236
NOTES AND QUERIES
THE BIRDS OF TAI MO SHAN*
Bare hillsides are not the best places to find a wide diversity of birds, and Tai Mo Shan is no exception, though it does harbour a number of species rare or absent elsewhere in the territory. The Upland Pipit, apparently a montane derivative of the common Richard's Pipit, is resident there, and may be seen with one form of Richard's in summer, and a paler form of the same species in winter. The Crested Bunting breeds there, though it goes down to the valleys for the winter. Francolins are abundant throughout the year.
The most notable species is David's Hill-Warbler, which has recently been rediscovered after a lapse of fifteen years. This species certainly breeds, but has not been seen in winter. Its close relative, the Yellow-bellied Wren-Warbler, is certainly present all the year round. Twenty years ago, the Chinese Babax used to breed on Tai Mo Shan, but in spite of rumours to the contrary, there has been no definite record of this species since.
In winter there is always the chance of a Kestrel, or even an eagle, but in general the terrain is even more barren than in summer. Only where gullies encourage thicker vegetation will you find a sprinkling of the commoner birds, bulbuls, coucals, Violet Whistling Thrushes, and others; most of the other records from the area are of transients which do not really belong there.
Upland Pipit Anthus sylvanus Richard's Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae Crested Bunting Melophus lathami Francolin Francolinus pintadeanus David's Hill-Warbler Prinia polychroa Yellow-bellied Wren-Warbler Prinia flaviventris Chinese Babax Babax lanceolatus Kestrel Falco tinnunculus Eagle aquila sp. Violet Whistling Thrush Myiophoneus caeruleus Bulbul pycnonotus sp. Coucal centropus sp.Hong Kong, 1978
MICHAEL WEBSTER
* Mr. Webster gave a talk on this topic to Members who joined the visit to Tai Mo Shan, 3rd April 1976, the other notes for which are given at pp. 157 seq above.
236
NOTES AND QUERIES
THE BIRDS OF TAI MO SHAN*
Bare hillsides are not the best places to find a wide diversity of birds, and Tai Mo Shan is no exception, though it does harbour a number of species rare or absent elsewhere in the territory. The Upland Pipit, apparently a montane derivative of the common Richard's Pipit, is resident there, and may be seen with one form of Richard's in summer, and a paler form of the same species in winter. The Crested Bunting breeds there, though it goes down to the valleys for the winter. Francolins are abundant throughout the
year.
The most notable species is David's Hill-Warbler, which has recently been rediscovered after a lapse of fifteen years. This species certainly breeds, but has not been seen in winter. Its close relative, the Yellow-bellied Wren-Warbler, is certainly present all the year round. Twenty years ago, the Chinese Babax used to breed on Tai Mo Shan, but in spite of rumours to the contrary, there has been no definite record of this species since.
In winter there is always the chance of a Kestrel, or even an eagle, but in general the terrain is even more barren than in summer. Only where gullies encourage thicker vegetation will you find a sprinkling of the commoner birds, bulbuls, coucals, Violet Whist- ling Thrushes, and others; most of the other records from the area are of transients which do not really belong there.
Upland Pipit
Richard's Pipit
Crested Bunting
Francolin
Anthus sylvanus
Anthus novaeseelandiae Melophus lathami Francolinus pintadeanus
David's Hill-Warbler
Prinia polychroa
Yellow-bellied Wren-Warbler
Prinia flaviventris
Babax lanceolatus
Falco tinnunculus
Chinese Babax
Kestrel
Violet Whistling Thrush
Eagle
Bulbul
Coucal
Hong Kong, 1978
Myiophoneus caeruleus
aquila sp.
pycnonotus sp.
centropus sp.
MICHAEL WEBSTER
* Mr. Webster gave a talk on this topic to Members who joined the visit to Tai Mo Shan, 3rd April 1976, the other notes for which are given at pp. 157 seq above.
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