136
137
160
G. A. C. HERKLOTS
YOUNG. Browner brown or
pale red. FEMALE. Similar to male. than adults, more freckled and mottled, sides of face and ear-coverts chest- nut, abdomen white.
SUMMARY:---Chinese Little Bittern; the black quills are so striking that when the bird leaves the ground half the wings appear to be black. Chestnut Bittern; cinnamon-rufous of upper and tawny buff of lower sur- faces and absence of black on wings. Eastern Great Bittern; large size, Schrenck's tawny yellow heavily streaked with black above and below. Little Bittern, small size, rich chest with heavy markings and absence of black on wings. Yellow-necked Bittern, long yellow and streaked neck and rest of body generally grey and black.
HABITS :-With the exception of the Yellow-necked Bittern these birds are shy and retiring in their habits. They frequent the cultivated valleys In the local Ter- of the foot-hills feeding in the swamps and paddy fields. ritories the most favoured districts in which we have observed these birds are the Ping Shan, Kam Tin and Lam Tsun Valley districts. Caldwell records that the Chinese Little Bittern has a loud guttural call.
NESTING HABITS:-The Chinese Little Bittern. Caldwell p. 308, writes," As a general thing the nests we have found of this species have been in heavy swordgrass overhanging paddy fields or other bog, or water, The bird builds its nest just as commonly among the reeds and tall grasses adjacent to water courses or in marshes. The nest is of rather bulky pro- portions, being constructed of grass blades, reeds and other pliable material, worked tightly about the supporting grass. The eggs are pale greenish to creamy-white, unmarked. Season, May and June.
The Chestnut Bittern. Herbert (3) p. 323, has the following account This Bittern may be seen in the of nests of this species found in Siam. paddy fields during the rains, but it is not common, and the eggs are very difficult to obtain. I have watched various "pairs on the rough ground at the Sports Club, at the Ditches and at Paklat, and I have had men searching for the nests, but on those occasions without success.
Eggs have been found twice, but in both cases the bird was flushed from the nest when in pursuit of something else.
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The first nest was found by me at the Ditches" (25.6.13) when I was looking for the nest of a Francolin which I had seen about there. saw the head of a bird appear some forty yards ahead and, although I marked the spot, I had the greatest difficulty in finding the bird, but eventually Alushed a Chestnut Bittern from its nest. The nest was on the top of a clump of the small round bulrushes, the heads having been bent over and more rushes added to complete the structure. It was entirely built of fresh green bulrushes, very neat and clean, and situated about a foot above the water of one of the ditches. There were three eggs, which were slightly incubated. A fortnight later I searched the bulrushes at that place, and found two new nests close together, but no eggs were ever laid in them. The following year I visited the same spot at a later date, but it was a dry season and there was little or no cover, so it was not surprising that I found no Bitterns there. The second clutch was found by my collector at Tachin
The Hong Kong Naturalist.
The Birds of Hong Kong.—Part XI
161
The
on 15.8.19, and the eggs were slightly incubated. The nest was brought in with the eggs and was exactly the same as the others which I had seen. nesting season is apparently June to August.
The eggs are broad regular ovals, with no appreciable difference between the two ends. In colour they are white with a very faint greenish tinge, but this may only be perceptible when the eggs are placed alongside is without pure white ones. The shell is fine and compact in texture, but gloss. Three is locally said to be the full complement, but this may not be correct as four to five is reported to be the general number in Burma. average size for six eggs is 31.9 × 26.7 mm.
The
The eggs
The Eastern Great Bittern is not known to nest in south China. Schrenck's Little Bittern. Caldwell, p. 307 writes,-"The nest is composed of grasses and leaves to the proportions of a thick and slightly cupped pad, and is placed in reeds and grass near the ground, or in over- hanging grass at a distance of several feet from the ground. usually number from three to five, and are rather elliptical in shape, varying from a pale creamy to pale greenish-white. Season, May and June.' Yellow-necked Bittern. Caldwell, p. 309, writes,—“We have repeatedly taken the eggs of this bird in and round Foochow. The nest is a platform of sticks, sometimes well formed and quite deeply cupped, and is placed in bamboos or trees, usually not to exceed twenty feet from the ground. The eggs number from four to six, and are pale bluish-white, much lighter than the eggs of the egrets. Season, May.”
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On 23rd of June of this year one of the Chinese staff of the Hong Kong Botanical and Forestry Department found a nest which very probably was that of one of the three smaller Bitterns. Mr. F. Green, the Super- Yellow intendent has kindly given me the original note which I quote here stork, nest of bamboo leaves and grass, seven feet from the ground in a
Bird said to be 8 inches in height, two eggs.'
The eggs garden hedge. are broad regular ovals, white in colour and measure roughly 1/3 inches by 1 inch, which agrecs fairly closely with the measurements given by Herbert.
Our knowledge of the local bitterns is very scanty and this full account of the five species has been given in the hope of stimulating observers to look out for, identify, and make observations on these peculiarly interesting birds.
I.
REFERENCES.
24
Bucknill, J. A. S. and Chasen, F. N. The Birds of Singapore
Island" 1927.
2.
Caldwell, H. R. and J. C. "South China Birds " 1931.
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3. Herbert, E. J. Nests and Eggs of Birds in Central Siam Journal of the Siam Society, Natural History Supplement Vol. VI 4, 1926, P. 353.
4. McGregor, R. C.
C
A Manual of the Philippine Birds" 1909.
December 1932.
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