Summer is officially looming, and the day dawned warm and humid. Summer is usually our quietest time for ringing, as all the migrants have moved on. Nonetheless, we got quite a surprise of an emerald gem in the nets this morning!
An adult male Fork-tailed Sunbird! These gorgeous little birds are sexually dimorphic, with the females showing a duller, all greenish plumage similar to the juvenile plumage. This individual shows no obvious moult contrasts in the plumage, and more studies need to be done to figure out their exact moulting strategies.
Next up was one of our gorgeous Blue-winged Minlas! This bird seems to show a moult limit in the secondaries, and has the two growing central tail feathers. However, without knowing the moult strategies of this species, the best we can do is age this bird as a 2nd calendar year or older.
The day wore on, as warm and calm as the morning. Finally, we had two Streak-breasted Scimitar Babblers! These beautiful birds are another of our residents whose moult strategies are not yet fully understood. Usually these birds are aged by iris colour, however by now juveniles from last year could already show adult-type irises. Therefore, it is best to age them as 2nd calendar year or older. A nice day!
Daily Totals
| Species | Original | Recapture |
| Blue-winged Minla | 0 | 1 |
| Chestnut Bulbul | 2 | 1 |
| Fork-tailed Sunbird | 1 | 0 |
| Orange-headed Thrush | 1 | 0 |
| Streak-breasted Scimitar Babbler | 1 | 1 |
*Please note that all wild birds, their nests, and eggs are highly protected (under Wild Animals Protection Ordinate, Cap. 170) in Hong Kong. It is an offence to willfully disturb, take, remove, or injure wild birds or their nests/eggs. The actions described here were undertaken by trained professionals holding the necessary licenses and permits issued by the AFCD.*
