Chinese Hwamei
Garrulax canorus
A medium-sized thrushlike bird of dense forests and undergrowth. The reddish brown coloration and white spectacles are distinctive. Usually skulks in dense vegetation, but may sing from an exposed perch or forage out in the open during dawn and dusk. Usually observed singly or in pairs. The song is loud, long, and varied, involving mimicry of other birds, whistles, and harsh notes that are often repeated. Introduced to Taiwan, Japan, and the Hawaiian Islands.
识别特征
It is 21 to 25 cm long with broad, rounded wings and a fan-shaped tail. The plumage is mostly reddish-brown with dark streaks on the crown, back and throat. There is a white ring around the eye which extends backwards as a white stripe. The bill and feet are yellowish. Birds on Hainan Island (L. c. owstoni) are paler below and more olive-coloured above. The Taiwan hwamei is greyer and more streaked and lacks the white markings on the head.<p>The song is a loud, clear, varied whistling with regular repetition and imitations of other birds. The call is a rasping whistle or rattle.
分类信息
The Chinese hwamei was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the thrushes in the genus Turdus and coined the binomial name Turdus canorus. Linnaeus specified the type locality as Bengal and China but this has been restricted to Amoy (now Xiamen) in Fujian, China. The specific epithet is Latin meaning "melodious" (from canere "to sing"). The Chinese hwamei is now one of 14 laughingthrushes placed in the genus Garrulax that was introduced in 1831 by René Lesson.<p>Two subspecies are recognised: G. c. canorus, native to mainland Asia, and G. c. owstoni of Hainan Island. The Taiwan hwamei (Leucodioptron taewanum) was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Chinese hwamei but has recently been split as a separate species. This was based on a study comparing the DNA sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene which suggested that the two species diverged about 1.5 million years ago with the two Chinese hwamei subspecies diverging about 600,000 years ago.<p>The Chinese hwamei was introduced to Taiwan in large numbers in the 1980s and hybridization with the native Taiwan hwamei is occurring which may threaten the genetic uniqueness of the latter form.
- 学名
- Garrulax canorus
- 命名信息
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Leiothrichidae
- 属
- Garrulax
分布与栖息地
The nominate subspecies G. c. canorus occurs across south-eastern and central China and in northern and central Vietnam and Laos. The race G. c. owstoni is found on Hainan.<p>G. c. canorus has been introduced to Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and Hawaii. In the Hawaiian Islands it was introduced in the early 20th century and now occurs in both native forest and man-made habitats. It is common on Kauai, Maui and Hawaii Island but less so on Oahu and Molokai.<p>The bird inhabits scrubland, open woodland, secondary forest, parks and gardens up to 1800 metres above sea level. It is common in much of its range and is not considered a threatened species.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
It is a skulking bird which is often very difficult to see. It typically feeds on the ground among leaf litter, foraging for insects and fruit. It usually occurs in pairs or in small groups.<p>The breeding season lasts from May to July. A large cup-shaped nest is built up to two metres above the ground in a tree or bush or amongst undergrowth. Two to five blue or blue-green eggs are laid.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- unknown
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
Rufous-bellied Seedsnipe
Attagis gayi
Chunky, generally uncommon, rather grouselike bird of the high Andes. Found in pairs or small groups on bogs, stony slopes, and in bleak moorland of puna and páramo zones. Lacey “chainmail” pattern to upperparts is beautifully cryptic, and birds sometimes freeze when alarmed making them more difficult to see. No similar species in range; note the short stout bill and rusty underparts. Flight strong and fast, and flushes with loud shrieking choruses.
White-capped Albatross
Thalassarche cauta
A medium-sized dark-backed albatross with pale underwings outlined by a narrow dark border and a dark notch in the armpit. The adult has a whitish head with grayish cheeks that give it a “white-capped” appearance. The gray-green bill has a yellowish tip to both mandibles. Juveniles are grayer on the head with gray bills. The species breeds on islands off Tasmania and New Zealand but disperses widely across the southern Oceans between 15 and 60°S, where it is a frequently encountered pelagic seabird. Similar albatrosses have a dark-tipped (not pale-tipped) lower half to the bill, and Salvin’s Albatross has a pale gray head and Chatham Albatross a slaty-gray head, further differentiating them from White-capped Albatross. Juveniles of these three are very difficult to separate.
Giant Pitta
Hydrornis caeruleus
Extremely elusive and rarely-seen ground-dweller; listen instead for its haunting whistle. If seen, overall size and chunkiness alone should be sufficient to distinguish this species from other pittas. Male has bright blue wings and a grayish head with a thin black line curving downwards from behind the eye. Female is browner overall, with a blue rump and warm rufous-brown wings. Rare in lowland and foothill forests, particularly in swampy or riparian areas.
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