Sichuan birds: 2011

Lesser White-fronted Goose - only the second Sichuan record - and the first live record (there's a 50's a record of a dead bird on sale in a Chengdu market). Amazingly we spotted the bird from a hotel bedroom that overlooked a river - it hung around for 2 days before flying off.

Now were into 2011 I've totted up our Sichuan 2010 year list - although we included three cheat ticks (Grey Nightjar only heard,Yellow Bittern from a dead example on the Litang Grasslands and still a little uncertainty over getting a definite Hodgson's from Eurasian Treecreeper) it comes to well over the 400.

For those who like lists - here it goes (more photos after the list) -

Snow Partridge
Tibetan Partridge
Chinese Bamboo-Partridge
Japanese Quail
Tibetan Snowcock
Buff-throated Partridge
Chestnut–throated Partridge
Blood Pheasant
Temminck's Tragopan
Koklass Pheasant
Chinese Monal Pheasant
Common Pheasant
Golden Pheasant
Chinese Grouse
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Blue Eared Pheasant
White Eared-Pheasant
Greylag Goose
Lesser White-fronted Goose – 2nd Sichuan record
Bar-headed Goose
Ruddy Shelduck
Mandarin Duck
Gadwall
Mallard
Shoveller
Pintail
Eurasian Widgeon
Spot-billed Duck
Common Teal
Baikal Teal
Garganey
Falcated Duck
Red-crested Pochard
Common Pochard
White-eyed Pochard
Tufted Duck
Smew
Common Merganser
Eurasian Wryneck
Speckled Piculet
Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
Crimson-breasted Woodpecker
Darjeeling Woodpecker
White-backed Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Three-toed Woodpecker
Grey-headed Woodpecker
Bay Woodpecker
Black Woodpecker
Great Barbet
Eurasian Hoopoe
Common Kingfisher
Crested Kingfisher
Black-capped Kingfisher
Large Hawk-Cuckoo
Hodgson's Hawk Cuckoo
Eurasian Cuckoo
Indian Cuckoo
Himalayan Cuckoo
Lesser Cuckoo
Asian Koel
Chestnut-winged Cuckoo
Lesser Coucal
Himalayan Swiftlet
Pacific Swift
White-throated Needletail
HouseSwift
Eurasian Eagle Owl
Collared Scops Owl
Pere David’s Owl
Chinese Tawny Owl
Northern Boobook
Little Owl
Collared Owlet
Asian Barred Owlet
Grey Nightjar - heard
Hill Pigeon
Snow Pigeon
Speckled Wood Pigeon
Spotted Dove
Oriental Turtle Dove
Red Collared Dove
Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon
Black-necked Crane
White-breasted Waterhen
Common Coot
Common Moorhen
Greater Painted Snipe
Eurasian Woodcock
Common Snipe
Swinhoes Snipe
Solitary Snipe
Northern Lapwing
Grey-headed Lapwing
Pacific Golden Plover
Grey Plover
Lesser Sand Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Long-billed Plover
Black-winged Stilt
Curlew Sandpiper
Temminck's Stint
Green Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Common Redshank
Black-tailed Godwit
Ibisbill
Pallas's Gull
Brown-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull
Common Gull
Common Tern
Whiskered Tern
Black Baza
Black-eared Kite
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Crested Serpent Eagle
White-tailed Sea Eagle
Cinereous Vulture
Himalayan Griffon
Bearded Vulture
Hen Harrier
Pied Harrier
Crested Goshawk
Chinese Sparrowhawk
Besra
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Northern Goshawk
Grey-faced Buzzard
Eastern Buzzard
Upland Buzzard
Golden Eagle
Steppe Eagle
Bonelli’s Eagle
Mountain Hawk-Eagle
Common Kestrel
Eurasian Hobby
Peregrine Falcon
Saker Falcon
Amur Falcon
Great Cormorant
Little Grebe
Great Crested
Little Egret
Intermediate Egret
Great Egret
Eastern Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Chinese Pond-Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Cinnamon Bittern
Yellow Bittern – one dead example at Litang
Black Stork
Tiger Shrike
Brown Shrike
Long-tailed Shrike
Grey-backed Shrike
Chinese Grey Shrike
Eurasian Jay
Sichuan Jay
Red-billed Blue Magpie
Azure-winged Magpie
Black-billed Magpie
Spotted Nutcracker
Grey Treepie
Red-billed Chough
Yellow-billed Chough
Daurian Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Large-billed Crow
Collared Crow
Common Raven
Hume’s Groundpecker
Black-naped Oriole
Black-winged Cuckooshrike
Swinhoe's Minivet
Long-tailed Minivet
Short-billed Minivet
Ashy Drongo
Black Drongo
Spangled Drongo
Brown Dipper
White-throated Dipper
Blue Whistling-Thrush
Chestnut-bellied RockThrush
Blue Rock-Thrush
Long-tailed Thrush
Scaly Thrush
Chinese Blackbird
Grey-winged Blackbird
Japanese Thrush
Kessler's Thrush
Chestnut Thrush
Eyebrowed Thrush
Naumann's Thrush
Dusky Thrush
Chinese Thrush
Dark-sided Flycatcher
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Brown-breasted Flycatcher
Ferruginous Flycatcher
Yellow-rumped Flycatcher
Slaty-backed Flycatcher
Taiga Flycatcher
