The Purple Heron nests in Manchuria and others parts of North The China, only visiting the Colony during the colder months. Eastern Grey Heron, very similar to the common heron of Europe, is slightly larger than his purple relation and much lighter, appearing almost white on the upper parts when in flight. The very large bill The crown and neck is yellow-green, and so are the feet and legs. are white, the neck streaked with blue-grey; the upper parts are a dark grey, the under parts slightly lighter in colour.
THE UPLAND PIPIT
The most important addition made in 1950 to the birds, resident or migratory, seen and identified in Hong Kong is the Upland Pipit, Orcocorys sylvanus, which was found for the first time in July nesting on the upper slopes of Taimoshan. Mr. J. C. E. Britt, who discovered the nest, was able to take the photograph opposite page 107 which is believed to be the only photograph ever taken of a female upland pipit on her nest.
This comparatively rare bird is mentioned in Salim Ali's "Hill Birds of India" as a resident species in the Himalayas from the Afghan border to Nepal, usually found at altitudes between four or five thousand feet. Caldwell's "South China Birds" describes it as straying into China and breeding sparingly in Fukien Province on the grass-covered mountain at Kuliang near Foochow and on the heights above the Kushan monastery, its season being from April to August.
The Upland Pipit is about 7 inches in length. Its bill is dark grey above and yellow below; the crown and entire upper parts are greyish ground colour broadly streaked lengthwise with brown, each feather edged with red, giving a dark fuscous appearance above. The tail is brown-edged with pale fuscous outer feathers white for half their length. It has a dull but prominent eye-stripe, its under parts are a dull yellow and each of its feathers is edged with black giving a streaked appearance. Like other members of the pipit family it makes song flights into the air followed by a quick parachuting glide down to earth. The call of the male is an oft- repeated chick-ree', a distinctive sound similar in timbre to the call of the curlew and audible over a long distance in hill country.
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