested at a branch near us and was not afraid of us however near we got. I later went to the same place several times and never saw it again. I'm kind of worried if the bird can surive the wild.

Chinese name:	虎皮鸚鵡
English name:	Budgerigar
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Melopsittacus undulatus
Order:	PSITTACIFORMES
Family:	PSITTACIDAE
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern.
Migration status:	Introduced bird in Taiwan
Frequency of appearance:	Rare in Taiwan
Foods:	Seeds, juicy fruits, tender leaves
Habitat:	Forests, grasslands, farm fields
Altitude:	Low altitude
Behavior:	Often appear in flocks or in pair in forests, grasslands, farm fields or parks.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 18 cm long. The bird is mainly yellowish green. Wing is blackish brown with milky yellow edges. the head and back are full of horizontal black stripes, looking like tiger stripes, which is why they are called "Tiger-skinned parrot" in Chinese. Rump, breast, belly and tail are green.
Breeding places:	Australia.
Migration destinations:	Move to southern Australia in Summer, and move to northern Australia in winter.
Time photographed:	9/18/2012
Location found:	Huajiang Wild Duck Nature Park, Taipei City
Sources:	Internet
Notes:

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: