The White-whiskered Laughingthrush

The White-whiskered Laughingthrush or Formosan laughing thrush ‘Garrulax morrisonianus’ is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. The White-whiskered Laughingthrush is a large 26 to 28cm with a distinctive face pattern. This specie is endemic to montane forests of the island of Taiwan. This beautiful Taiwanese mystery bird lives on the sides of mountains and engages in a migration that is not triggered by season what triggers its movements and where does it go.

The White-whiskered bill is thrush like and yellowish to horn colored.  The White-whiskered Laughingthrush eyes are black and legs are strong and brownish pink. The bird body weight is approximately 77 grams. The bird didn’t afraid of humans as it is very sociable species that often seen in large groups. The bird is very friendly and approachable; often moving about foraging for berries in pairs or small parties. It has a nice range of calls, some very loud.

The White-whiskered Laughingthrush, naturally found see at elevations of 2500 meters above sea level.  The species found in tall grass, forest undergrowth, thickets, and forest edge scrub. The White-whiskered Laughingthrush enter open areas by roadsides and in forest clearings. It is more abundant in mixed coniferous forest than in grassland, pine woodland, or spruce forest; along with Taiwan fulvetta (Fulvetta formosana) and Taiwan yuhina (Yuhina brunneiceps). The bird is habitually a dominant species in a ground omnivore. This species pairs are monogamous and stay together even in non-breeding periods.

The White-whiskered Laughingthrush feature is the double white stripes, one sub-moustachial the other a supercilium. Because of his lovely features give it the local name of ‘four eye-browed thrush’. The head, breast and mantel have a pleasant scaly appearance. There is a lovely ‘olive-gold wing panel’ The White-whiskered Laughingthrush is a common species in Taiwan. The bird population is falling between 10,000 and 100,000 breeding pairs. However, the bird’s population is believed to be decreasing because of habitat destruction and fragmentation. Hence it is not considered a vulnerable species. Also Read about: Himalayan Cutia
Source: CP

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis)

The yellow bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) is a small bittern. It is of Old World origins, breeding in the northern Indian Subcontinent, east to Japan and Indonesia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate short distances. It has been recorded as a vagrant in Alaska and there is a single sighting in Britain, from Radipole Lake, Dorset on November 23, 1962 – however, the BOU have always considered this occurrence to be of uncertain provenance and currently it is not accepted onto the official British List.

This is a small species at 36 to 38 cm (14 to 15 in) in length, with a short neck and longish bill. The male is uniformly dull yellow above and buff below. The head and neck are chestnut, with a black crown. The female's crown, neck and breast are streaked brown, and the juvenile is like the female but heavily streaked brown below, and mottled with buff above. Yellow bitterns feed on insects, fish and amphibians.

Eurasian Hoopoe

The Hoopoe is also known by “Upupa epops”. ‘Upupa’ and ‘epops’ are the Latin and Ancient Greek names for this species. Hoopoes are a regular passage migrant to the UK, usually during spring and autumn, with approximately 100 birds visiting each year. They are usually seen along the south and east coasts of England, but can appear anywhere. An exotic looking bird that is the size of a mistle thrush, weighing from 47 to 87g. The hoopoe has has a pinkish-brown body, measuring 26 – 28 cm in length. It has striking black and white striped wings measuring a wingspan of 42 – 46cm. When in flight, the wings are broad and rounded. The tail is black with a broad white band. Juveniles are duller with off-white wing bars. The hoopoe also has a long pinkish-brown crest which it raises when excited, and when landing the crest is usually raised into a fan-shape for a brief moment.

Cattle Egret

The cattle egret is a cosmopolitan species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds.  B. i. coromandus adult shows the red flush on the legs and bill present at the height of the breeding season. Bicoromandus differs from the nominate subspecies in breeding plumage, when the buff color on its head extends to the cheeks and throat, and the plumes are more golden in colour. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibisis a Beautiful colorful bird.

The Golden Pheasant

The stunning golden pheasant is a gamebird of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds) belongs to the family Phasianidae (pheasants). The Golden Pheasant or Chinese pheasant “Chrysolophus pictus” is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China. Its feral populations have been established in the UK, Canada, United States, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. By natural habitats golden pheasant are particularly aggressive because they have a “harem” structure, mating with several hens a year.

