Birds of China

I was very pleased today, to identify the three birds I took photos of while in China. All three are exotic birds as far as I am concerned, and, with the aid of a friend, I not only tracked down all three, but found that one of them is a rarity even in China, its main place of origin.

sooty-headed bulbul
aka golden-vented bulbul, Pycnonotus aurigaster german, Turdus aurigaster, 白喉红臀鹎

This bird was in the bush just by the entrance to the hotel, as we were leaving DeRong. It was far less perturbed by our presence than we were, trying as we were to arrange luggage, and who went where in what car. This is a common bird in these parts apparently.

The adult has black head, chin and nape with short crest,  brown upper-parts with white rump, and white underparts. Juvenile resembles adult but has browner head and paler vent. 19-21 cm long.

It is found in China, and throughout south-eastern Asia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Kessler's thrush
aka white-backed thrush, Przewalski's Thrush, Turdus kessleri, 棕背鸫

Kessler's thrush
aka white-backed thrush, Przewalski's Thrush, Turdus kessleri, 棕背鸫

These two birds (male top, juvenile bottom) were foraging in the planted strip between a busy road and its pavement. They were just round the corner from the hotel we were staying at in Ganzi.

This bird is found in central China. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and temperate shrubland. It was sufficiently large, (28cm) that initially I thought it was a corvid, and spent some time looking through the lists of such birds as are found in China.

Blyth's kingfisher
aka great blue kingfisher, Alcedo hercules, Alcedo grandes

This is the surprise bonus in my photos. This kingfisher, originating in Yunnan, but found also in Vietnam and Myanmar. In China, the species is estimated to have fewer than 100 breeding pairs. It is thus not only an exotic (as far as I am concerned) but a rare exotic. In spite of it being described as a shy bird, I saw it in a very large, and densely populated People's Park in central Chengdu. I was just sitting by a stream, with my camera to hand, and I looked up, and there it was.

It has deep rufous underparts with a blackish blue breast patch, and brilliant cobalt blue or azure upperparts, tinged with purple. The wings are a dark blackish green, with blue speckles and tips to some of the feathers. The bill of the male is entirely black, while the female has a dark red lower mandible. Its size is 22-23cm.

The species feeds on fish and insects it catches by diving in water bodies. Unlike other Alcedo kingfishers, Blyth's kingfisher dives from a shrub close above the water, rather than from an exposed vantage point. The species is presumed not to migrate. It is described as a shy bird.

 Frequents small rivers and waterways in evergreen forest, hilly regions, or deep ravines. It is sometimes found near streams near well-wooded farmland. Its elevational range is chiefly between 400 and 1,000m above sea level, extending to a minimum of 200m and a maximum of 1,200m.