White Wagtail (Motacilla Alba)

(20 cm.) Wags tail, patchy white and black plumage.

The White Wagtail is a less colorful, but more often seen cousin of the Grey Wagtail. Like that species, the While Wagtail is a member of the wagtail family, “Moticillidae”. The White Wagtail is a “pied” species, meaning that its plumage is made up of just white and black colors. It is a handsomely patterned species, however.

Like its cousin, the Grey Wagtail, the White Wagtail prefers the wet environments of rivers and streams, but it is adaptable and will also be found near farms, gardens and open fields.

This is a widespread species that can be found in Africa, Europe and Asia. In China, the White Wagtail can be found everywhere except for a small patch in the western part of the country. During the breeding season, this species can be found throughout the northern half of China. It is a resident species as far north as Shandong Province and throughout the southern half of the country.

The White Wagtail is much hardier than other wagtail species, and it can be found far further north in winter than other members of its family.

White Wagtail (Photo by Andreas Trepte, www.photo-natur.de)

Grey-streaked Flycatcher (Muscicapa griseisticta)

(14 cm.) Small; grey upperparts; heavily streaked white underparts; eye ring

The Grey-streaked Flycatcher is a rather petite and slight member of the flycatcher family, but despite its diminutive size it engages in the pursuit of flying insects with all the fervor of other members of the flycatcher family.

This species is quite drab in appearance when compared with some other members of its family, but it is quite an attractive bird nonetheless. Unlike some other flycatcher species, males and females of this species look alike.

This species of flycatcher breeds in summer in the coniferous forests of northern China and Russia where it is especially fond of the Larch Tree for nesting. Like many other Chinese flycatchers, this bird embarks on a long-distance trek south along the Chinese East Coast to its wintering grounds. In winter, this species can be found in Taiwan, Borneo, Indonesia, the Philippines, and as far south as New Guinea.

The Grey-streaked Flycatcher can usually be found hunting for insects nearby rivers and streams as it seems to favor smaller insects such as mosquitoes that congregate near water.

This bird will perch patiently until potential prey is spotted, and then fly off quite a distance, often as far as 20 meters, in an attempt to capture a meal. The bird will return to exactly the same perch and begin the process again. More often than not, the flycatcher’s attempts at capturing prey are successful.

All flycatchers are equipped with stiff bristles that surround the base of their bills. These bristles act as a net, assisting the flycatcher with the capture of its prey. All flycatcher species are also blessed with an extremely large gape (size of mouth with bill open) to further assist in their hunting activities.

Photo by Brian Westland



Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

(13 cm.) Large head; short tail; grey upperparts; whitish-brown underparts; black eye line

The Eurasian Nuthatch belongs to a family of small, interesting and rather odd birds, “Sittidae”, the family of nuthatches. The name, “nuthatch” is derived from their habit of drilling acorns and nuts into the trunks of trees where they can be opened by “hacking” them with their bills. All nuthatches have very large heads, short tails, and powerful feet and claws for gripping trees.

Nuthatches are usually seen climbing along the branches and trunks of trees like a woodpecker; however, they often climb down a tree headfirst which is something a woodpecker would never attempt.

The Eurasian Nuthatch is the most common and widespread of the nuthatch family. It is sometimes simply referred to as “the nuthatch” due to its familiarity with bird-lovers. This species is found is found throughout Europe and Asia, except Ireland. In China, it is a common bird in many parts of its range which is limited to the eastern half of the country.

This species is found in deciduous forests where it can find the acorns and nuts which it so loves. It also consumes insects which it finds during its foraging missions along the trunks and branches of deciduous trees. At times, this bird will feed on the ground. During winter, the Eurasian Nuthatch will visit feeding stations that offer seeds, often bullying other birds they may encounter there.

Due to its varied diet that is not solely dependant on insects, this species is non-migratory, and like other non-migratory bird species, its fall and winter wanderings will only be motivated by winter food shortages in its summer range.