The adult golden pheasant is approximately 90 to 105 cm in length.  The golden pheasant is unmistakable with its golden crest and rump and bright red body. The deep orange "cape" can be feast in display, appearing as an alternating black and orange fan that covers all of the face but its bright yellow eye with a pinpoint black pupil. The Golden pheasants normally lay 8 to 12 eggs at a time and will take 22 to 23 days for incubate. After the pheasant chicks hatch, they are able to run and eat as soon as they are dry. Moreover Golden Pheasant eggs are alike in size to a duck egg, making them slightly larger than a chicken. The egg taste is light and less rich, like a quail egg. Golden Pheasants are omnivorous birds and therefore pheasants eat both plant and animal matter.

Malaysian golden pheasant have a golden-yellow crest with a hint of red at the tip. The face, throat, chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The wattles and orbital skin are both yellow in color, and the ruff or cape is light orange. However, the upper back is green and the rest of the back and rump is golden-yellow. The main tertiaries are blue while the scapulars are dark red. Moreover, other characteristics of the male pheasant plumage are the central tail feathers, black spotted with cinnamon, as well as the tip of the tail being a cinnamon buff. The upper tail coverts are the same color as the central tail feathers. The male also has a scarlet breast, and scarlet and light chestnut flanks and underparts. Lower legs and feet are a dull yellow

The female golden pheasant is much less showy, with a duller mottled brown plumage alike to that of the female common pheasant. She is darker and more slender than the hen of that species, with a respectively shorter tail 24 to 31 in length. Her breast and sides are barred buff and blackish brown, and the abdomen is plain buff. She has a buff face and throat. Moreover few abnormal females may later in their lifetime get some male plumage. Also, lower legs and feet are a dull yellow. Hence, both males and females have yellow legs and yellow bills. Keeping Golden Pheasants can make wonderful pets. Many people are used to see wild pheasants with their beautiful plumage; they are a great addition to any aviary and can live with other birds such as chickens and ducks.

Regardless of the male's showy appearance, these hardy birds are very tough to see in their natural habitat, which is dense, dark young conifer forests with sparse undergrowth. Therefore, little is known about their behavior in the wild. The golden pheasant feed consist on the ground grain, leaves and invertebrates, but they roost in trees at night. They tend to eat berries, grubs, seeds and other types of vegetation. The Golden Pheasant is able to fly fast for short distances, they prefer to run. If startled however, they will burst to the sky in a "flush." Whereas fly clumsily in short bursts, and spend most of their time on the ground. If startled, they can suddenly burst upwards at great speed and with a distinctive wing sound.

The male golden pheasant has a metallic call in the breeding season. The golden pheasant is usually found in zoos and aviaries, but often as hybrid specimens that have the similar Lady Amherst's pheasant in their lineage. There are also different mutations of the golden pheasant well-known from birds in captivity, including the dark-throated, yellow, cinnamon, salmon, peach, splash, mahogany and silver. Moreover, in aviculture, the wild type is referred to as "red-golden" to differentiate it from these mutations. Wild pheasant is very lean and if not cooked with care will taste like very dry, very bland, and chicken so, pheasant has a mild taste. The meat is white, like chicken, but has a more complex and subtle flavor.

Golden Pheasant too, roost in the trees of the wood, and it is inquisitive that they always tell you where they go to bed. For they call "crok crok" as they settle down to sleep, but partridges sleep on the ground in the fields. The golden pheasant has pinkish-white meat is full flavored and low in fat and cholesterol. Unfortunately the life span of golden pheasant is too short, 35% of young birds die before they reach the age of 6 to 10 weeks. Hence only 2-3% birds manage to survive to the age of 3 years. So, golden pheasants can survive up to 3 years in the wild. Nutrition in Pheasant Meat cooked, it will deliver a very healthy amount of protein, as well as significant levels of B vitamins and potassium. Source: CP

The Himalayan Cutia

The Himalayan cutia “Cutia nipalensis” is a bird species in the family Leiothrichidae. This amazing species inhabits the Himalayan region, found from north India along the Himalayas Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Burma, adjacent south China , Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and peninsular Malaysia.  The Himalayan Cutia diet consists of insects, larvae, pupae, gastropods, insect eggs, seeds and berries and pine cones.

