Common Name (in English) Common Magpie, Eurasian magpie (in Chinese) 喜鵲 Scientific Name (in Latin) Pica pica Peculiar characteristics / external features: The adult male of the nominate subspecies, P. p. pica, is 44–46 cm (17–18 in) in length, of which more than half is the tail. The wingspan is 52–62 cm (20–24 in). The head, neck and breast are glossy black with a metallic green and violet sheen; the belly and scapulars (shoulder feathers) are pure white; the wings are black glossed with green…

Read More »

  Common Name (in English) Chinese Bulbul, Light-vented Bulbul (in Chinese) 白頭鵯、白頭、白頭鵠仔 Scientific Name (in Latin) Pycnonotus sinensis Peculiar characteristics / external features: It is a medium-sized (19 cm), noisy, conspicuous bulbul with a black crown, a white nape stripe bordered posteriorly by a black band, a thick black moustachial stripe and a buffy auricular patch. The back and wings are grayish with olive yellow highlights and edgings to the flight feathers; the throat and undersides are white, separated by a grayish-brown, diffuse breast band.…

Read More »

Common Name (in English) Chestnut Bulbul (in Chinese) 栗背短腳鵯 Scientific Name (in Latin) Hemixos castanonotus Peculiar characteristics / external features: The chestnut bulbul is between 18-22 cm in length. It is chestnut brown on top and back, while its throat, chest and belly is white in colour. Distributions: It is found in southern China and northern Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. In Hong Kong, chestnut bulbuls were only seen inside Tai Po Kau among the 11 study sites. This…

Read More »

  Common Name (in English) Blue Rock Thrush (in Chinese) 藍磯鶇、亞東藍石鶇、水嘴、麻石青 Scientific Name (in Latin) Monticola solitarius Peculiar characteristics / external features: The blue rock thrush is a starling-sized bird, 21–23 cm (8.3–9.1 in) in length with a long slim bill. The breeding male of the nominate subspecies is unmistakable, with all blue-grey plumage apart from its darker wings. Females and immatures are much less striking, with dark brown upperparts, and paler brown scaly underparts. Distributions: The European, north African and southeast Asian birds are…

Read More »

  Common Name (in English) Blue Jay (in Chinese) 冠藍鴉、藍松鴉、藍樫鳥 Scientific Name (in Latin) Cyanocitta cristata Peculiar characteristics / external features: The blue jay is between 9 and 12 inches in length. It is bright blue on top and white to gray on its throat, chest and belly. It has a gray-blue crest on its head and black and white bars on its wings and tail. Its bill, legs and feet are black. It also has a black “necklace” on its lower throat. Distributions: The…

Read More »

  Common Name (in English) Black Kite (in Chinese) 黑鳶、麻鷹、老鷹 Scientific Name (in Latin) Milvus migrans Peculiar characteristics / external features: The black kites have a brown upper plumage is brown but the head and neck tend to be paler. The sexes are alike. The patch behind the eye appears darker. The outer flight feathers are black and the feathers have dark cross bars and are mottled at the base. The lower parts of the body are pale brown, becoming lighter towards the chin. The…

Read More »

Common Name (in English) Barn Swallow (in Chinese) 家燕 Scientific Name (in Latin) Hirundo rustica Peculiar characteristics / external features: It has steel blue upperparts and a rufous forehead, chin and throat, which are separated from the off-white underparts by a broad dark blue breast band. The outer tail feathers are elongated, giving the distinctive deeply forked “swallow tail”. There is a line of white spots across the outer end of the upper tail. Distributions: The preferred habitat of the barn swallow is open country…

Read More »