Bull-headed Shrike (Lanius bucephalus)

The Bull-headed Shrike is a common resident of East China just like its cousin, the Brown Shrike. As a member of the shrike family it shares its family’s love of predation and habits regarding the storage of prey species (see Brown Shrike for more details)

The Bull-headed Shrike, like all shrikes, has a conspicuous mask on the side of its face. Its plumage is darker than the Brown Shrike. Female shrikes are generally duller versions of the males.

This species lives in a similar range in East China to the Brown Shrike, but has a more limited breeding range restricted to the provinces of southern Hei Long Jiang, Liaoning, Hebei, and as far south as Shandong. In winter, it can be found in much of South China from around Shanghai south along the East Coast to Shenzhen. The wintering grounds of the Brown Shrike are limited to a small area around Hong Kong/Shenzhen.

The Bull-headed Shrike shares the Brown Shrikes fondness for open and cultivated habitat including city parks where it can be found sitting on an exposed perch patiently waiting for passing insects and vertebrates such as lizards. It is also known to consume crustaceans in places where they can be found.

In breeding season, the female of this species will lay 2-6 eggs in a nest nestled in a bush or a bamboo tree. She will incubate them for 2 weeks until hatching. Young shrike chicks will be fully-feathered (fledged) in an additional two weeks.

The voice of this bird is harsh and chattering. It will often mimic the calls of other bird species in the manner of a mynah.

Despite its diminutive size, the predatory nature of the Bull-headed Shrike and other members of its family, make it a truly fascinating species.

Photo by Brian Westland

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis)

Field marks:  Green, wings and head, orange belly, blue back, long bill
Resident
普通翠鸟 – pǔtōng cuì-niǎo – ‘common cui bird’

The common kingfisher is one of the smallest and most common of the kingfisher family, “alcedinidae”. It is a widespread species, found across Europe and Asia, and in winter,  Africa and south Asia as far as Borneo and Java.

In China, it is a non-migratory species that will live year round in most places that can offer open fresh water from which the kingfisher can hunt for fish small aquatic animals. The common kingfisher will migrate from the northern part of its breeding range to southern points of the breeding range that offer unfrozen fresh water in winter.

The kingfisher gets its name from its mode of acquiring food-fishing. All kingfishers hunt for fish and small freshwater animals in lakes and ponds. All kingfishers are armed with long, dagger-like bills with which they grab or impale their prey. The birds will perch on rocks or branches of trees which overhang the surface of a lake or pond and wait until they spot their prey. They bob their heads while searching the water surface for prey. When a potential meal is spotted, they will leap from their perch and dive straight into the water to seize their prize. At other times, kingfishers hover above the water’s surface and dive when prey is spotted.

To sit quietly at a pond’s edge and watch the antics of kingfishers as they engage in their fishing soirtees is among the finest arrangements in birding.

The present species is particularly active in its fishing attempts diving frequently and flying about to find alternative perches. The common kingfisher flies low across the water and its wings make a noticeable whirring noise in flight.

Because the species’ survival is so closely linked to water, the common kingfisher nests in holes found on riverbanks or the sides of ponds. This close proximity to their hunting grounds helps to ensure the survival of young chicks.

Young kingfishers must learn quickly to fish and must be afforded enough time to observe the parents fishing skills. Often, young kingfishers do not acquire these skills fast enough are forced to fend for themselves before they are ready. Inevitably, many young kingfishers do not survive their year. Also, many young kingfishers do not survive their first few attempts at diving. Some drown when they fail to exit the water fast enough and their feathers become waterlogged.

Photo by Brian Westland

Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) putong qiushaya

(68 cm.) Male: Large; long, thin hooked bill; greenish-black head and back; white underparts. Female/immature male: dark grey upperparts; pale grey underparts; brown head; white chin

The Common Merganser, also known as the “Goosander” is a member of the family of ducks, geese, and swans and is also a member of the subfamily, “Merginae”, the mergansers. All mergansers are also known as “fish ducks”, as they are fish-hunting ducks which have serrated bills which allow them to grip their slippery prey. Their unique bills also provide them with the nickname, “sawbills”.

The Common Merganser bears a superficial resemblance to a Mallard with its greenish-black head, but its red, serrated bill, larger size and black and white body distinguish it easily. As with many other bird species, the male of this species is decidedly more beautiful than the female. The female of this species has a brown head, grey body and duller red bill.

