Birding Nonggang, Guangxi, China – half 1 – 10,000 Birds

Nonggang is a rural place in Guangxi with a pleasant panorama considerably paying homage to coastal Northern Vietnam (effectively, it isn’t too far-off). One of many causes for birders to come back right here is to see the Nonggang Babbler.

The Nonggang Babbler‘s declare to fame is having solely been found in 2008 (as a meaningless reference, it ought to be added that the primary iPhone was launched in 2007, one yr earlier).

It’s listed as Susceptible, as its vary is quite restricted, although it has been discovered exterior of China as effectively, e.g., in Vietnam, although the HBW doesn’t appear to have learn that paper but.

Curiously, one study discovered that Nonggang Babbler nests steadily visited by fowl photographers had the next hatching success fee than these not photographed. My speculation is that being watched and recorded, the babblers intensify their efforts as they don’t wish to be publicly seen as dangerous dad and mom.

A paper describing interspecific allopreening between the Nonggang Babbler and the Spot-necked Babbler might effectively describe observations from precisely the identical conceal the place these images of the Nonggang Babbler have been taken.

Is there a pattern towards extra literary paper titles? The title of the one simply talked about begins with “Intimacy throughout species boundaries” …

The Spot-necked Babbler is “shy and social”, in keeping with eBird, which sounds a bit like a contradiction to me.

Bianchi’s Warbler is fairly good wanting (for a leaf warbler). (Spot the reference?)

Then again, eBird – with a slight trace of desperation – calls the species “one in all quite a lot of mind-numbingly related Seicercus warblers”.

eBird continues to elucidate that its “gray of the crown is weaker than that of White-spectacled and Plain-tailed Warblers, however this characteristic is tough to see within the shade of the understory, the place it often forages” – in fact, my ID is simply primarily based on vary maps quite than on evaluating the relative energy of the gray of the crown.

For the Black-crested Bulbul, eBird remarks that its “pale eyes give it a perpetually offended or stunned look”. I assume I might be offended too if I used to be completely in comparison with Elvis Presley.

Some ornithologists are so determined so as to add papers to their resumes that they write about new data of Black-crested Bulbul subspecies inside China. Isn’t that unhappy?

David’s Fulvetta will get the anticipated unfavorable overview on eBird – each the looks (“quite plain”) and its similarity to different fulvetta species (“very related in look to Huet’s and Yunnan fulvettas”) are criticized.

On the plus facet, it seems to be quite humorous when moist.

eBird rightly calls the Giant Scimitar Babbler a “good-looking and barely primal-looking babbler”. I don’t fairly know what makes the babbler “primal-looking” however one way or the other the assertion rings true.

This species appears to steadily be a part of mixed-species flocks – in research in Thailand, the species was present in 20% of the mixed-species flocks.

In an interesting experiment that includes a stuffed mannequin of a Collared Scops Owl, Crested Goshawks arrived when listening to the mobbing name of Mild-vented Bulbuls that they use when encountering such a scops owl, however not when listening to different mobbing calls.

This will imply that the operate of the bulbul mobbing name is simply that – to draw a good fiercer predator. Apparently, that is known as the “appeal to the mightier” speculation.

If you realize a Purple-whiskered Bulbul and dislike that particular person, you would possibly ask it to have a look at a paper titled “Eradication and management applications for invasive mynas (Acridotheres spp.) and bulbuls (Pycnonotus spp.)”, through which the Purple-whiskered Bulbul is called as one of many two most closely focused fowl species.

May give the fowl some sleepless nights, or no less than one thing to consider. I don’t watch horror films myself, however apparently some folks like them.

I disagree with eBird calling the Gray-throated Babbler “nondescript”.

In response to the HBW, the nest is usually constructed by the feminine (my guess is within the distant previous, the males tried a number of occasions however have been all the time criticized for his or her efforts, so ultimately they gave up).

Presumably, Gray-throated Babblers aren’t very keen on monkeys, particularly the (doubtlessly misnamed) Gray Leaf Monkey. One was reported to have raided the nest of a Gray-throated Babbler, consuming no less than two eggs and presumably one nestling (source).

The Latin species title of the Scarlet Minivet is speciosus, or “splendid, lovely, sensible”. Whereas I don’t disagree with this title, it does appear to offer a great differentiation from a few of the different, equally splendid, lovely, and sensible minivet species.

That is the feminine – within the male (which flew away too shortly for my sluggish response time), the yellow elements are orange-red. My cats – which learn about this stuff – inform me that regardless of rumors on the contrary, there isn’t a distinction in style between the male and the feminine. Nonetheless, they declare that there are some marginal variations in style between the 19 acknowledged subspecies.

It doesn’t sound very shocking that the morning singing of birds such because the Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler is a method of indicating possession of a territory. Actually, a study discovered that if the birds hear the music of different males of the identical species, they sing louder the subsequent morning, a bit like soccer followers being incensed by the yells of the followers of the other crew.

Apparently, Streak-breasted Scimitar Babblers begin their morning singing later when the temperature is larger.

Whereas the German title of the species, “Rotnackensaebler”, sounds fairly absurd to me (regardless of being German, I’m not aware of German fowl names as I’ve not lived there for a very long time), it’s really form of correct and significantly better aligned with the Latin species title ruficollis (that means red-necked, “Rotnacken” in German).

Solely when engaged on this put up – however not when really seeing the fowl – did I study that the Silver-eared Mesia is sexually dimorphic (ornithologists communicate for men and women wanting otherwise). In response to the HBW description, the 2 sexes ought to look fairly distinctive given the variety of variations indicated (“Feminine has duller, paler brow patch, throat and breast, boring golden-olive nuchal collar and uppertail-coverts, much less yellow central underparts, pale yellowish-rufous undertail-coverts, paler and duller reddish wing patch and yellow wing fringing”) however no less than to me, the distinction in look shouldn’t be huge. As an excuse, I can convey up the truth that the MacKinnon “Information to the Birds of China” additionally doesn’t point out any intercourse variations (the creator may need needed to search for the HBW when writing the information, however then, neither did I earlier than going to Nonggang).

Possibly this can be a male because the rump is form of purple …

… whereas this yellow rump might point out a feminine (nonbinary birds are likely to have orange rumps).

Presumably, this photograph exhibits each sexes.

Given its title, the white tail feathers of the White-tailed Robin are sometimes remarkably invisible. That is the male with an invisible white tail …

… whereas it’s seen right here.

And the feminine, as traditional going for a extra informal look.

On the morning of day 4 at Nonggang, I had a sore throat however a covid check was unfavorable, so birding continued …