WWF Mai Po

WWF Hong Kong is trying to gather data/information concerning the impact of climate change on Hong Kong's natural environment. Initial searches through scientific literature have turned up very little useful data.

A potential indicator could be date changes associated with the call of common birds each spring i.e. are calls being heard earlier each year over the last 20 years? Of the more vocal and easily distinguishable species, Cuckoos seem to be the most commonly reported in Hong Kong each year.

From the BBS postings this year it would seem the earliest Common Koel call heard was 3rd February at Tsing Yi. Although there are no postings for Plaintive Cuckoo I heard one call on 2nd March at the Mai Po car park.

I would be grateful if any HKBWS member could help WWF by providing dates of Cuckoo calls that they know about from previous spring periods. Please post replies below.

Many thanks,

Bena Smith
WWF Reserve Officer

世界自然基金會香港分會現正收集關於「氣候轉變對香港自然環境影響」的數據。初步查閱科學文獻只得出極少有用並可信的數據。

其中一項有用指標是每年春季常見鳥類開始鳴叫的日期變化，如：在過去20年，鳥類開始鳴叫的日期正逐漸提早。在香港各種常見鳴鳥中，杜鵑科雀鳥的叫聲最為容易辨認和最常被報告。

從今年新聞組貼文所見，最早聽到的噪鵑鳴叫日期是2月3日，於青衣。雖新聞組上沒有關於八聲杜鵑的貼文，本人於3月2日曾在米埔停車場聽到過。

希望各觀鳥會會員可協助提供過往各年春天杜鵑科雀鳥開始鳴叫的日期，本人不勝感激。請把相關回覆張貼在下。

謝謝！

Bena Smith
世界自然基金會保護區主任

lalan

11/3
鷹鵑　米埔
before 28/2
八聲杜鵑  元朗南

lida

The following is from last year's posting on the HKBWS discussion broad.

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Birdingtips;action=display;num=1139883550

深藍-Owen

Feb 26  Tai Po Kau - Plaintive Cuckoo

WWF Mai Po

Cuckoo Call Dates

Thanks cowen, lida and lalan for your replies and suggestions. After trawling through the new and old BBS I have come up with the earliest calls being as follows:

2007
Common Koel - 3rd Feb @ Tsing Yi
Plaintive Cuckoo - 26th Feb @ Tai Po Kau
Large Hawk Cuckoo - 11th March @ Mai Po
Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo - [None reported yet?]

2006
Common Koel - 27 Jan @ Fanling
Plaintive Cuckoo - ??
Large Hawk Cuckoo - 4th Mar @ Long Valley
Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo - 7th Feb @ Lion Rock Country Park

2005
Common Koel - ??
Plaintive Cuckoo - 3rd Apr @ Tsim Bei Tsui
Large Hawk Cuckoo - ??
Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo - 7th Apr @ Ng Tung Chai

2004
Common Koel - ??
Plaintive Cuckoo - ??
Large Hawk Cuckoo - ??
Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo - 2nd Apr @ Kap Lung

Can anybody better these dates, provide missing dates for certain species or have any records from 1990-2003?

Many thanks,

Bena Smith
WWF Reserve Officer

fforrest

Large Hawk Cuckoo - early morning (3:00am) of 4th March 2007 @ Tai Tong, Yuen Long

WWF Mai Po

Cuckoo Call Dates : Spring 2008

Thank you to those people who provided dates for cuckoo calls last year.

For the coming 2008 spring period it would be great if we could continue this form of monitoring and once again I ask members to kindly report dates of first heard cuckoo calls on the BBS. Please note it is only the date of the first call for each species which is needed; Common Koel, Plaintive Cuckoo, Large Hawk Cuckoo, and Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo.

If any member can provide call dates for any of the years between 1990 to 2003 it would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,

Bena Smith
WWF Reserve Officer

Tony

Actually, I have heard the Common Koel's call at HKU and my site visit to Kap Lung last week. It seems too early.

sdavid

I had a Common Koel calling on Wednesday 2nd Jan.

sgeoff

I also find that on Lamma the koel calls occasionally thoughout the winter.

bkaren

All of the following were recorded at Tai Po Kau Headland.

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo:
1991: 10th April.
1992: 24th April.
2001: 29th April.
2002: 11th April.
2003: 5th April.
2004: 20th April.
2005: 22nd April.
2006: 25th April.

Large Hawk-Cuckoo.
1992: 8th April.
2001: 16th March.
2002: 13th April.
2003: 17th March
2004: 5th April.
2006: 18th March.

Oriental Cuckoo.
2002: 17th April.

Plaintive Cuckoo.
2001: 18th March.
2002: 31st March.
2003: 12th April.
2004: 5th April.
2005: 6th May.
2006: 28th March.