The Eurasian Nuthatch nests in a hole or crevice that is lined with grass or tree bark. The female will deposit 5-8 eggs in the nest.

This species is quite noisy, and can often be heard to repeat its trademark call, the loud and sharp, “twet, twet, twet” At other times it can be heard to whistle a rather melodious song. It is, after all, despite its rather strange appearance, a songbird.

Photo by Luc Viatour



Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) Bai pilu

(84 cm.) Large; white; long, grey spatulate bill; naked skin on head; black face line

The Eurasian Spoonbill is named quite apparently so, for its flat spoon-shaped bill which it sweeps through the water in its aquatic habitats to scoop up is food. Although it appears very similar to herons and egrets, it is not closely related to them, and is included in a completely separate family. It is a member of the family, “Threskiornithidae”. This family is divided into two groups, the ibises and the spoonbills.

This species is found in southern Eurasia from Spain to Japan. It is also found in North Africa. It is the most widespread of spoonbill species. The Eurasian Spoonbill is not a common bird in China, so the sight of this oddly beautiful bird is always a thrill. It breeds in the extreme northeast of the country, generally limited to the provinces that constitute “dongbei”. It is found during migrations along the East Coast of the country, and in winter in the south. Flocks of over 1000 Eurasian Spoonbill spend winter in Jiangsu on Poyang Lake.

All spoonbills feed by wading in shallow water. They sweep their bills from side to side through the water, snapping them shut when an aquatic animal such as an insect, fish or crustacean makes contact with the bill. Spoonbills spend many hours every day in their food gathering activities. These birds will feed in both freshwater and saltwater environments.

Spoonbills are monogamous during the breeding season, but they may choose new mates from year to year. They nest in colonies with other long-legged wading birds such as herons and ibises. Their nests are platforms of sticks situated in trees or reed beds which are generally built by the males.

The female Eurasian Spoonbill generally lays 3 eggs, and the newly-hatched chicks emerge with straight bills lacking the familiar spoon shape. Both parents will feed the chicks by regurgitation.

Photo by Andreas Trepte, www.photo-natur.de

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer Montanus)

Field marks:  common; brown and white plumage, black throat cheek spot, reddish-brown crown (12-14 cm.) 麻雀 – má-què – ‘sparrow’
树麻雀 – shù má-què – ‘tree sparrow’ (Alternative in Cheng, M&P, Atlas)

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is one of the commonest and perhaps the most familiar bird in Eastern China. It is found in every part of China, but it is the ubiquitous sparrow found in every city in the East of the country. In Western China, a similar species, the House Sparrow, is its ubiquitous city-dwelling counterpart. Like other birds with thick conical bills adapted for seed eating, it is a member of the finch family, “Passeridae.”

This bird is familiar to all people and it is often just referred to as “sparrow” or “ma que”. Those who are familiar with this species are probably unaware that it is not the only sparrow in the country. In fact, China has 12 sparrow species. However, besides the House Sparrow in the West, other sparrow species will rarely be encountered by Chinese city-dwellers.

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is another omnivorous species that feeds by foraging on the ground for seeds and grains. In the summer breeding season, it will also partake of insects, millipedes, centipedes, and spiders.

This species should be appreciated despite its over-familiarity for its attractive appearance and the ease with which it keeps company with humans. In many places in China, however, this species is considered an enemy of the grain farmer as vast flocks of this bird can inflict significant damage to grain crops.

Mao Ze Dong famously attempted to eradicate this species in 1958 in order to save grain supplies. However, after initial success, many grain consuming insects on which the sparrows feed inflicted worse damage in the sparrows’ absence.

The Eurasian Tree Sparrow is a tree cavity nesting species that can also use a rock face containing a cavity as well. A female sparrow will typically lay 5-6 eggs. Young sparrows need up to a year to achieve full independence.

Before the advent of human civilization and the growth of cities, this species favored lightly wooded, open country. The birds still exist in these places, but urbanization has created city paradises for these birds to conquer.

Photo by Yiwenyiwen