The species breeding season start from April to June. The bird like to make nest is an open cup made of pine needles and moss, placed at base of a pine branch against the trunk, 3 to 3.5m above the ground, sometimes up to 20m in a broadleaf tree. The bird scientific name means "the khutya from Nepal". However, the Cutia is derived from the Nepali name for these birds, and nipalensis is Latin for "from Nepal".

This beautiful bird natural habitat is tropical to subtropical humid montane forests. It is not a bird of the high mountains however, rather inhabiting broadleaf forest – e.g. of oaks The Himalayan cutia is not considered threatened by the IUCN, retaining its pre-split status as a Species of Least Concern; in Bhutan for example it is a fairly frequently seen resident. Witnessing this rare gem is a really like dream come true showing off various colors and pattern possess. This is one of the birds that have been listed in the book - 100 Birds to see before you die! Source: CP

American Purple Gallinule

Well, just like the Turaco, the American purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus), has an exceptional color combination of a red beak, blue body, green wings and yellow legs. They’re in the order Gruiformes, which means "crane-like", and within the order there are cranes, rails, and crakes. Thus, the purple gallinule is a rail species which places them into the family, Rallidae. The purple gallinule is a swamphen since it has the genus Porphyrio. The yellow-legged porphyria is found in the southeastern states of the United States during the breeding season. They are resident’s species in southern Florida, Gulf and Pacific coast of Mexico, parts of Central America, and Caribbean. This is medium size colorful bird reaches a length of 26-37cm in length while spanning 50-61cm across the wings. The captivating bird weighing is 141-305 g.  Moreover, the wingspan that helps in to glide up for short periods of time with its legs dangling under its body. They are able to fly when they are 5 to 7 weeks old. Young use tiny claws on their wing tips to crawl on bushes and out of the nest.

An adult purple gallinule has purple-blue plumage that will shine green and turquoise when in perfect lighting also have a pale blue shield on their forehead, which connects with the red and yellow bill. However, low light or darkness can dim the bright purple-blue plumage of the adult to make them look dusky or brownish. So, forehead shield color differentiates them from same species such as common gallinules. Juvenile birds are light brown with hints of green-bronze on the wings and black and white under-tail coverts. This species can found in freshwater marshes that have dense stands of vegetation. However, during the non-breeding season, they are found more inland in parts of Central America. They can also be found within South America during migration, and occasionally wander away as far north as Canada. This species has been recorded in Cape Province of South Africa, most of all of the birds where juveniles, so it is very unlikely that a breeding ground will be established there.

Further, purple gallinules have long legs with long toes that support them walk onto of the floating vegetation, by distributing their weight. They have an anisodactyl toe arrangement that also benefits them to cling to plant stems. The purple gallinule is not a very good flyer, but it is an excellent wader. It uses its long toes to distribute its weight, and it can even walk on lily pads. In the short distance fly, their legs hang down. The species has the greatest pattern of vagrancy amongst rails, with individuals recorded as far west as California and the Galápagos Islands, as far north as Iceland and Labrador, as far south as Tierra del Fuego, and as far east as Great Britain, Portugal and Cape Verde. The bird nests are floating nest that are within the dense vegetation along shallow margins of lakes, rivers, and marshes shorelines. They normally lay 5 to 10 eggs, which are a buff or pale pink with brown and purple spots. Their nest and territories are defended by the monogamous pair and the juveniles remain in the territory to support care for siblings. Purple gallinules are omnivorous ground feeders.

The species diet consists of variety of plant and animal matter within their foods they consume seeds, leaves and fruits of both aquatic and terrestrial plants, insects, frogs, snails, earthworms, fish, and sometimes even the chicks of other birds, and when lucky swamp eels. Furthermore, the purple gallinules courtship occurs while they’re standing, and can be displayed by both sexes. Courtship occurs when the birds of a pair have been separated, and then wander close to one another. The courtship display entails the bird standing in a slightly bent forward position, with the neck outstretched, and holding the wings at an almost right angle to the body and bent at the wrist, so that the primaries are angled down. Purple Gallinule populations are probably decreasing in their range, due to freshwater wetland loss in the United States, and in South and Central America. The birds have been destroyed in rice fields by aerial spraying with pesticides. They also are preyed upon by alligators and turtles. However, this colorful species is not considered to be globally threatened.