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
Slaty-blue Flycatcher
Verditer Flycatcher
Fujian Niltava
Vivid Niltava
Blue-throated Flycatcher
Indian Blue Robin
Orange-flanked Bush-Robin
Golden Bush-Robin
White-browed Bush-Robin
Rufous-headed Robin
Himalayan Rubythroat
Firethroat
Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Hodgson's Redstart
Black Redstart
Daurian Redstart
White-throated Redstart
Blue-fronted Redstart
White-capped Water-Redstart
White-winged Redstart
Plumbeous Water-Redstart
White-bellied Redstart (Chinese Shortwing)
White-tailed Robin
Grandala
Little Forktail
Slaty-backed Forktail
White-crowned Forktail
Spotted Forktail
Siberian Stonechat
Grey Bushchat
White-cheeked Starling
Silky Starling
Crested Myna
Eurasian Nuthatch
Chestnut-vented Nuthatch
Przewalski's Nuthatch
Yunnan Nuthatch
Chinese Nuthatch
Wallcreeper
Bar-tailed Tree-Creeper
Sichuan Treecreeper
Hodgson’s/ Eurasian Treecreeper – still a little uncertain on separating these
Fire-capped Tit
Songar Tit
Pere David’s Tit
White-browed Tit
Rufous-vented Tit
Coal Tit
Yellow-bellied Tit
Grey-crested Tit
Eastern Great Tit
Green-backed Tit
Yellow-browed Tit
Black-throated Tit
Black-browed Tit
Sooty Tit
Sand Martin
Eurasian Crag-Martin
Barn Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow
Asian House-Martin
Collared Finchbill
Brown-breasted Bulbul
Light-vented Bulbul
Black Bulbul
Mountain Bulbul
Plain Prinia
Striated Prinia
Chestnut-flanked White-eye
Japanese White-eye
Brownish-flanked Bush-War
Aberrant Bush-Warbler
Yellowish-bellied Bush Warbler
Spotted Bush-Warbler
Brown Bush-Warbler
Russet Bush-Warbler
Chestnut-headed Tesia
Dusky Warbler
Alpine Leaf Warbler
Buff-throated Warbler
Yellow-streaked Warbler
Buff-barred Warbler
Ashy-throated Warbler
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler
Lemon-rumped Warbler
Chinese Leaf-Warbler
Sichuan Leaf Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Hume's Warbler
Claudia’s Leaf Warbler
Greenish Warbler
Large-billed Leaf Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler
Emei Leaf Warbler
Kloss’s Leaf-Warbler
Sulphur-breasted Warbler
Bianchi’s Warbler
Plain-tailed Warbler
Chestnut-crowned Warbler
Rufous-faced Warbler
Goldcrest
Crested Tit Warbler
White-browed Tit-Warbler
Moustached Laughingthrush
Snowy-cheeked Laughingthrush
Greater-necklaced Laughingthrush
Barred Laughingthrush
Giant Laughingthrush
Spotted Laughingthrush
Plain Laughingthrush
Buffy Laughingthrush
Hwamei
White-browed Laughingthrush
Elliot's Laughingthrush
Black-faced Laughingthrush
Red-winged Laughingthrush
Emei Shan Liocichla
Black-streaked Scimitar Babbler
Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler
Winter Wren
Scaly-breasted Wren-Babbler
Pygmy Wren-Babbler
Rufous-capped Babbler
Rufous-tailed Babbler
Chinese Babax
Red-billed Leiothrix
White-browed Shrike-Babbler
Green Shrike-Babbler
Streaked Barwing
Blue-winged Minla
Red-tailed Minla
Golden-breasted Fulvetta
Gold-fronted Fulvetta - pair of birds on Old Erlang Road
Spectacled Fulvetta
Chinese Fulvetta
White-browed Fulvetta
Grey-hooded Fulvetta
Dusky Fulvetta
Grey-cheeked Fulvetta
Black-capped Sibia
Stripe-throated Yuhina
White-collared Yuhina
Black-chinned Yuhina
Great Parrotbill
Three-toed Parrotbill
Brown Parrotbill
Grey-headed Parrotbill
Spectacled Parrotbill
Vinous-throated Parrotbill
Ashy-throated Parrotbill
Grey-hooded Parrotbill
Fulvous Parrotbill
Golden Parrotbill
Tibetan Lark
Greater Short-toed Lark
Oriental Skylark
Horned Lark
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
Fork-tailed Sunbird
Mrs Gould's Sunbird
House Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Russet Sparrow
Rock Sparrow
Tibetan Snowfinch
White-rumped Snowfinch
Rufous-necked Snowfinch
Forest Wagtail
White Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Citrine Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Oriental Tree Pipit
Water Pipit
Rosy Pipit
Red-throated Pipit
Richard’s Pipit
Alpine Accentor
Rufous-breasted Accentor
Maroon-backed Accentor
Robin Accentor
Brown Accentor
White-rumped Munia
Brambling
Grey-capped Greenfinch
Black-headed Greenfinch
Tibetan Siskin
Twite
Plain Mountain-Finch
Brandt's Mountain Finch
Dark-breasted Rosefinch
Common Rosefinch
Beautiful Rosefinch
Pink-rumped Rosefinch
Spot-winged Rosefinch
Three-banded Rosefinch
Vinaceous Rosefinch
White-browed Rosefinch
Streaked Rosefinch
Red-faced Rosefinch
Pink-tailed Bunting – one seen Ruoergai
Crimson-browed Finch
Grey-headed Bullfinch
Chinese Grosbeak
Collared Grosbeak
White-winged Grosbeak
Slaty Bunting
Godlewski's Bunting
Little Bunting
Black-faced Bunting
Yellow-throated Bunting
Pine Bunting

