After having birded Yibin in early 2023, I used to be again in late Might of 2025. I had solely heard the uncommon Sichuan Partridge the final time. This time, it was marginally higher – however the sort of foggy picture I received would usually be deleted instantly. I suppose I simply haven’t earned it but (notice reference to the Smiths track – “you have to endure and cry for an extended time”, presumably in Yibin hides).
The identical foggy morning additionally received me some substandard photographs of the Silver Pheasant – although in case you are of a extra optimistic mindset than me, you may simply consolation your self by calling them “atmospheric”.
The unhealthy gentle additionally made the Chinese language Bamboo Partridge appear to be it wanted a vacation on some sunny seashores.
Because the climate turned from unhealthy to worse, the native conceal proprietor got here up with an announcement that by now could be fairly acquainted to me – “the climate was tremendous the previous few days earlier than right this moment”. As the type and caring individual I generally faux to be, I didn’t instantly kill him for saying this.
Thankfully, the afternoon earlier than was a bit extra profitable. Not a lot due to two quite common birds in Sichuan, the Brown-breasted Bulbul …
… and the White-browed Laughingthrush.
Perhaps for the stern-looking Chinese language Babax, one other laughingthrush, however already a bit extra fascinating.
I discover nearly all species of monkeys ugly, my uncanny valley most likely being broader than that of others. This aversion consists of the golden snub-nosed monkey. I’m fairly certain it’s shared by the Chinese language Babax, given {that a} paper describes a feminine monkey killing three babax chicks by biting off their heads and feeding on them (supply).
The monkeys even appear to see this predation as a sort of spectator sport: “A number of people, most had been feminine juveniles, had been concerned in watching the method of predation and actively explored the within of the nest”. Hmmm.
An much more fascinating laughingthrush is the Pink-winged Laughingthrush, a shy species with a reasonably restricted vary.
Its scientific identify, Trochalopteron formosum, appropriately implies that it’s stunning (formosus), however no less than to me additionally sounds a bit like a sinister subsidiary of a personal fairness fund specializing in firms within the military-industrial advanced (Trochalopteron).
Whereas eBird and the HBW are each related to Cornell College, their description of the species couldn’t be extra totally different. eBird talks of a “hanging giant laughingthrush” whereas HBW goes for the a lot much less interesting “pretty giant, uninteresting rufous-brown laughingthrush”.
The Emei Shan Liocichla is in the identical household because the laughingthrushes, Leiothrichidae, and presumably one in every of these “allies” of laughingthrushes within the household. I nonetheless discover the time period allies a bit puzzling, having learn an excessive amount of on navy historical past and questioning whether or not, in a battle among the many chicken households, the liocichla would robotically battle on the facet of the laughingthrushes.
It’s listed as Weak because the species is very localized inside a small vary (HBW).
As is commonly amongst birds, the males are extra colourful …
… although some declare that the females have a extra stunning soul.
The Pink-billed Leiothrix can also be within the household, although far more widespread.
The HBW entry begins with what apparently the HBW writers suppose is an important facet of the species: “Recognized within the cage chicken commerce because the Japanese Hill-Robin, Peking Robin, or Peking Nightingale, the Pink-billed Leiothrix was first imported into the Hawaiian Islands in 1911, with intentional releases to the wild occurring after 1918.” The applying of “America First” considering to ornithological science.
I suppose we ought to be grateful that every one three authors of the entry have hyperlinks to Hawaii fairly than to a particular zoo someplace within the US, although in that case, we might most likely study so much concerning the Pink-billed Leiothrix in captivity.
A number of different papers on the species give attention to its function and benefits as an invasive species in Europe …
…and elsewhere …
… going so far as the launched Pink-billed Leiothrix turning into the host species of Oriental Cuckoos (supply). I suppose turning into a cuckoo host species is an indication you may have lastly arrived at a location.
You possibly can inform that ornithologists aren’t fascinated about a chicken species when all papers on it that one can discover on Google Analysis have titles similar to Affect of foraging guild on heterospecific desire of affiliation in mixed-species chicken flocks, Composition of combined species flocks and shifts in foraging location of flocking species on Hainan Island, China, or Chook group comparisons of 4 plantations and conservation issues in South China.
In different phrases, papers on a number of species fairly than specializing in a person one. That is the tragic destiny of the Dusky Fulvetta.
And who can blame the scientists? The phrase “dusky” apparently is seen as a synonym for “boring” – and who would need to waste one’s analysis on such a species? Plus, it’d make getting grants tough.
Although I believe if Dusky Fulvettas established a presence in Hawaii – ideally on a college campus – issues may change.
The widespread identify of the Golden-breasted Fulvetta appears affordable, …
… the scientific identify Lioparus chrysotis (indicating that the chicken is “golden-eared”) isn’t.
The Golden-breasted Fulvetta can also be – as I’m certain you can be excited to study – the host of a newly found species of feather mites (Anhemialges lioparus).
Staying with golden (properly, actually, yellow) birds brings us to the Golden Parrotbill.
Its widespread identify is way simpler to pronounce than its scientific one, Suthora verreauxi, which commemorates Jules Pierre Verreaux (1807 – 1873).
It mustn’t. It appears he had no scruples by any means to get specimens, and never simply of birds. Here’s a barely abridged excerpt from his Wikipedia entry:
“In 1830, whereas travelling in modern-day Botswana, Verreaux witnessed the burial of a Tswana warrior. Verreaux returned to the burial web site below cowl of evening to dig up the African’s physique the place he retrieved the pores and skin, the cranium and some bones. Verreaux ready and preserved the African warrior’s corpse through the use of metallic wire as a backbone, wood boards as shoulder blades and newspaper as a stuffing materials. Then he shipped the physique to Paris together with a batch of stuffed animals in crates. In 1831, the African’s physique appeared in a showroom at No. 3, Rue Saint Fiacre.”
The colour of the Rufous-capped Babbler isn’t all that totally different from the “golden” coloration of the 2 earlier species – however someway, it’s now described as rufous.
Relying on the altitude at which this babbler lives, the UV reflectance of its feathers differs, with highland birds having increased UV-reflectance and brightness than lowland birds (supply).
Sadly for the babbler, a paper on the significance of mind measurement for nest complexity provides the species low marks for intelligence. It reveals a photograph of a nest of the babbler with the remark “the domed nest of a Rufous-capped Babbler (Cyanoderma ruficeps) is just constructed utilizing dry leaves and lacks an advanced knit or lining, which makes its construction incompact and fragile.”
Lastly, the afternoon in Yibin introduced the Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler, one of many 11 scimitar babblers within the genus Pomatorhinus. Apart from the Slender-billed Scimitar Babbler, all of them look fairly much like me, although I might by no means dare to say that within the presence of an expert ornithologist.
“Singing within the Rain” isn’t just a foul track. It is usually one thing birds are unlikely to do. In a single research, two species (Alstroem’s Warbler and the Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler) truly sang much less throughout rainfall. Solely the Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler stored up its typical singing degree (supply).
Perhaps it additionally likes to sing whereas taking a shower.
