tomatofamily

At Tai Tam with Fork-tailed Sunbird at the same tree (Rhodoleia championi)

IMG_5975.jpg (89.71 KB)

17/01/2010 21:58

tsheunglai

Hello

The bird you show us seems more like an ordinary Japanese white-eye found abundant in HK.

First, for all the Chestnut-flanked white-eyes I've seen locally or in Hainan, the chestnut flank is
all easily seen if I was lucky enough to spot one (it is far easier to see in Hainan). The last one seen by me about three weeks ago at Shing Mun/Lead Mine Path, it at least showed a small patch at the flank near the lower belly.

In the absence of chestnut patch, a chestnut-flanked one would show 'a paler lower mandible and smaller yellow throat patch contrasting with whiter underparts', per Birds of HK and South China by Clive Viney,
Karen Phillipps and Lam Chiu Ying, 8th Edition on p.212.

In your case, the bird does have any of the discernible features stated above.

To prove your case, do you have any more photos of the same bird you can put up on the forum for
us to see ?

Any comments and corrections would be appreciated.

S L Tai

tomatofamily

Hi, Tai.
I have attached herewith three more shots.  I am new in bird watching.  The "Photographic Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong" I bought recently has been my only guidebook (天書）  So please point it out if I am wrong.

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19/01/2010 21:28

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19/01/2010 21:28

IMG_5981.jpg (97.99 KB)

19/01/2010 21:28

thanks for viewing and the message.
Cheers.
Eric

tsheunglai

Dear Eric

I'm glad you have posted other photos of the same bird. The same night I gave you my reply I also
looked up MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps's A Field Guide to the birds of China and Craig Robson's
2000 edition of A field guide to the birds of South-east Asia for further hints. Summarily, what they say which is not mentioned in Viney's book are that Japanese White-eye of the subspecies simplex (that is locally common type) has a defined (clear) yellow loral band (that means the yellow narrow part found surrouding above the bill from one eye to the other) while Chestnut-flanked has no yellow band.

So I today found several Japanese ones to verify but found that the yellow part on the head is not defined but diffused into the green parts of the head.

Yours does not have a clearly yellow loral band nor seen completely green. So to be on the safe side, your
bird should be regarded as a Japanese one so my conclusion should be found more acceptable to most experienced birders.

Please by no means take my words as conclusive.

Cheers

S L Tai

tsheunglai

Dear Eric

After my latest reply today I have a closer look at the third photo downwards from top. I found the yellow band!

So it is very safe, I may say 98%, that it is a Japanese one.

Cheers

S L Tai

tomatofamily

Dear SL TAI,
I should say that you are quite an analytic person, at least, on bird watching matter.  This is something I need to learn.  Thanks again for the viewing.
Best

Eric