The Rufous Treepie

The rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a treepie belongs to crow famil Corvidae, native to the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining parts of Southeast Asia. Rufous Treepie has long tailed, with loud musical calls making it very conspicuous. The size of Rufous treepie is between somewhere 45 to 55 cm including the tail. The Weight of adult bird is between 80 g. to 140 g. The bird normally found in open scrub, agricultural areas, forests as well as urban gardens. However, it is very adaptable, omnivorous and opportunistic in feeding. Male and female are very similar but only main color of the body is cinnamon with a black head and the long graduated tail is bluish grey and is tipped in black with the wing has a white patch. The only confusable species is the grey treepie which though lacks the bright rufous mantle. The bill is stout with a hooked tip, and underparts and lower back are a warm tawny-brown to orange-brown in color with white wing coverts and black primaries.

Moreover, the bill legs and feet are black. This is very noisy bird with great agility can be seen in urban parks and large gardens. This species is visible mainly in lowlands, and usually below 1000 metres, but according to the range, it can be found up to 2100 metres of elevation. A local name for this bird kotri is derived from the typical call while other names include Handi Chancha and taka chor "coin thief". This species has a wide repertoire of calls, but a bob-o-link or ko-tree call is most common. Alike to Eurasian magpie in the United Kingdom, it appears that being highly intelligent and an opportunistic feeder has been a recipe for success in the treepie’s ability to live alongside humans. The Rufous Treepie has distinctive dipping flight during which each dip ends in upwards jerk. The flight is undulating a swift noisy flapping, followed by a short glide on outspread wings and tail.

The Tree-Pies are arboreal omnivorous, and they feed on Insects, caterpillars, lizards, frogs, centipedes, young birds, small birds, rodents, bats, snakes, frogs, lizards, Fruits both wild and cultivated are eaten. Moreover, they are notorious to feed on the fruits of Trichosanthes tricuspidata which are toxic to mammals. They also hunt systematically for birds’ nests and are highly destructive to the eggs and young of the smaller species. The bird has also been known to take flesh from recently killed carcasses. Normally the breeding season starts in March till June. The nest is built in trees and bushes and is habitually a shallow platform. The nest consist usually 3 to 5 eggs laid. The inner cup is lined with rootlets and small twigs. It is placed at about 5 to 8 meters above the ground in isolated or prominent tree or in bush. Both sexes share in building, incubation and care of the young.The range of this bird is quite large, covering all of mainland India up to the Himalayas, Pakistan and southeasterly in a broad band into Bangladesh, Burma Laos, and Thailand in open forest consisting of scrub, plantations and gardens.

The bird is widespread populations show variations and numerous subspecies are recognized. The nominate subspecies is found in the northeastern part of peninsular India south to Hyderabad. The desert form is paler and called pallida, vernayi of the Eastern Ghats is brighter while parvula of the Western Ghats is smaller in size. The form in Pakistan and Afghanistan is bristoli while the form in southern Thailand is saturatior. E C Stuart Baker describes sclateri from the upper Chindwin to the Chin Hills and kinneari from souther Myanmar and northwest Thailand. The bird is an agile forager, clinging and clambering through the branches and sometimes joining mixed hunting parties along with species such as drongos and babblers.

The Rufous Treepie has been observed feeding on ecto-parasites of wild deer. Like many other corvids they are recognized to cache food. They have been considered to be helpful to palm cultivation in southern India due to their foraging on the grubs of the destructive weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus. The Rufous treepie is not the most remarkable, the grandest or the most ornate. But it is a lovely and confident little bird. The Rufous Treepie is usually common and widespread in its range except in Vietnam where it is more local and uncommon. So many thanks to the large quantity of insects that it consumes, hence it is not considered a pest in spite of some damage caused to orchards and cereal crops. The species is not at present threatened.