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        Discussion Area 討論區 >> Bird Identification 鳥類辨識 >>  Birds in Mount Tai, Shandong, China
        
(Message started by: HKBWS Project on May 24^th, 2006, 9:53am)

Title: Birds in Mount Tai, Shandong, China
Post by HKBWS Project on May 24^th, 2006, 9:53am

Dear Sirs/Madams

I wondered if you may shed some light on some recent sightings. I visited Shandong province mid May and did a little birding on Mount Tai - was taken there by work colleagues.

Saw several species that I have found a little tricky to ID - only have birds of south-east asia available.

Spangled Drongo - squared tail from below, very glossy, blue and green gloss with upturned corners of tail visible in flight.
Warbler sp - Acrocephalus - similar to Reed Warbler - on distribution ? Blunt-winged Warbler - poor super, perhaps just in front of eye. At 1500m on Mount Tai
Babbler sp - like a chunky Nightingale - difficult to get good views - pale super, heavy bill, creamy below, fairly warm rufous brown above, no real contrast in upperparts anywhere. Song - began with curious wavering hooting (only audible from close range) followed by loud whistles. Crap descrition I know, but if on range and distribution you can narrow it down, I will try to listen to some tapes and confirm the song. From birds of SEAsia looked similar to Ferruginous or Abbots Babbler -ö not especially short-tailed !

Your help would be most appreciated.

Paul Varney

Title: Re: Birds in Mount Tai, Shandong, China
Post by Mike Kilburn on Jun 2^nd, 2006, 9:30am

HI Paul

I think you are right about the Spangled Drongo.

Blunt-winged sounds most likely for the warbler. I've seen it breeding at altitude in Guangdong (Babao Shan), and at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

Your babbler is interesting. Not many Babblers make it into N China. Have you considered Hwamei - out of range but a common cagebird famed for its song and it may be an escape. But with global warming, well who knows.

Other than that I'm struggling. Pere David's Laughingthrush occurs in Hebei and further west but I don't know of any records from Shandong (plus is more grey-brown than warm rufous.

Hope this is helpful, but really not sure at all about the last one.

Cheers
Mike Kilburn