HKBWS Bonnie

Indoor Meeting: Decline and Growth for Hong Kong Land Birds 1990 to 2014

Speakers:

Mr. Geoff Welch
Mr. Richard Lewthwaite
Mr.John Allcock

Date: Wed Nov 4, 2015

Time: 19:15 - 21:15

Venue: HKBWS LCK office
            7C, V Ga Building, 532 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon

Language: English with English powerpoint

Fee: Member $10, Non-member $30

** No registration required **


室內講座: 香港陸鳥的升降趨勢1990至2014

講者：

Mr. Geoff Welch
Mr. Richard Lewthwaite
Mr.John Allcock

日期：2015年11月4日 星期三

時間：1915 - 2115

地點：香港觀鳥會荔枝角辦事處
           九龍荔枝角青山道532號偉基大廈7樓C室

語言：英語, 英文簡報

收費：會員$10、非會員$30

** 不需報名 **

lalan

請問講座內容詳情

wgeoff

Hi Alan

The changes in numbers of waterbird species in Deep Bay over the last 25 years are quite well established and known. However, many Hong Kong land bird species have also declined or grown since the 1990s, due either to changes in the Hong Kong environment or elsewhere in southern and eastern China.

This presentation will focus on around 20 land bird species which have declined substantially in numbers and another 20 land bird species which have grown substantially and increased their range in Hong Kong, looking at how the changes have happened and what the causes may be. Although some declines and increases are well known, there are many others which are not so well known (e.g. buntings and babblers) and some of the declines in particular give concern for the future of those species in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

The presentation will be in English but with some Chinese in the Powerpoint slides. However the graphs and photos can be easily understood in either language.

Geoff

Perhaps someone can translate this reply into Chinese

[ Last edited by wgeoff at 25/10/2015 15:02 ]

tsheunglai

Geoff

In the Shing Mun/ Lead Mine Pass area, Orange-bellied leafbirds have declined terribly, and Blue whistling thrushes could hardly be heard in some seasons. One of the chief causes could be that, according to an AFCD official's observation, the feral monkeys around snatch up bird eggs for food. He once saw some monkey did that to a nest built by a pair of OBLs.

I think that AFCD is a lot behind in curbing the damage done by the local monkeys to birds in breeding season. Culling and absolute prohibition by withdrawing feeding licenses even to a few on humanitarian grounds is necessary. For monkeys spread out once overpopulated, probably from Kowloon Reservoir.

S L Tai

wgeoff

Thanks Mr Tai.

We have not identified either of these species as declining in Hong Kong as a whole, although we have really not looked in detail at the Leafbird. I will do so now.
Nest predation by monkeys is, I guess, a localised problem, although it may be significant in the central area (the Brown-breasted Flycatcher breeding in TPK in 2014 lost at least one nest to monkeys).

One of the purposes of our talk is to bring these issues out into the open and give an opportunity to look at them in detail. I hope we can receive more comments like these before and especially after the meeting.

Geoff

lalan

Thanks Geoff

From google translate
過去的25年，后海灣的水鳥種類和數字的變化都相當完善的和已知的。然而，許多香港的陸烏也有所下降或增長，因為20世紀90年代，由於香港和中國南部、東部的環境中或其他地方也在改變。

本演講將重點圍繞，在香港的20種陸鳥類數量大幅下降物種及有大幅增長的，並增加了他們的範圍，看如何變化發生，什麼原因可能是另20種陸烏。雖然有些數量的升降是眾所周知的，還有很多其他的哪些不是那麼廣為人知（如鵐和鶥）和一些特別的下跌，給關心這些物種在香港及其他地方的未來。

該報告將是英語，但有一些中文的PowerPoint幻燈片。然而，圖形和照片可以很容易地理解。

subbuteo

Hi Geoff,

Some comments as you are asking...

When I first started birdwatching in HK I often used to see white-cheeked laughing thrush on Braemar Hill, HK Island in the late 1980s, early 1990s.  I don't imagine there are many records there now as the vegetation has changed a lot, much less grass and scrub now.  [They were a regular feature in Lam Tsuen but I imagine they will begin to struggle as development continues.]

Sooty-headed Bulbul was regular at Braemar.  Winter visitors included black-faced bunting, E woodcock, Rubythroat.  I was very excited to see my first Scimitar Babbler at Braemar in 1988/89.  They were beginning to become more common around Aberdeen CP at that time.  Obviously these are now widespread.  Silver-eared Mesia were often about and I heard SE mesia singing down at Tin Hau temple road last week so they may well have established there.

I am curious about Chinese Francolin.  I used to see and more often hear it at Braemar.  I imagine it too will have been affected by the habitat developing into forest.

I hope I get along to the talk, it sounds very interesting.

Dylan

[ Last edited by subbuteo at 28/10/2015 16:10 ]

wgeoff

Thanks Dylan.

We will deal with some of these species at the talk. But not Chinese Francolin, because our data does not easily allow analysis of this species.
However, like you, we think this species has declined all over Hong Kong due to habitat change. If you look at the Breeding Bird Survey chart for Chinese Francolin given on page 61 of The Avifauna,



it's hard to believe this hasn't declined from a large part of Hong Kong. The Breeding Bird survey was done in 1993-96.

Hope to see you next Wednesday.

HKBWS Bonnie

What an interesting talk !!! Many thanks to Geoff, John & Richard.

20151104-001.jpg (81.34 KB)

5/11/2015 15:40

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5/11/2015 15:40

subbuteo

A very interesting talk, thank you to all involved.  Clearly an enormous amount of work was done behind the scenes to analyse the data for presentation.  It really shows the importance of submitting records.

Dylan

John Holmes

Agreed with Dylan - very interesting subject matter - "What is happening to HK's bird populations and why.."

Thanks to the presenters for all the background effort put in....  267 species analysed is a LOT of work.

lalan

How about Red-billed Blue Magpie and Eurasian Magpie?
It seem the number of Red-billed Blue Magpie is increasing but Eurasian Magpie is discreasing.
Still any mate guarding of Eurasian Magpie recorded?

Alan