Here are pictures of birds that are sometimes absent from the usual Sichuan lists -

Baikal teal - always difficult to find in Sichuan - we got this lone female in the NE. Interesting to see the plumage differences with the female Common Teal

Japanese Quail - at least were assuming it's this species and not Common. A surprising find in the Alpine forest that's at the base of Balang Pass.

White-backed Woodpecker - got this bird during early 2010. This bird was at the Beisehe Reserve - we saw others at Wolong

Cinereous Vulture - not so difficult to find in the Balang area

Bonelli's Eagle - several birds were recorded in NE Sichuan

Steppe Eagle - a young bird soaring over the Ruoergai Grasslands

Chestnut-winged Cuckoo - also a young bird. We saw Buffy Laughingthrush - a host species - hanging about in the same area.

Yunnan Nuthatch - in SW Sichuan - very close to the Yunnan border.

Japanese Thrush - a spring passage bird

Spectacled Fulvetta - a lot of birders miss this species. You can find it in the Jiuzhaigou area.

Brown Bullfinch - we got a flock of these this winter

Pine bunting - another winter bird. On the Ruoergai Grasslands.

Rufous-necked Snowfinch - on the Ruoergai Grasslands. Sometimes you have to look at an awful lot of White-rumped Snowfinch before you find this bird.

And a 2011 bird - which set the year off with a bang!!!!! Sichuan's first Red-breasted Goose

Sichuan birds

Sep 29, 2011

New Website

Mar 3, 2011

Our 2010 Sichuan list

Links to other sites

Content List

About us