Today is our last day in the Paddyfields for the season, and though it was another quiet morning, we ended with a couple of gorgeous birds!
The first was which was an especially special Chestnut-eared Bunting! Not only did this individual show the gorgeous, fresh and uniform feathers of an adult male (note the striking grey and dark chestnut in the face), but this bird also showed two entirely white Primary Coverts! This special bird is what’s known as “leucistic”. Leucism is the partial form of albino, where an individual may have white patches or spots in the fur, or, in case of birds, one or two white feathers. Interestingly, this birds leucism was not symmetrical, and showed different white feathers in its right wing. Intriguing!
We ended our season with a gorgeous female Greater-painted Snipe! This bird had moulted most of its Secondaries, showing the nice white tips indicative of postjuvenile feathers. However, the Primaries showed the typical juvenile-type, while the maroon-coloured face and neck markings (only found in females) was not as pronounced as would be found in adult females. Therefore, we could conclude that this was a 1st calendar year female. What a fantastic end to the season!
See you next year!
Daily Totals
| Species | Original | Recapture |
| Bluethroat | 0 | 1 |
| Chestnut-eared Bunting | 1 | 0 |
| Dusky Warbler | 2 | 0 |
| Eurasian Tree Sparrow | 2 | 0 |
| Greater Painted-snipe | 2 | 0 |
| Little Bunting | 6 | 0 |
| Spotted Dove | 1 | 0 |
| White-rumped Munia | 1 | 0 |
| Zitting Cisticola | 3 | 0 |
| Grand Total | 18 | 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 wilfully 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.*