The Common Merganser is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In China, it breeds in the northeast and the northwest and winters in the southeast. In the breeding season it can be found in lakes and rivers in wooded areas.

As it is a cavity nester, the Common Merganser needs mature stands of trees from which to find a nest hole, probably an abandoned woodpecker nest. In areas with no trees, this species will find holes in cliffs and high riverbanks. The female lays a large clutch of eggs, usually 10-12 in number. Immediately after hatching, the chicks are taken in their mother’s bill to a lake or river where they can begin feeding.

In addition to fish, Common Mergansers feed on other aquatic animals such as crustaceans, insect larvae, mollusks, and even amphibians. All mergansers are diving ducks that plunge to often great depths in the pursuit of prey.

The Common Merganser is partially-migratory and will only leave the parts of its breeding range where all open water will freeze. In China, this means the birds will be absent in winter in all locations north of around Shandong province.

Photo by Dick Daniels



Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Field marks: (85 cm.) Large, pointed tail, brown, red and green head, white neck ring
环颈雉 – huán-jǐng zhì- ‘ring-necked pheasant’
雉鸡 – zhì-jī – ‘pheasant fowl’ (M&P, Atlas, Alternative in Cheng)

The Common Pheasant is the most familiar “game bird”, one of several chicken-like birds which are often hunted by humans for sport, in Europe and North America. In North America, it is usually called, the “Ring-necked Pheasant”. In Europe and North America, it is probably the commonest game bird as well. All the members of this species presently found in Europe and North America were imported from China. In China today, the Common Pheasant, despite its name, is becoming increasingly uncommon due to local persecution.

There are many subspecies of this bird in China, and there are some differences in the appearance of these subspecies. The males of all subspecies, however, are easily identifiable as Common Pheasants. All have the signature mottled brown body, greenish-black head and red orbital skin on the face. The males of most subspecies have a white neck ring. The females of all subspecies are dull-looking brown birds which are easily confused with females of other pheasant species.

The Common Pheasant is found throughout the Eastern half of China where it is a non-migratory, resident species. As this bird tends to stay close to the ground among thick vegetation, it is more often heard than seen. Its call is a two part, loud coughing followed by an audible whir of the bird’s wings.

The Common Pheasant prefers grasslands near water, but it is extremely adaptable and can live in woodlands, marshlands and cultivated areas, also. The males of all pheasant species are polygamous and have harems of females with which they breed. The Common Pheasant nests on the ground and the female lays a large clutch of usually around ten eggs.

This species is omnivorous and will seeds, fruits, insects, and even vertebrates such as lizards, snakes, and even small mammals and other birds.

Photo by Lukasz Lukasik

Eurasian Siskin (Carduelis spinus) Huang que

(11.5 cm.) Very small; short bill; banded yellow and black wings; adult male has black cap and chin, and yellow on head, rump and base of tail. Female: Duller; more streaked than male; lacking a black cap and chin.

The Eurasian Siskin is a very small and very active member of the finch family, “Fringillidae”. It also falls into the category of “winter finch”, as it is part of a group of finches that breed in the extreme north and generally only visit southern temperate regions during the winter months. All winter finches, including crossbills, siskins and others also follow several year cycles of migration in which they are absent in southern regions for several years and then numerous for one year. These irregular migration patterns are directly related to climatic changes and variable food supplies.

The range of the Eurasian Siskin is separated in two sections through Eurasian One part is in North Europe with the other in North Asia. It is absent from the portion of Russia that separates these two sections. Its summer breeding range includes the extreme northeast of Heilongjiang Province up into Russia. In the winters that it chooses to seek southern climes, it can be found throughout much of east China as far south as Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Like other winter finches, the Eurasian Siskin is a largely a seed eater which can survive without difficulty at northern latitudes where coniferous forests offer seeds all year long.

This species is always seen feeding high in the trees as it rarely ventures close to the ground. It is quite acrobatic in its search for food in the trees, often hanging upside down in the manner of a tit.

During winters that it ventures south to temperate regions, it will feed from seeds of both coniferous and deciduous trees. In summer, this bird will feed its chicks insects, as the proteins found in animal matter will allow for faster development of their young.

During the winter males and female form pairs that will mate in the coming spring. The birds construct a nest high in the upper branches of coniferous tree, usually a pine. The female lays 2-6 eggs and incubates them herself. The chicks are “nidiculous’, meaning that they remain close to their nests long after hatching remaining dependant on their parents for food.

Photo by Sławek Staszczuk