Shaohing birding 19-20 JUNE 2015

Thanks to Dr. Chan Shui Wah, he asked a birder in Shaohing (紹興) to bring me birding around there, to find the target - Reed Parrotbill Paradoxornis heudei.

We visited Shangyu (上虞) wetland, and found the target soon just arrived.

Reed Parrotbill can be found in reedbed around Zhejiang, Shanghai area, with another population locates in North-east China and Russia, which may be split as separate species - Northern Parrotbill Paradoxornis polivanovi.

a distant shot of Reed Parrotbill Paradoxornis heudei

I only spent 1.5 days for birding in Shaohing, mainly for reed parrotbill. I tried to find Short-tailed Parrotbill Paradoxornis davidianus and Japanese Swamp Warbler Locustella pryeri but both failed. But I still see some of the following:

Tiger Shrike Lanius tigrinus

Swinhoe's Minivet Pericrocotus cantonensis

Japanese Tit Parus minor

a very far adult Eastern Marsh Harrier Circus spilonotus

Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus

Lesser Coucal Centropus bengalensis

Germain's Swiftlet Aerodramus germani or
Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris

Germain's / Himalayan Swiftlet

During the trip to Zhejiang recently, I saw numerous swiftlets in different days and places. I identified them as Himalayan Swiftlet Aerodramus brevirostris at first and this is (these are) first record(s) in Zhejiang Province.

After coming back to Hong Kong, I was told there are records of similar swiftlets in Shanghai, Matzu, and even Taiwan. It seems that this is an invasive-year of this species, but the habitat and time go wrong because Himalayan Swiftlets breed primarily in highlands at this time of year.

SteveM suggested these birds, including the swiftlets he found in Tainan may be Germain's Swiftlet Aerodramus germani mainly because
1. Season and Range
2. Rather small in size
3. Brown back which contrast with wing
4. More pale rump
5. Dark-capped
6. Shorter wing
7. Wing shape (?)

We still cannot be 100% sure the identities of these birds, whether real Germain's or another race of Himalayan, we just hope there will be more further observations and help solving this question as both species may turn out in HK one day.

Here are the photos I took in Zhejiang:

Brown back with contrast to wing, pale rump, a dark cap, shorter wing and smaller size, suggesting this belongs to Germain's Swiftlet Aerodramus germani

And here are the photos I took in Hong Kong before, should be Himalayan with no problem:

You can compare this photo with the possible Germain's above

And some references to read:
http://nc.kl.edu.tw/bbs/showthread.php?t=55806
http://birdingpage.blogspot.tw/