Siberian Crane (1)

Grus leucogeranus

(Critically endangered)

jimmyhu

Taiwan

  📍 Map

Details: adult, outside normal range

This is a local celebrity in Taiwan. A strained one year old Siberian crane came to the northern Taiwan and stayed there for a year and grow into adulthood. An endangered species with a healthy population in eastern Siberian area which had winter range in lower Yangtze river and rapid declined west Siberian area which had winter range in Iran and Pakistan. This bird came to Taiwan by unusual wind last December with light brown feather. Now, this bird displays courting dance in the morning but I reached there in the late afternoon. In the front, there is a cattle egret to compare the size. The local government and farmer took extra conservation effort to provide living area for this crane. Many tourist buses for nearby Yeliu Geological Park pass the local highway in order to see this crane. Siberian crane has black primary flying feather (not shown) and red beaks and legs, except black toes.

Date uploaded: Nov 20 2015

Bull-headed Shrike (1)

Lanius bucephalus

jimmyhu

Taiwan

Date taken: Feb 18 2015

Details: male, winter plummage

This is a relative rare kind of shrike in Taiwan. A brown head marks this shrike species. A migratory bird stays in Taiwan during winter months.

Date uploaded: Nov 4 2015

Brown Shrike (4)

Lanius cristatus

jimmyhu

Taiwan

Date taken: Apr 29 2013

Details: male, adult

This brown shrike is another shrike of Taiwan, a migrating bird from Northern Asia and appeared during the winter months in Taiwan. Many years ago, Taiwanese caught and cook this bird for food! However, this practice is prohibited now and Taiwanese loves conservation and respects the migratory birds very much.

Date uploaded: Nov 4 2015

Richard's Pipit (3)

Anthus richardi

jimmyhu

Taiwan

Date taken: Oct 26 2015

Details: adult, winter plummage

I spotted this bird on an open field and right way knew a new species on hand. This Richard's pipit might migrate through Taiwan to the warmer area of south. I saw a a red-throated pipit in Taiwan before but this is a different pipit, larger and standing upright. This bird stayed at the same spot for a minute, so I could make several photos.

Date uploaded: Nov 4 2015

Long-tailed Shrike (5)

Lanius schach

jimmyhu

Taiwan

Details: adult, winter plummage

Taiwan had many species of shrike and this is a common and large one (up to 25 cm).
the upper beak had a hook at its end. Like other shrikes and flycatcher, it flies from a pole or a tree branch that is over-looking an open field, and back to the original spot. This makes the photography easy. This bird is cold-killer and the photo just showed a catch of a large grasshopper.

Date uploaded: Nov 4 2015

Taiwan Barbet (1)

Megalaima nuchalis

jimmyhu

Taiwan

Date taken: Oct 25 2015

Details: adult, winter plummage

This Taiwan Barbet is an endemic species of Taiwan. Since there were 5 colors but the body is mainly green, local people calls this bird as 5 colors bird. In breeding season, its very loud calls as the monotonous guttural sound "kuo-kuo-kuo-....", sort of like a monk knocking on a wooden percussion instrument while chanting buddhist sutras. This bird is similar to a woodpecker (but not a real woodpecker) to drill a hole on a tree trunk to lay eggs. The male and female takes turn for incubation with the one outside to supply food to the other and young chicks.

Date uploaded: Nov 4 2015

Pacific Reef Egret (2)

Egretta sacra

jimmyhu

Taiwan

Details: adult, winter plummage

This widely distributed pacific reef heron or pacific reef egret, is mostly in the coast area. There are 2 forms, one is in dark colour and the other is white. I have seen only the dark form, black or blue-black. This one had also a white patch near the neck. Iris is usually yellow but this one is dark brown. Legs were short but much thicker than most heron/egret.

Date uploaded: Nov 4 2015

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (29)

Sphyrapicus varius

jimmyhu

Canada (Ontario)

Details: female, adult, outside normal range

This morning, I took a shoot of photo as if a hariy woodpepecker. After examined the photo, the underside was not a typical hairy woodpepecker. It turns out to be an american three-toed woodpecker. What is a suprise because Toronto was not in their range map.

Date uploaded: Oct 8 2015

Black Drongo (2)

Dicrurus macrocercus

jimmyhu

Taiwan

Date taken: Nov 20 2013

Details: adult, winter plummage

This is a comon and true aerobatic bird in Taiwan. It can fly at a great speed and dive down to get insects or harass large bird in the air. It is also a very difficult to photo because it is pure black, nothing else was shown in colour. I had many shoots of this birds but very few of them can be shown, despite of photographic enhancement package. This angle and certain lighting condition can produce a sharp image of this rather ugly but wonderful bird.

Date uploaded: Oct 7 2015

Pacific Golden Plover (8)

Pluvialis fulva

jimmyhu

Taiwan

Date taken: Mar 15 2013

Details: adult, winter plummage

This is a migratory water bird from North (Siberia and Alaska) in Taiwan. It appears near the seaside rocks and beaches in group.

Date uploaded: Oct 7 2015