Birding in Taiwan Breaking News

Chinese Crested Tern Tour, July 2009

After some typhoon-related delay, the July 18–19 tour for Chinese Crested Tern was successful.  Six adults and two chicks were seen in the Matsu Tern Reserve, delighting observers from Austria, Ireland, the U.K. and Taiwan.

The Sighting of a Possible Hybrid of Chinese Crested Tern and Greater Crested Tern

by Chang Shou-hua, Matsu Wild Bird Society;

translation from Mandarin by Dustin Wang

On the morning of June 6, 2009, we took the car arranged by the Fujien Birdwatching Society to Eel Beach which is near the border of Jien-fong Township and Mei-hua Township, China. After a two-hour ride, we arrived at our destination. Then we took a boat for about ten minutes. After that, we were on the beach.

As it was the time of high tide, we could not reach the sandbank in the middle of the river mouth where the terns usually show themselves. So we had to wait for about an hour before we could cut through the water. Eel Beach is the largest sand plate of the river mouth of the Ming River, Fujien, China. In December, there were almost 40 thousand waders here. From May to September is the season of terns. Through our telescopes, we soon sighted 5 Chinese Crested Terns. After waiting for a long time, we luckily got pictures of courting behavior of a pair of Chinese Crested Terns. Soon the tide retreated and the terns departed. We packed our gear, with happiness in our mind.

 Our goals this time were to photograph courting behavior of Chinese Crested Terns, and to get a better understanding of their habitat on Eel Beach. A more important purpose was to visit the Fujien Birdwatching Society and discuss how to cooperate on the mission of protecting the Chinese Crested Terns.

On the morning of June 8, we went to the Eel Beach again. This time, we arrived before high tide and waited for the terns to come close to us as the tide rose. Two hours later, 5 Chinese Crested Terns showed up in a group of Greater Crested Terns. Among them, we found a possible hybrid of the Chinese Crested Tern and the Greater Crested Tern which a birder named Chen-Lin, a member of Fujien Birdwatching Society, had photographed and told us about last year. After several minutes of photography and observation, we found that this Chinese Crested Tern did have something special (Images 1–3).

1.

1.      1.The back and flight feathers were darker than those of the Chinese Crested Tern and more similar to those of the Greater Crested Tern.

2.

2.2.2.The black crest of the Chinese Crested Tern almost reached the base of the bill. But there was an obvious distance between the black crest and the base of the bill of this one. The space was white, but the distance was shorter than that of a Greater Crested Tern. Chen-Lin thought it was a hybrid of the Chinese Crested Tern and the Greater Crested Tern. He also showed us a film of a Greater Crested Tern courting it, but there was no mating. I think even if mating were to take place, It might not reproduce.

3.

3.      3.On June 21, birders from Taiwan and China conducted an investigation on the Chinese Crested Tern in the Matsu Tern Reserve. We found another Chinese Crested Tern with abnormal color. Its back and flight feathers were darker than a normal Chinese Crested Tern but paler than that the bird on Eel Beach, Fujien. Also, the black part of its bill appeared shorter than that of normal Chinese Crested Tern. (Images 4, 5).

Later, we asked Liu Shiao-ru, a researcher of the Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan, about the first and second points. She said: if the DNA relationship between the two species is not great, it is possible to hybridize. And since we saw that it did not respond to the courting behavior of the Greater Crested Tern, it is possible that it cannot reproduce. In nature, many hybrids are like this. It would not be unusual if it can’t reproduce. But it will be a big issue if it can reproduce.
As for the third point, we’d like to ask for the opinions from you all. Will the Chinese Crested Tern become extinct? Will they hybridize with the Greater Crested Tern? And if they do, will the hybrids be able to reproduce? All the questions remain unsolved and need your attention.

Click here to present your opinion.

July 2009 — Chinese Crested Terns Have Returned

Chinese Crested Terns have returned to the Matsu Archipelago for the 2009 nesting season.  A survey by Chang Shou-hua has revealed the presence of seven birds in the Matsu Tern Reserve.  The Chinese Crested Tern survey is continuing; the exact number of these very rare terns has not yet been finally determined.

Rare Bird:  Narcissus Flycatcher

Narcissus Fycatcher, Ficedula narcissina is rare migrant through Taiwan.  This male bird was photographed on April 22, 2009 at Yeliou.  The species breeds in Japan and extreme eastern Russia; it winters primarily in Borneo. Image by Jason Chaung.

Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher

This elegant male Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher, Terpsiphone atrocaudata atrocaudata was at Yeliou in northern Taiwan on April 22, 2009.  The species breeds in Japan, Korea, Taiwan (including Lanyu Island, T. a. periopthalmica, considered resident) and the extreme northern Philippines.  The main wintering areas are Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.  Image by Jason Chaung.

Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher

This migrant female Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher, Terpsiphone atrocaudata atrocaudata was at Yeliou in northern Taiwan on March 31, 2009.  The species breeds in Japan, Korea, Taiwan (including Lanyu Island, T. a. periopthalmica, considered resident) and the extreme northern Philippines.  The main wintering areas are Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.  Image by Jo Ann MacKenzie.

Yellow-throated Bunting

Two Yellow-throated Buntings, Emberiza elegans (also called Elegant Bunting) were at Yeliou on March 31, 2009.  Breeding distribution includes southern Russian Far East, Korea, and parts of China.  Wintering areas include Japan, southeast China, Taiwan (rare) to Myanmar (Burma).  Images by Jo Ann MacKenzie.

Taiwan Partridge

With its big voice, a rising crescendo of guru-guru-guru, endemic Taiwan Partridge, Arborophila crudigularis is often heard in mid-elevation forest, but due to its relatively small size (length 28cm), cryptic colouring and extremely wary habits, this species is seldom seen.  This bird was photographed at Huisun Forest Station.  Two birds were calling behind one of the buildings.  Suddenly, one bird flew out of the forest toward the building, struck a second-floor window, bounced off the glass and flew to a tree, about 10m up, where it remained for several minutes before flying to the ground.  It stood on a log for a few minutes, then walked out of sight.  Images by Jo Ann MacKenzie, 22 March 2009.