Vertebrates (pdf)

	*Whatever happened to the humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus, after its CITES Appendix II listing?*
	Baseline study at Mabian Dafengding Nature Reserve, Sichuan
	A survey of reef fish diversity in Port Shelter
	Night safaris in Lung Fu Shan Country Park, Hong Kong
	"Man of the forest" – a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
	Finless porpoises in Wuhan, China
	The bird fauna of Lung Fu Shan and the University of Hong Kong

The bird fauna of Lung Fu Shan and the University of Hong Kong (pdf)

by Hung Tun Hei, Sung Yik Hei, Fu Wing Kan, Yuen Pui Yu
Environmental Life Science 2004-2007

Lung Fu Shan Country Park is the latest designated Country Park in Hong Kong and is situated right behind our university. Lung Fu Shan is almost entirely covered by secondary forest and exotic tree plantation (AFCD, 2006). Whilst many fellow students visited this area while bird watching for the course ‘Ecology of Hong Kong’ last year, we are some of the ENS students who are particularly keen on bird watching and have returned to Lung Fu Shan regularly in our spare time. In the past year, we found that Lung Fu Shan is indeed a bird paradise. Over the last winter, we recorded rare and uncommon species such as Mugimaki Flycatcher (Ficedula mugimaki), Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina metaschistos), Asian Stubtail Warbler (Urosphena squameiceps) and Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus rufucollis). On 14 February 2006, Allen To discovered the rare Brown-headed Thrush (Turdus chrysolaus) along the little path right next to the University Drive. Since then, this little path and the surrounding area have become our favourite birding sites with more than 7 thrush species seen. On 23 March 2006, Fu and Sung recorded a rare Ferruginous Flycatcher (Muscicapa ferruginea), the first record at Lung Fu Shan (Fig. 1). Furthermore, Hung, Fu and Chloe Ng saw a Grey-crowned Warbler (Seicercus tephrocaphalus) at Lung Fu Shan on 31 March 2006. If this record is accepted by the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, it will be the second record of this species in Hong Kong.

In addition to the bird records we have made since last year, we have reviewed the literature and compiled a bird list of Lung Fu Shan and HKU (Table 1). A total of 90 species have been recorded so far. These include some locally rare and uncommon species such as the Blacked-winged Cuckoo-shrike, Eurasian Hooby, Grey Treepie, Plumbeous Redstart, Ferruginous Flycatcher and Brown-headed Thrush (Fig. 2). According to AFCD (2006) there are more than 150 bird species in Lung Fu Shan, although there was no detailed species list in the AFCD report. Useful references are Lock (2000) and So (1996, 2000).

Fig.1. Ferruginous Flycatcher (Photo: Billy Hau)

Bibliography

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). (2006). Lung Fu Shan Country Park (http://www.afcd.gov.hk/). Accessed on 5 June 2006.

Lock, N.Y. (2000). The Ecology of Urban Birds in Hong Kong. Ph.D. Thesis. The University of Hong Kong.

So, S. (1996). The Effect of Seasonality and disturbance on the woodland bird community. Unpublished Report, Department of Ecology & Biodiversity, The University of Hong Kong.

So, N.H. (2001). Birds and Figs In Hong Kong. M.Phil. Thesis, The University of Hong Kong.

Viney, C., Phillipps, K. & Lam, C.Y. (2006). The Birds of Hong Kong and South China. Information Services Department, HKSAR

Fig.2. Brown-headed Thrush (Photo: Allen To)

Table 1. Birds recorded at Lung Fu Shan. Unless specified, the records were made by the authors and other Environmental Life Science students. The status column refers to the status of the species in Hong Kong according to Viney et al. (2006).