Common Koel.
2002: 3rd March.
2003: 2nd March.
2004: 17th April.
2005: 30th April.
2006: 1st April

pchunchiu

Common Koel was heard on 15th Jan, 2008 in Tai Tam. The time was about 11:00 am.

lalan

Common Koel 20 Jan 2008 morning about 0700
yuen long south

sgeoff

Common koel today - calling quite persistently with the koo-ee call.  (Actually brief calls are heard most days)

ajohn

I heard my first plaintive cuckoo singing yesterday (9th March) at Lok Ma Chau

kmike

I had a Plaintive Cuckoo calling  at Long Valley on Saturday morning.

Cheers
Mike K

WWF Mai Po

Thank you for continuing to post cuckoo call dates and Karen for the extensive list from Tai Po Kau Headland. Birdline reported the first Indian Cuckoo of 2008 from Cheung Chau on the weekend (06 April?).

Please listen out for Large Hawk-Cuckoo, Oriental Cuckoo, and Chestnut-winged Cuckoo calls over the coming weeks.

Bena Smith
WWF Reserve Officer

sgeoff

This morning the first Indian cuckoo from Lamma, yesterday, first plaintive cuckoo.  Heard the first large hawk cuckoo on March 24th.

camanda

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo heard 6.45am, 10 April 2008 Tai Po Kau.

cheers
Amanda

camanda

Large Hawk Cuckoo heard calling daily from 27th March, Tai Po Kau.
Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo heard 5.24am, 10th April 08, Tai Po Kau.

Cheers
Amanda

kkitty

Common Koel - around 5.15am - 5.30 am of 3 Feb 2009 @ Tuen Mun

ywendy

Common Koel - around 6am, 3 Feb 2009, Fanling

WWF Mai Po

Cuckoo Call Dates : 2009

Thanks kkitty for starting this off in 2009.

I heard a Koel calling on 31 Jan 2009 in Kowloon Park.

Bena Smith

深藍-Owen

Common Koel Jan 31, 2009. Shek Kong.

lalan

Common Koel 7/2/2009 tai wo

Beetle

A Common Koel in Tai Wai started calling - from 26 Jan 2009, or even earlier.

thinfor

A Common Koel @ Shek Kong Airfield road started calling on 7Feb09.

lharry

Common Koel, Lamma Island, 8 Feb 12 noon.

lalan

Common Koel 10/2/2009 Yuen Long South
Common Koel 10/2/2009 Tai Po Down Town
Common Koel 11/2/2009 Fung Yuen

shey

Call of Plaintive Cuckoo was heard in Long Valley on 10Feb09.

ajohn

There was a Large Hawk Cuckoo calling this morning (11th March) at Kam Tin

kmike

Just ahead of you John - A Large Hawk Cuckoo  was calling in Lam Tsuen around 5am this morning!

Cheers
Mike K

[ Last edited by kmike at 11/03/2009 12:45 ]

Beetle

Also A large Hawk Cuckoo in Tai Mei Tuk calling on 11 March 2009....4:55a.m.!!

ajohn

I could pretend to be first by claiming an earlier time (I was previously vague by only saying 'morning'!). But in fact, it was about 10.00!

It's interesting that the first individuals should turn up at widespread locations on the same day. 11th March also seems to be the earliest date in 2007.

tmichael

My first LHC this year was 27 Feb at 6.30 am here at Hing Keng Shek, Sai Kung. I was setting off on a walking and camping trip to the Route Twisk/Tai Lam Chung area and there was also one calling at Tin Fu Tsai on the evening of 27th.

It seemed quite expected to me, in view of the warm and humid conditions.

Bizarrely, I don't think I've heard a Koel yet, though they are very common usually both where I live and work.

Mike Turnbull

[ Last edited by tmichael at 14/04/2009 08:39 ]

WWF Mai Po

Many thanks. Hodgson's Hawk, Chestnut-winged, and Indian Cuckoo still needed for 2009. Please report if you hear any of them.

shey

Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo was heard in Tai Lam Country Park this morning.

hey

kmike

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo - a flyover migrant - on Friday 27th March at Tai Om, Lam Tsuen.

Cheers
Mike K

ajohn

Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo at TPK on 11th April 2009. Apparently it was also calling a few days before this.

Indian Cuckoo at San Tin on 12th April 2009. Also one on Tung Ping Chau on 13th April.

Allen

Indian Cuckoo called at Mai Po near Tower Hide on 12th April 2009.

thinfor

I heard Indian cuckoo call at 1:00 am on 16Apr09 in Discovery Bay, Lantau.  I hope I did not recognize wrongly.  

lalan

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo 16/4/2009 11:25 Fung Yuen

WWF Mai Po

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