English name	Species name	Month seen	Status	Source
Schrenck's Bittern	Ixobrychus eurhythmus	Spring 2000		Samson So
Cinnamon Bittern	Ixobrychus cinnamomeus	Spring 2000		Samson So
Black Kite	Milvus migrans	Year round	Very common
White-bellied Sea Eagle	Haliaeetus leucogaster	Sept	Uncommon	So, 1996
Crested Goshawk	Accipiter trivirgatus	Year round	Common
Buzzard	Buteo buteo	Oct - Nov	Common
Eurasian Hooby	Falco subbuteo	Sept	Uncommon	So, 1996
Woodcock	Scolopax rusticola	Nov	Uncommon	So, 1996
Feral Pigeon	Columba livia	Year round	Very common
Spotted Dove	Streptopelia chinensis	Year round	Very common
Emerald Dove	Chalcophaps indica		1999	Samson So
Yellow Crested Cockotoo	Cacatua sulphurea	Year round	Very common
Chestnut wing Cuckoo	Clamator coromandus			Samson So
Large Hawk Cuckoo	Hierococcyx sparverioides			Samson So
Koel	Eudynamis scolopacea	Year round	Common
Greater Coucal	Centropus sinensis	Sept - Nov	Common	So,1996; Lock, 2000
Collared Scops Owl	Otus bakkamoena	2006		Samson So
Pacific Swift	Apus pacificus	Sept	Common	So, 1996
House Swift	Apus nipalensis	Year round	Common
Common Kingfisher	Alcedo atthis	Oct	Common	So, 1996
Dollarbird	Eurystomus orientalis	Sept	Uncommon	So, 1996
Barn Swallow	Hirundo rustica	Sept - Nov	Common	Lock, 2000
Forest Wagtail	Dendronanthus indicus	Sept	Uncommon	So, 1996
Grey Wagtail	Motacilta cinerea	Sept	Common	So, 1996
White wagtail	Motacila alba leucopsis	Sept	Common
Olive-backed Pipit	Anthus hodgsoni	Nov - Mar	Common
Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike	Coracina metaschistos	Sept - Feb	Uncommon
Scarlet Minivet	Pericrocothus flammeus	Nov	Common
Red-whiskered Bulbul	Pycnonotus jocosus	Year round	Very common
Chinese Bulbul	Pycnonotus sinensis	Year round	Very common
Orange-bellied Leafbird	Chloropsis hardwickii	Nil	Uncommon	So, 1996
Rufous-tailed Robin	Luscinia sibilans	Nov - Mar	Uncommon
Red-flanked Bluetai	Tarsiger cyanurus	Nov - Feb	Common
Oriental Magpie Robin	Copsychzrs saularis	Year round	Very common
Daurian Redstart	Phoenicurus auroreus	Sept - Nov	Common	Lock; 2000
Plumbeous Redstart	Rhyacomis fuliqinosus	Nil		Samson
Grey Bushchat	Saxicola ferrea	1998		Samson So
Blue Whistling Thrush	Myiophoneus caeruleus	Year round	Common
Scaly Thrush	Zoothera dauma	Sept - Nov	Uncommon	So, 1996, 2001
Japanese Thrush	Turdus cardis	Dec - Mar	Uncommon
Common Blackbird	Turdus merula	Dec - Mar	Common
Brown-headed Thrush	Turdus chrysolaus	Feb - Mar	Rare
Grey-backed Thrush	Turdus hortulorum	Nov – Mar	Common
Pale Thrush	Turdus pallidus	Feb – Mar	Uncommon
Eye-browed Thrush	Turdus obscurus	Nov -Mar	Uncommon
Dusky Thrush	Turdus naumanni	Spring 2000		Samson So
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler	Pomatorhinus rufucollis	Jan	Uncommon
Masked Laughingthrush	Garrulax perspicillatus	Year round	Very common
Black-throated Laughingthrush	Garrulax chinensis	Year round	Common
Hwamei	Garrulax canorus	Sept - Nov	Common
Silver-eared Mesia	Leiothrix argentauris	Sept - Mar	Common
Red-billed Leiothrix	Leiothrix lutea	Feb	Uncommmon
White-bellied Yuhina	Yuhina zantholeuca	Sept - Nov	Uncommon	So, 2001
Asian Stubtail Warbler	Urosphena squameiceps	Nov - Mar	Common
Japanese Bush Warbler	Cettia diphone	Nil	Common	So, 1996
Yellow-bellied Prinia	Prinia flaviventris	Sept - Nov	Common	So, 1996; Lock, 2000
Common Tailorbird	Orthotomus sutorius	Year Round	Very common
Dusky Warbler	Phylloscopus fuscatzrs	Sept -Nov	Common	Lock, 2000
Radde's Warbler	Phylloscopus schwarzi	Mar	Uncommon
Pallas's Leaf Warbler	Phylloscopus proregulus	Sept – Dec	Common	So, 1996; Lock 2000
Yellow-browed Warbler	Phylloscopus inornatus	Sept - Nov	Very Common
Arctic Warbler	Phylloscopus borealis	Sept - Dec	Common	So, 1996; Lock 2000
Blyth's Leaf Warbler	Phylloscopus reguloides	Nov - Jan	Uncommon
Grey-crowned Warbler	Seicercus tephrocephalus	Mar	Very rare
Dark-sided Flycatcher	Muscicapa sibirica	Sept - Nov	Uncommon	So, 1996; Lock 2000
Asian Brown Flycatcher	Muscicapa dauurica	Sept - Mar	Common
Ferruginous Flycatcher	Muscicapa ferruginea	Mar	Very rare
Veriditer Flycathcer	Eumyias thalassina	1996		Samson So
Mugimaki Flycatcher	Ficedula mugimaki	Nov - Dec	Uncommon
Asian Paradise-flycatcher	Terpsiphone paradisi	Sept -Nov	Uncommon	So, 2001
Yellow-bellied Tit	Parus venustulus	1996		Samson So
Great Tit	Parus major	Year round	Very common
Plain Flowerpecker	Dicaeum concolor	1998
Buff-bellied Flowerpecker	Dicaeum ignipectus	Sept – Nov	Uncommon	So, 1996; Lock 2000
Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker	Dicaeum cruentatum	Sept - Nov	Common	So, 1996; Lock 2000
Fork-tailed Sunbird	Aethopyga christinae	Sept - Nov	Common
Japanese White-eye	Zosterops japonica	Year Round	Very common
Little Bunting	Emberiza pusilla	Nov	Common	So, 1996
Black-faced Bunting	Emberiza spodocephala	Nov	Common	So, 1996
White-rumped Munia	Lonchura striata	Sept – Nov	Very common
Eurasian Tree Sparrow	Passer montanus	Year round	Very common
Black-collared Starling	Sturnus nigricoll	Year round	Very common
Crested Myna	Acridofheres cristatellus	Year round	Very common
Blue Magpie	Urocissa erythrorhyncha	Sept - Mar	Common
Grey Treepie	Dendrocitta formosae	Sept - Nov	Rare	So, 1996; Lock 2000
Magpie	Pica pica	Sept - Noc	Very common	So, 1996; Lock 2000
Large-billed Crow	Corvus macrorhynchus	Year round	Very common
Budgerigar	Melopsittacus undulatus	Sept	Uncommon	So, 1996
Oriental Turtle Dove	Streptopelia orientalis	Nov	Common
Red Collared Dove	Streptopelia tranquebarica	Sept – Nov	Uncommon	So, 2001

P.20-23

Porcupine!
For more information, contact
ecology@hkucc.hku.hk